Hero – Duke or heir of duke if being the heir is a big point in the story
Heat Factor: The time they have sex when they’re seventeen is a little too real
Character Chemistry: It’s obvious to everyone but her that he’s head over heels
Plot: First love reunited
Overall: This book is ridiculous
Heat Factor: A little bit of feisty bedroom action in an otherwise very gentle book
Character Chemistry: So. Much. Angst.
Plot: How to buck oppressive expectations + Interrogating gendered expectations
Overall: I expected this book to make me cry, and it totally did not.
Holly got an ARC of Something Fabulous for herself, and Erin was like, “You got that for me, right?” Obviously, that meant we had to review this book together. It’s time for a Dueling Review!
Something Fabulous, Book #1
Heat Factor: I don’t think I’ve ever read (highly enthusiastic) rimming as the first interlude, and it was a refreshing change of pace
Character Chemistry: In its essentials, the grumpy one is soft for the sunshine one. Or, rather, the rigid one is soft for the free spirited one.
Plot: A very bad proposal of marriage leads to a road trip of personal discovery
Overall: I laughed, I cried, I laughed some more, and then I sighed with happiness
Heat Factor: Unexpectedly explicit about arseholes
Character Chemistry: Utterly irritating, utterly captivated
Plot: Valentine finds himself the villain in a gothic novel
Overall: I found the silly first half a slog, but my heart went pitter-pat in the end
Sequel to A Princess for Christmas
Heat Factor: This is a slow burn with a bit of boning at the end; if you’ve read other Jenny Holiday books, this one is on the tame side.
Character Chemistry: Dani and Max are adorable, separately and together.
Plot: Dani and Max become best friends. Then they fall in love, but can’t admit it—not to themselves, and definitely not to each other.
Overall: It’s cute.
Maiden Lane, #10
Heat Factor: Val shows off his splendid physique
Character Chemistry: Even though there is a *serious* power imbalance between these two, it doesn’t *feel* like there is.
Plot: Val is the literal worst. Bridget is his housekeeper.
Overall: I finally understand the appeal of morality chain romances, because I loved every single minute of this book.
The Smut Report 