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Bossy Romantic Favorites The heat of August feels like a perfect time to dive into recently published romantic stories, and these have been six of my favorites this year. Reads of the Year , and Six More of My Favorite Rom-Com Reads of the Year Have you loved any other romantic entranced by the romantic story she's pretending to have authored. appealingly imperfect main character making missteps and forging a path forward while adjusting to romantic

01 Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld Sittenfeld's funny and sweet take on an unlikely romance sparked I love Curtis Sittenfeld's books, and in Romantic Comedy she offers an outstanding premise: Sally Milz Romantic Comedy offers lots of funny, funny dialogue that delighted me. I smiled a lot, I teared up, and I loved this romantic read! , with the inspiration of her mom's favorite romantic comedies.

Sittenfeld's funny and sweet take on an unlikely romance sparked by a longtime SNL-type weekly skit show I love Curtis Sittenfeld's books, and in Romantic Comedy she offers an outstanding premise: Sally Milz Romantic Comedy offers lots of funny, funny dialogue that delighted me.

This romantic light fiction story includes sibling conflicts, loss, betrayal, a love that seems impossible In Ashley Poston's The Dead Romantics, Florence Day is a ghostwriter for a famous reclusive romance writer I loved the playful tone, the ghost angle within this light fiction, romantic story, and the focus on

For more romantic reads and lighter fiction Bossy favorites, you might want to check out the books on What are some of your favorite romantic fiction reads, from the past year or from this one so far? I smiled a lot, I teared up, and I loved this romantic read! And the Bobby-Robin relationship as well as the Gio romance had me swooning. New York. 05 The True Love Experiment by Christina Lauren The True Love Experiment is a wonderful, romantic

And soon I'll post another set of Bossy romantic favorites, this time titles that were published this Reads of the Year , and Six More of My Favorite Rom-Com Reads of the Year Have you loved any other romantic Weather Girl is romantic and occasionally steamy. , with the inspiration of her mom's favorite romantic comedies. in quintessential romantic-comedy fashion--with the perfect soundtrack playing in the background.

appealingly imperfect main character making missteps and forging a path forward while adjusting to romantic This is a great example of a light-fiction-feeling romance that deals with weighty, meaningful themes More Romantic Novels with Weighty Themes This is Ava Robinson's first novel. authors who offer deep, heartfelt situations, messy complications, and real-life consequences within a romantic

My Favorite Rom-Com Reads This is my first of two favorites lists of rom-coms and romantic reads. Have you read any other rom-com or romantic novels that you loved? I loved the fake marriage, the push and pull of career and love, and the second-chance romance. settles down when she finally begins to explore her feelings for Julius in a wonderfully sweet and romantic the Summer by Abby Jimenez Just for the Summer is another Jimenez story with wonderful banter and a romantic

More of My Favorite Rom-Com Reads This is my second favorites lists of rom-coms and romantic reads from Have you read any other rom-com or romantic novels that you loved? Check out these Bossy links for more romantic novels or lighter fiction . Emma Wheeler writes romantic comedies, and she longs to be a screenwriter. The story's romantic storyline depends heavily upon one character's never having entertained thoughts

representation in Ever After flips the traditional fairy tale in satisfying, heartwarming ways in this romantic The story's romantic storyline depends heavily upon one character's never having entertained thoughts mental health, the characters' realistic imperfections, the LGBTQIA+ representation, and the deeply felt romance If you like the sound of this book, you might also like the books on my Greedy Reading List Six Romantic

Some Lighter Fiction Favorites What I love about a romantic, rom-com, lighter fiction read is that real But letting go of expectations about realistic cause and effect in order to buy into a romantic setup difficult for me than suspending my disbelief in order to buy into outlandish or supernatural aspects of a romantic steps in their lives, inner voices that feel real, human connections that warm my heart, and a little romantic what it might mean for her career, for promoting body positivity, and maybe even for her lackluster romantic

