I’m officially declaring March a solid reading month. I had many five-star reads, several library holds I’d been looking forward to came in all at once, and I got started on my Mermay TBR list. Once again I’m surprised that contemporary romance makes up about half my fiction selection, but I suspect next month will be different. Once again I have made no progress towards finishing existing series I’ve started, but I can’t complain with all the fantastic books I’ve indulged in.
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March Contemporary Romance Reads
The (Fake) Dating Game by Timothy Janovsky
Fake dating is one of those tropes that never gets old. The (Fake) Dating Game by Timothy Janovsky is a MM romance that features a super relatable mc, Holden James, who has just been broken up with by his long-term boyfriend. Holden’s lifelong goal is to compete on Madcap Market, a grocery-themed TV gameshow he used to watch with his late mother. The only problem is he no longer has a gameshow partner. Enter Leo, the hot concierge at Holden’s hotel. If these two can convince the TV execs and the world that they’re in love, they could win $100,000. This book excels at banter, there is fantastic chemistry between the two leads, and some heartfelt commentary on grief. You can find my full review here.
The (Fake) Dating Game by Timothy Janovsky
Raiders of the Lost Heart by Jo Segura
I have been dying to read Raiders of the Lost Heart since I first laid eyes on the cover and read the blurb, and it was worth the wait. I always take Goodreads ratings with a grain of salt, but in my opinion this one is severely underrated over there. Jo Segura has an excellent sense of humor and her passion for archeology seeps onto the pages. This is a satisfying enemies-to-lovers romance where they remain enemies for a good chunk of the book, and every page sizzles with sexual chemistry. This is not a fade-to-black (FTB) or closed-door romance, but it’s not overly explicit either. It hits a middle ground that will satisfy both spice lovers and those who prefer a tamer romance. You can find my full review here.
Raiders of the Lost Heart by Jo Segura
The Boyfriend Subscription by Steven Salvatore
I have been dying to read The Boyfriend Subscription since September, when I first set eyes on the beautiful cover and read the blurb. I don’t usually preorder trad pub books, but this was an exception. I had to have it. So I’ve been patiently waiting and OMG this did not disappoint. This is a heartfelt, tender romance with Pretty Woman vibes, filled with body positivity, sex positivity, and two gorgeous souls who clearly belong together but don’t know it yet. I’ll be posting a full review very soon.
The Boyfriend Subscription by Steven Salvatore
Lights Out by Navessa Allen
I rarely buy a book because of the hype, but I couldn’t help myself with this one. Lights Out by Navessa Allen is a dark stalker romance with a masked cinnamon roll hero and a kinky overworked trauma nurse. So far it’s reached number fifteen out of the ENTIRE Amazon ebook store (freaking incredible for an indie novel). I started following Navessa’s Instagram after reading some of her marketing tips on Threads, and I became intrigued by her reels promoting this story. This one deserves all the hype. All the stars. All the recommendations. It’s incredible. I loved the story, the characters, and Navessa’s writing. Full review coming soon.
Do Your Worst by Rosie Danan
I’ve had Do Your Worst by Rosie Danan on my TBR for a while now. I’m glad I got a chance to read it, but in the end it wasn’t for me. I wanted more paranormal from this one and it’s very much contemporary (but with perhaps a smidge of paranormal). I enjoyed Rosie Danan’s writing though, and plan to read her debut, The Roommate, at some point.
Paranormal / Monster Romance Reads
Little Piece of Sass by Clio Evans
I’m slowly working through the original Creature Cafe series while waiting for book two in Creature Cafe 2.0. Little Piece of Sass is a FFM romance between Quinn, a human woman; Luna, a female werecat; and Al, a male werewolf with double equipment (how convenient ;P). Luna and Al have been friends with the Barista for a long time and are looking for a third. Quinn has just started working for the Barista and is hellbent on revenge against the monsters. It doesn’t take long to tame their little brat…
Little Piece of Sass by Clio Evans (Creature Cafe #5)
Bigfoot Pirates Haunt My Balls by Chuck Tingle
If you write a story and call it Bigfoot Pirates Haunt My Balls then I must buy it and read it. That’s the rule. This one was a lot of fun with a surprising amount of dystopian world-building and commentary on environmental encroachment. The ghostly gangbang was exactly what I was looking for. My only complaint is it’s so short (4500 words). I could have read an entire novella.
