Hi All!

It’s Ginny writing a post where I get to choose my top ten in a genre and you know what. I don’t review romance novels on here often but I clearly read a lot of them, so I’m going to go ahead and do a top 10 list of romances. Yet again, this is no particular order.

• A Prince on Paper by Alysssa Cole: The Reluctant Royals series, the entire series, was basically tailor made for me. I chose this book because this couple was the one that made the biggest impact. This book has miscommunication (but not because of not talking to each other!!!!), people with bulletproof exteriors who are marshmallows on the inside, and a great look at what a public face can be, and I just love this book.
• Well Met by Jen DeLuca: I finished reading this book only recently, and I may have had some issues with it, but as a romance book it was solid. There’s a slight fake-out at the beginning with a potential other love interest, but Simon and Emily are kind of delightful in their dumb hate-flirting at the beginning of the book and I really enjoyed the way their pasts shaped how they moved forward. This book also took place over a few months which is always refreshing in a book.
• The Bromance Book Club by Lyssa Kay Adams: This book ended up just being a lot of fun. Baseball player trying to save his marriage by reading romance novels with a bunch of his bro friends sounds like a concept that shouldn’t work, but it did. One of my favorite things about this book was the way it put into words what I tend to like about romance novels. It’s explicitly stated that women are responsible for the emotional labor in a lot of the world and romance novels are fun because it flips that on it’s head.
• The Lady’s Guide to Celestial Mechanics by Olivia Waite: I LOOOOVED this book. The plot was absolutely divine and covered a fairly sexist period in time and fairly sexist situation in a way that felt realistic for the time while also being heart-poundingly infuriating. And then the characters. The buttoned-up Catherine St. Day and Lucy Muchelney come together in a way that felt too fast and too slow which is probably the perfect speed for a book like this.
• Red, White, and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston: Coming right after the previous book I would like to say that this book doesn’t feel realistic (situationally) but absolutely nails so many of the other emotions. That hating someone until you realize you really like them is exquisite.
• Silver Silence by Nalini Singh: I will fully admit I accidentally read this story first and it’s technically book 16 in the Psy-Changeling Series. That being said, it’s the first book in the Psy-Changeling Trinity and it was my introduction to the series which I have clearly enjoyed. I didn’t get some of the backstory but I absolutely fell in love with our hero. I like a woman who is cold and man who is really outgoing.
• Trade Me by Courtney Milan: I know Courtney Milan is known for her historical fiction but I think the story that got me the most was Trade Me. A poor college student bets the rich kid in her lecture that he wouldn’t be able to deal with poverty. And he actually takes her up on the deal. It’s an interesting portrait of how poverty affects the choices someone makes and how privilege makes those choices invisible. Plus the characters are just encapsulating. It’s another book where the flaws perfectly fit the character and the way the story builds in fascinating.
• Beginner’s Luck by Kate Clayborn: This book is just fun. Kit is a scientist who is happy where she is, and Ben is the recruiter trying to get her to move. There are some interesting timing quirks, but really this is a book where the problems, while realistic, felt relatively small scale. This is a read that’s perfect for a chilly afternoon, a cup of hot chocoalte, and a warm blanket safe with the knowledge that everything will work out.
• Destiny’s Surrender by Beverly Jenkins: This is book two of the Destiny series but it’s probably my favorite of the bunch. First off, I think it’s rare that a prostitute is allowed to be the heroine of a romance novel, but she’s also incredibly strong, and sweet, and this book is just kinda hot.
• Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows by Balli Kaur Jaswal: I’m going to be honest, I don’t remember if this one would technically count for being a romance novel. All I remember is that a bunch of older women wrote some very erotic stories for a class. This book had me laughing out loud at times, but the through line of the widows loneliness was really touching. Like I said, I’m not sure if this counts, but the book was absolutely fantastic.

I would like to note that I chose some of these because I love the author and needed to have something of theirs, while the rest were me going back through my goodreads to see what made me go “Oh my god, I loved that one!” Which means the older books I’ve read might not be getting a fair shake. But whatever. It’s a list.

Do you think I chose wrong? Let me know!

Enjoy your drinks as much as your books and your books as much as your drinks.

Yours,

Ginny

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by That Arsty Reader Girl. Check out their blog for topics and such.