Sub-Genre (primary)
Heat Factor: Lots of foreplay.
Character Chemistry: I like you, but can I trust you?
Plot: Amalia hires Julian to kidnap her in an attempt to rescue her sister from their controlling uncle/guardian. Julian has an ulterior motive. Plus there are a bunch of villains.
Overall: The premise is bonkers, the execution is fun.
Heat Factor: It’s euphemistic until it’s not
Character Chemistry: Long distance is probably worth it, right?
Plot: A professor of criminology with a true crime podcast hobby gets a mysterious and threatening letter regarding an unsolved missing persons case nearly twenty years old, and just when he thinks nobody cares, a sexy FBI agent shows up at the victim’s disappearance vigil to help solve the mystery
Overall: I was in the mood for romantic suspense, and it really hit the spot
Heat Factor: It’s pretty steamy. There’s a lot of hate whoopie before there’s any tender whoopie, if you’re into that kind of thing. (If you’re not sure…give it a go with this book.)
Character Chemistry: The layers of emotional complexity, backstory, and personal development make these characters and their fiery chemistry very, very satisfying.
Plot: Makayla moves home to clean up and sell her estranged, abusive father’s house–and immediately runs into Ben at a wedding. The two get stuck one upping each other in petty pranks and comebacks, all while they inexplicably find themselves supporting one another from an unknown danger.
Overall: This book is utterly bonkers. It’s got some incredibly witty snark, caustic pranks, emotional character development, and a murderous mystery.
Heat Factor: Much of the first quarter of the book is kinky hate sex. Then it’s just lotsa sex.
Character Chemistry: Apparently threats to life and limb are an aphrodisiac
Plot: Will is trying to kill the man Kit is protecting (until he gets the file he wants and can kill his protectee himself)
Overall: If you can buy into the drama, it’s a pretty good spy vs. spy suspense
Runaway Ranch, Book #4
Heat Factor: An extremely slow and unusually chaste burn
Character Chemistry: That “enemies” to “in love” switch flipped pretty fast
Plot: Government assassins put the Christ back in Christmas romance
Overall: Well…this was a thing I read
The Smut Report 