Bigfoot Pirates Haunt My Balls by Chuck Tingle
Reading Ahead for Mermay…
I’ll write more about these in May, but I started reading ahead for my upcoming rec list and these two are on it. A Ship of Bones and Teeth by Karina Halle is a historical paranormal romance. It’s a dark Little Mermaid retelling with pirates, sea witches, killer mermaids, and kraken.
Providence Girls by Morgan Dante is an epistolary historical sapphic horror romance steeped in Lovecraftian cosmic horror and rich in body horror. It’s fantastic.
A Ship of Bones and Teeth by Karina HalleProvidence Girls by Morgan Dante
Horror / Sci-Fi / Thriller
Eye of the Ouroboros by Megan Bontrager
I was fortunate to read an ARC of Eye of the Ouroboros, the debut novel of Megan Bontrager. This is a horror/sci-fi/thriller that is best described as X-Files meets Ocean’s Eleven. My favorite thing about this book is Megan’s gorgeous writing. I can’t wait to see what else she comes up with. Full review here.
Eye of the Ouroboros by Megan Bontrager
Writing Craft Books of the Month
Self-Editing for Fiction Writers by Renni Browne and Dave King
As I mentioned in last month’s wrap-up, I decided to span this across two months. Some writing craft books are easy reads and go down quickly. This one is a heavy technique book, so it took longer to get through. All in all, it’s a worthwhile read. If you’ve been writing for a while, you’re probably already implementing many of the techniques advocated in the book but will likely find some new tips to add to your writer’s toolbox. If you’re a new writer, you may find this book overwhelming. I would suggest picking a chapter or two at a time to read and work on.
My favorite parts are: Chapter Four (Proportion), Chapter Ten (Repetition), and Chapter Eleven (Sophistication). Proportion and repetition are things I think about a lot both when reading and writing.
As with any writing guide, there is a need to take some things with a grain of salt. This was written twenty years ago, and while much of the information is evergreen, there is also some dated information. For example, the advice to not write explicit sex scenes. Times have changed, and unless you are writing a closed-door romance this is poor advice. Could you imagine a monster romance without a detailed description of fancy equipment and its use? Or a BDSM romance set at a sex club that doesn’t have detailed sex scenes? Readers would be disappointed.
Self-Editing for Fiction Writers by Renni Browne and Dave King
7 Figure Fiction: How to Use Universal Fantasy to Sell Your Books to Anyone by T. Taylor
This was supposed to be April’s writing craft book of the month. I finished my other book early and decided to read a chapter of this one. I couldn’t put it down. While part one reads a bit like those adverts promising to tell you “all the important secrets,” the difference is that Theodora Taylor follows through and actually tells you all the things in parts two and three. This book has changed the way I think about story. I’ve always thought about tropes, which are important, but universal fantasy is what makes books unputdownable. When it’s lacking, even books filled with your favorite tropes can still fall flat. But when it’s present, it’s what causes you to gobble the book up. After reading this one, I’ll be approaching my own writing from a new angle.
7 Figure Fiction: How to Use Universal Fantasy to Sell Your Books to Anyone by T. Taylor
Final Thoughts:
I have giant heart eyes for many of these books, but there are also so many more I want to read but just didn’t have time (the bookworm’s eternal problem). I’ve got two ARCS to read in April, I plan to work my way through my Mermay TBR, and I’ve selected April’s writing craft book of the month: Structuring Your Novel by KM Weiland.
Happy Reading!
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