Are there any stories you've loved recently that fall under the romantic comedy category? Thirty-two-year-old Fern Brookbanks has pinned most of her romantic dreams on Will Baxter--despite the I love Curtis Sittenfeld's books, and in Romantic Comedy she offers an outstanding premise: Sally Milz Romantic Comedy offers lots of funny, funny dialogue that delighted me. In Ashley Poston's The Dead Romantics, Florence Day is a ghostwriter for a famous reclusive romance writer

This wonderfully creepy lesbian vampire story is largely about female empowerment, but also about love, discovery, reinvention, and revenge. I loved each time period and the evolution of each strong female character. Bury my bones in the midnight soil, plant them shallow and water them deep, and in my place will grow a feral rose, soft red petals hiding sharp white teeth. Schwab's lesbian vampire tale spans centuries, beginning in 1532 Santo Domingo de la Calzada as a young woman named Maria makes choices to shield her from being a man's pawn and vessel for children until her death--then enters into a future she never could have imagined. In 1827 London, naive young Charlotte lives a sheltered, lovely pastoral life, until an indiscretion results in her banishment to London society. There she encounters an intriguing widow with promises of freedom with deep repercussions. And in 2019 Boston, Alice is trying to break out of her shell at college, and a one-night stand feels like a daring start. But the evening leaves her forever changed, and she's bent on finding answers--and revenge. She reaches out and runs her fingers through the ash. Knows she should feel horrified. But as she rises to her feet, all she feels is hungry. I loved that the women of each time insist upon creating situations in which they have autonomy and agency. For some, this means becoming a vampire and escaping men's foolishness, cruelty, or simply male-dominated societal control. Within the female-focused vampirism of the story, women demand even more from their lives, refusing to be limited by other women, by expectations, or by fear. They create their own versions of freedom, however unorthodox they may be. I enjoyed spending time in each time period. The storyline threading the three timelines together is deliciously intriguing, and a character that was initially a wilting flower finds her strength, her purpose, and her desire for vengeance, all of which is satisfying to witness. The pacing didn't flag, and this was a fast 535-page read. More Love for V. E. Schwab Schwab is also the author of The Fragile Threads of Power , Vengeful , and the wonderful Invisible Life of Addie LaRue , as well as the Shades of Magic series. (The first two books in that series are A Darker Shade of Magic  and A Gathering of Shadows , each of which I gave four Bossy stars. You can check out my review of book 3, A Conjuring of Light , here .)

In Christina Lauren's newest romantic fiction, Anna and West are a young married couple on the verge

off-putting to me in his arrogance at first, but Carley Fortune is the best at developing a lakeside romance Is it even summer without a new lake-set summer romance from the wonderful Carley Fortune? Percy (Persephone) and Sam (Charlie's brother) from Every Summer After , which is the story of their romance

which men solve women's problems, but this was entertaining, spicy, and sets up Lyla Sage's Western romance In Done and Dusted , the first book in Lyla Sage's modern-day Western romance series, Clementine "Emmy It's not fair for me to want a Western romance to be less romance and more Western, but I did, and even Yet Done and Dusted is entertaining, spicy, and sets up a long-term Emmy-Luke romance. For more romantic books you might like, please check out the books at this link .

While I probably should stop reading "romantasy" because I prefer my fantasy and romance to remain separate intimacy didn't induce cringing on my part in its odd specificity or skewed power dynamic (as some other "romantasy I probably need to stop reading "romantasy" or "romantasy"-adjacent books, because I love fantasy stories and I love romantic comedies , but for me, the intersection of romance and fantasy is often unsatisfying However, the forbidden attraction in Silver Elite lasts a tantalizingly long time, and while the "romantasy

