This book is so much fun and so light-hearted. It’s a perfect example of cozy fantasy romance.
It starts at the moment when our group of heroes slay the evil overlord; instead of following the usual fantasy content of battles and enemy attacks, it follows the friends as they inexpertly struggle to run the country they just inherited by accident, all while the new king secretly pines for his best friend.
It’s quirky and delightful, and it helped me escape the darkness of the real world for a few hours each day.
Carry On meets Arthurian legend in this funny, subversive young adult fantasy about what happens after the chosen one wins the kingdom and has to get married to keep it...and to stay alive.
Arek hadn't thought much about what would happen after he completed the prophecy that said he was destined to save the Kingdom of Ere from its evil ruler. So now that he's finally managed to (somewhat clumsily) behead the evil king (turns out magical swords yanked from bogs don't come pre-sharpened), he and his rag-tag group of quest companions are at a bit of a loss for…
Alexis Hall always writes intelligent books with swoony romances. His previous book, Boyfriend Material, is also incredibly funny and one of my all-time favorites.
Writing a sequel to a romance novel is tricky because the characters have already reached a happy ending. He pulls it off by exploring what a relationship is like as it ages—as the partners tire of going out or wonder about a lifelong commitment.
I’m at a similar stage of life and loved revisiting these favorite characters to see how they navigated it (while knowing their story would still have a happy ending).
Wanted: One (very real) husband Nowhere near perfect but desperately trying his best
Two years ago, Luc O'Donnell and Oliver Blackwood met, pretended to fall in love, fell in love for real, dealt with heartbreak and disappointment and family and friends...and somehow figured out a way to make it all work.
Now it seems like everyone around them is getting married, and Luc's feeling the social pressure to propose. That's what you do when you love someone this desperately, right? But it'll take more than four weddings, a funeral, and a hotly contested rainbow balloon arch to get this semi-disgraced…
Common thought on romance novels is that they must be filled with conflict to keep the reader interested—for example, the couple is supposed to clash somehow. I love pushing back against the idea that there’s only one way to write a successful romance, and I love when I find books that break the rules and still hook me.
Well Traveled features a lawyer who quits her job on a whim to travel with a Ren Faire for the summer. She begins a super steamy relationship with a kilt-wearing guitar player.
Part of the joy of the book is that you feel like you are at the Faire with Lulu, discovering it as she does. The slow pace of her new life helps her see what’s important.
She escaped his net, but now he’s caught her heart…Muri was resigned to being the tenth bride of the merking—until he disappeared on land. Now, she must find him among the treacherous fairies and dim-witted humans before his menacing rival takes control.
Her first shimmering glimpse of a human is so captivating his fishing net almost ensnares her. But once on shore, she discovers that the fairies are kind, and the humans, intelligent. And the man who almost caught her—Jack—is utterly handsome.
Now, the merking’s rival is coming for her. He’ll threaten the whole village to force her to return home. To keep Jack safe, she’ll have to leave him.
