Fresh Fiction readers read EVERYTHING, but many of us have a particular fondness for romance. And what is romance? A love story with a happy ending. Many stories (and given my penchant for writing books with the word “Second” in the title, these certainly include my books) involve the main characters getting a second chance of some kind or other. But there is also magic in so many varieties of first encounters, including, of course, the popular “meet cute.” During this past month, I had a first encounter, and I fell HARD!
Rebecca Yarros. You’ve heard of her, of course, and probably read her long list of books. Somehow, I had not. Whatever rock I’ve been living under managed to keep her off my radar, but I have pushed that rock aside and told it sternly to behave. In its absence: delight. I’ve sped through IN THE LIKELY EVENT (Wonderful! Kept me glued to the page!), MUSES & MELODIES (Poignant and part of a great series with Sarina Bowen and Devney Perry) THE THINGS WE LEAVE UNFINISHED (Achingly beautiful), and finally and most gloriously, FOURTH WING. FOURTH WING will keep you holding your breath for a very long time, so have your oxygen tank ready before you begin. Is it a romance? Most definitely! It is also a wild adventure story, complete with intrigue, suspense, betrayal, courage, and dragons! And depending on whether you’re a glass half-full or half-empty kind of reader, the good/bad news is that it is also the first volume of a proposed five book series. Did I check into this ahead of time? Of course not. I was listening to the final sections of the audiobook during a long drive, meaning I could not watch the percentage remaining creep closer and closer to zero, when all of a sudden, with one last gloriously tantalizing sentence, the book ended. Fortunately, the next volume, IRON FLAME, is only a few months out, so keep your eyes peeled for more gushing on my part.
Another writer that darn rock had kept hidden from me: Simone St. James. This best-selling author also has an impressive backlist of both romances and thrillers that I’m now determined to investigate. THE BROKEN GIRLS tells the fascinating tale of a string of deaths connected over decades to a now-shuttered school in Vermont, and I was riveted from the first page to the last.
Evidence to the contrary, I’m not always behind, and I was lucky to read several new books lately that all merit more than a few positive words. GHOSTED, by Sarah Ready, is a delightful story of a shy young woman who finds herself in love with a ghost. In all honesty, I was both enthralled and perplexed throughout most of the book and kept checking to see if GHOSTED was really categorized as a romance. It was, and I’m happy to attest, it most definitely meets the criteria.
ON FIRE ISLAND, by Jane L. Rosen, also had me bemused as we learn right from the start that the narrator, a vibrant woman in her 30s, has recently died. Far from melancholic, however, the book was at once a moving tale of the love story between the woman and her now mourning husband but also a love song to and about a beautiful community.
And I THINK HE KNOWS, by Katie Bailey, is a splendid romcom covering an array of tropes: second chances, friends to lovers, and even a bit of forced proximity. Lana Mae’s high school boyfriend was a first-class cad who left her pregnant without a second glance. His frat roommate, however, stepped in as a dependable best friend and stayed glued to that position for more than a decade. If only someone could knock some sense into these two and let them see what’s plain to everyone on the planet except them!
Last but most definitely not least: Christina Lauren’s THE HONEYMOON CRASHERS. This “book” is only available in audio, but fortunately, many libraries have added it to their collections. It’s a follow-up to 2019’s THE UNHONEYMOONERS (which I also adored), but you needn’t read the first to enjoy this marvelous “unplanned” family trip to Hawaii. Ami is determined that her sister will get a wedding far more successful than her own matrimonial disaster, but she’s not keen to share her planning with Body, the interfering best man. This is, however, the dynamic duo Christina Lauren. Hijinks ensue but so does a toe-curling romance that leaves us eager for their next coproduction. Keep them coming, ladies!
Meg's friends during her high school years all expected her romance novels to hit the shelves decades ago, but she foolishly allowed "serious pursuits" to get in her way. Now that her beloved children can feed, clothe, and most importantly, support themselves, she's free to turn her attention to her first passion - putting words to paper that capture your attention and make your heart sing in quiet joy. Her stories tell most frequently of second chances--in life, love, and sometimes even at rediscovering a soul-mate from a previous life.
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