Katherine Center's sweet rom-com about a video producer and her reluctant hero of a subject is set against the colorful backdrop of Key West. The appealingly playful love story incorporates issues of body image, job insecurity, and past tragedy in a lighthearted and charming novel. Katie Vaughn has been single for a year, since her former fianc é , an up-and-coming musician, hit it big and then very publicly cheated on her with a pop star. She's a mid-level video producer on the verge of a layoff--unless she accepts a job in which she documents the life of Coast Guard rescue swimmer Hutch Hutcheson, an everyday hero who rose to fame when he happened to save Jennifer Aniston's golden retriever. And he's not interested in being filmed. He lives in Key West, and much of the footage will be taken in and around the water. Katie doesn't disclose that she can't swim, but surely there will be precautions taken, life vests forthcoming, and she can probably even film from the deck of the boat...right? The banter made me laugh at times, and I bought the attraction between Katie and Hutch, as well as the "reasons" (all solvable, folks!) that they must not be together. Katie's evolution in considering and coping with body image issues felt valuable and compelling. Supporting characters are great, colorful, and add nice layers of interconnectedness to the story. While the roadblock issue of not swimming is easily resolved (in convenient fashion, so that the two main protagonists can spend time together), a bigger, more problematic secret emerges to keep the tension going. The famous ex fades away as an issue as the story goes on. The crisis that forms toward the end felt over the top and drawn out, with a rom-com-easy resolution, but by that point I was ready for anything Center was throwing my way. This is not a racy book, and the attraction and relationship are focused on emotions and wanting to be together without being swoony or angsty. I received a prepublication version of this title (which was published May 20) courtesy of NetGalley and St. Martin's Press. More Katherine Center and Rom-Com Love Katherine Center is also the author of The Rom-Commers , Hello Stranger , What You Wish For , Things You Save in a Fire , The Bodyguard , and other books.

Others I've enjoyed during the past year include: The Dead Romantics, Something Wilder, Weather Girl, Told in alternating points of view from Daniel and Alexis, Part of Your World is romantic, often funny Goes Off Script by Annabel Monaghan Sink into this light-fiction escapism; Nora Goes Off Script is romantic romantic storylines and happy endings, according to her tried-and-true formula. I read this satisfying, romantic read in a day.

In Kristy Boyce's young-adult charmer, high schoolers Riley and Nathan, coworkers who have nothing in common, end up in a fake-dating drama as they try to win over their love interests. High schooler Riley has a grand plan to become a Broadway director. But the always-epic school musical has been canceled because the school thinks there isn't enough support for it. So first she wants to get the spring musical set, then she'll mastermind her future. But when she borrows her mom's car without permission (to go see Waitress out of town with her best friend, so: worth it) and gets grounded, she suddenly has to spend afternoons working at her father's game store instead. Determined not to give up on the musical, Riley sneaks and works on a master plan for a performance--and talks her unfriendly teen coworker, Nathan, into making his gamer crush jealous by doing some convincing flirting with him. Meanwhile, she agrees to take part in some nerdy game play. But role-playing in Nathan's Dungeons & Dragons game turns out to be...fun. And liking Nathan is starting to feel like less of an act than simply a reality. I love a fake-dating premise, and the Nathan-Riley setup is irresistible. I was hooked on their ups and downs--and the reasons for their "downs" are plausible enough that I loved rolling with them. The supporting characters and their side plots are funny and oddball and cute. This was a sweet world that I loved spending time in, and the fact that absolutely everything works out is immensely satisfying. I received an electronic edition of this book courtesy of NetGalley and Random House Children's, Delacorte Press. More rom-com love! For more Bossy reviews of rom-com stories I've loved, please check out the titles at this link . The second book in this series is Dating and Dragons .

