Hi, loves! 💖 I’ve been reading a bunch of really bad contemporary romance novels lately (thanks for nothing, Booktok), so I wanted to do a compilation of positive reviews I have for romance books I think are actually one well, or that I at least genuinely enjoyed to combat the negativity I was starting to feel towards the genre. 😂

Also, these were supposed to be mini reviews but they did end up a tad longer than I planned. 🤐 Whoops! Anyway, let me know your thoughts at the end! 😊

YOUR HONOR I LOVE THEM.

I personally find it difficult to enjoy books that don’t have a lot of drama thrown in, but Out on a Limb was just so pure and so wholesome, and I ate it up!

This story is definitely too perfect, to an extent. The MCs, who are both physically disabled, don’t go through a whirlwind of fights, didn’t have crazy exes, and didn’t have the world’s worst parents… But sometimes we just need a good, sweet pick-me up featuring lovable characters and a squeal-worthy romance, and this book was that. I saw it more as if it was life’s best case scenario. 😊

The chemistry and the spice between the MCs was so good. (This is a rare compliment for me because I’m usually indifferent about spice in books. 😂) I appreciated how the author also highlighted the woman’s pleasure rather than just the man’s. It didn’t feel like the mechanical, male-focused sex scenes in other contemporary romances. The MCs had an instant attraction that wasn’t weird or uncomfortable at all. It made sense given their personalities how they just clicked, and I liked how both of them were very forward and upfront with each other from the get-go. And the banter was actually hilarious.

I loved the characters together, and I really liked them individually as well! Bo is now one of my favorite Golden Retriver boys. 🥺💖 He is the purest soul to ever step foot into my imaginary fantasies. Win is also a softie. She was also so honest about how she felt being physically disabled, and I thought all her feelings were so real and relatable even to people who don’t have the same disability as her.

I’d also like to emphasize that the messaging of this book could come across as the having-kids-will-heal-you kind of thing, so if this is something that will bother you, maybe skip this one.

But if you like the one-night-stand and accidental pregnancy tropes done well with a slow-burn, friends-before-lovers type of relationship between the sweetest MCs ever… you need to read this!

This was what I expected (and WANTED) Flawless to be! It was a mash-up of all of my favorite romance tropes: ✅ childhood-friends-to-lovers, ✅ second chance, ✅ single parent/guardian, and a few other tropes as well: ✅ marriage of convenience, ✅ fake dating, ✅ semi-grumpy x sunshine, and ✅ small town.

So if you enjoy any of those tropes, I’d recommend this. But the rating’s a bit low for a few reasons. I’m going to go through some of the tropes to explain a bit.

Pretend-grumpy x sunshine. I found both MCs to be pretty likable (even lovable at times). MMC was a Pretend-grumpy-but-was-soft-on-the-inside shy boy who bakes bread and makes jam, is a fantastic businessman, and is a lawyer on the side. FMC is the sunshine character who loves working with kids, is a girl’s girl, and doesn’t take care of herself because who has the energy to make healthy meals? 😂

Childhood-friends-to-lovers & second chance. I really enjoyed how the romance started out. MMC has been in love with the FMC for ages, and the FMC appreciates the MMC as a great friend before falling for him too. Unfortunately, the feels kind of plateaued once they started fooling around, so the romance towards the second half of the book was much less exciting. 😅

Marriage of convenience. Maybe the real dip in my enjoyment of the book happened once the MMC started calling the FMC “wife” every chance he got. 😭 I just found that to be so unsexy. The marriage of convience aspect of this book was really nonsensical, but the MCs were at least self-aware about their reasons for getting married being unhinged. 🤷‍♀️

Single parent/guardian. This book featured the MMC’s adorable niece who curses a lot, gives great advice, and goes to therapy. I really loved both MCs’ relationships with her. They were so sweet and understanding towards her, and their scenes together brought a lot of humor in. Definitely one of my favorite aspects of the story.

Small town. While I’m not the biggest fan of the quirky-small-town-side-characters trope, I really enjoyed the small town setting. It added the much needed coziness that the romance aspect needed.

Overall, I wouldn’t say this is a book I loved, but I did find it enjoyable for the most part. This is a good filler read for when you need a cute small-town second-chance romance.

I needed my heart broken and then pieced back together, and this book did just that. I’m so glad I randomly came across a Reddit comment recommending this book because it was exactly what I was looking for at the time. Aly Martinez is now a potential new favorite romance author, especially for when I’m in need of a heart-wrenching friends-to-lovers romance. 💖

Books told from two different timelines typically throw me off, but that’s exactly what gave Release the depth that it had. It was such a joy reading about the MCs’ relationship growth from when they were kids to teens to adults. Such a beautiful, pure, and heartbreaking story.

She kept grinning at me as she started the engine. “It’s you and me. It’s always been you and me. And it will always be you and me. Let’s make a deal. This lifetime is on me. You can take the next.”

That is my new favorite quote from a romance novel hands down. The yearning in this book was so good. I was trying so hard not to cry while reading this at the mall. 😂 From the first chapter up to the last, I could feel the MC’s emotions radiating off the page. The MCs just went through so much as a couple, as well as individuals (with experiencing abuse, loss of parents, and feeling neglected).

I also want to highlight that I absolutely adored the FMC. I feel like it’s rare for me to love FMCs more than the MMCs given how they’re usually written in romance novels, but Thea was so sweet, strong, and self-assured. My heart broke for her every time Ramsey attempted to push her away.

That being said, this book is FILLED with frustrating tropes (particularly miscommunication, and stay-away-because-I’m-not-good-enough-for-you, as I so eloquently like to call it), and it was definitely frustrating at times, but I personally think it fit well with the narrative, so I got over the frustration pretty quickly.

The big reveal was also SO unsatisfying though, and I hoped the (standalone) sequel would tie up some loose ends for me, but I was still left feeling stuck after that. I tried to block it out and just focus on Thea and Ramsey’s relationship though, which was truly beautiful.

This book is jam-packed with emotion, and if you’re looking for a painful, pure, heartfelt romance, check this book out. I’m definitely looking forward to reading more from Aly Martinez in the future! 😊

Let’s chat!

Have you read these book? If you haven’t, do you think you’ll enjoy them if you do? 😊

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Here are some *ACTUALLY GOOD* contemporary romance books recommended by @aimeecanread! Share on X