I loved Sunny's body positivity and her self-made-woman status. I didn't fully buy into one of her love interests but was hooked on the peeks behind the scenes of the fashion industry. Sunny Greene is a 35-year-old, recently divorced head of her own PR firm. She's struggling to find clothing to complement her plus-sized figure, and she's determined not to go to her little brother's pending wedding without a date. She's got deeply loyal and inspiring newly divorced friends to lean on, a body- and sex-positive lifestyle, and some tantalizing dating prospects. So why can't she simply shake off the fact that nothing in the Bergdorf Goodman swimsuit section comes even close to fitting a woman over a size 10? The body-positivity in Sunny Side Up was a highlight, as was the group of Sunny's bright, supportive fellow divorcee friends (and her mentee at work), but the standout for me here was the peek into the fashion industry as Sunny continually Handles It and makes her dreams come true--thereby also taking care of fashion-conscious plus-sized women everywhere. The voicing of her Queens-native love interest didn't ring true to me, and while he was very nice, I was partially turned off by his many corny jokes, which didn't land for me. Her ex is purely selfish and easy to detest, and another love interest turns out to be more focused on money than Sunny herself. Ultimately, Sunny listens to her inner voice and doesn't settle for anyone who wants her to be less than she is. I loved Sunny's independence, savvy abilities, strong will, and, of course, her fashion sense. More about Sunny I received an audiobook version of Sunny Side Up courtesy of Libro.fm and   Macmillan Audio. Katie Sturino is a body-acceptance advocate who is also the author of Body Talk: How to Embrace Your Body and Start Living Your Best Life.

Funny Story is the perfect rom-com read. Henry offers funny banter that made me laugh, some steamy moments, and a sweet love story. Reading this one made me happy. Daphne and Peter were comfortable--both planners, reliable, and ticking all the boxes on their list of "grown-up" acts: getting engaged, moving back to Peter's hometown, buying a house, and, in Daphne's case, seamlessly folding herself into Peter's life. But when Peter abruptly breaks up with Daphne, citing his sudden love for his childhood best friend Petra, Daphne is left emotionally reeling--and without a place to live. Desperate and devastated, she reluctantly moves into a spare room in the apartment of an acquaintance, "pothead" Miles. He has extra space because he was just dumped by his live-in girlfriend Petra. Who left him for Daphne's fiancé, Peter. Daphne is a children's librarian and is always early. She hates surprises. And as far as she can tell, Miles does odd jobs and traveled around without a permanent address for months at a time when he and Petra were together. They're complete opposites. But could their shared pain lead to a friendship after all? This is exxxxcellent Emily Henry. The banter is fantastic, and I laughed many times while reading this one. There's steaminess and affection and character growth. No one is perfect, no one is swooning, and the love in this happy read is immensely satisfying. The rom-com conflict that prevents an immediate happy resolution was based on a communication fail--a setup I usually detest, because: just talk to each other!--but this one was so well done and understandable from both sides, I was hook, line, and sinker for all of it. Henry offers up lots of book love, as usual: Daphne is a dedicated children's librarian. I listened to Funny Story as an audiobook (narrated by the fantastic Julia Whelan) courtesy of Libro.fm and Penguin Random House. Do you have any Bossy thoughts about this book? Henry's Beach Read was one of my favorite books the year I read it, and it made it onto the Greedy Reading List Six Lighter Fiction Stories for Great Escapism. People We Meet on Vacation was another great Henry story; you can check out my review here, and you might like to check out its spot on Six More Great Light Fiction Stories plus the five other titles on that Greedy Reading List. Emily Henry is also the author of Happy Place and Book Lovers.

I love an astronaut story, and while Reid spent far more page time on relationships than on the astronaut or space aspects, there was plenty of each to go around in this novel that was the perfect book at the perfect time for me. I loved it. To look up at the nighttime sky is to become a part of a long line of people throughout human history who looked above at that same set of stars. It is to witness time unfolding. Joan has always been fascinated by the stars, and as a professor of physics and astronomy at Rice University, she teaches her passion to college students. On the side, she shows her beloved young niece the sky and serves as a second parent alongside her sometimes-trying single-mother sister. When she sees an ad seeking for the first women scientists to join NASA’s space shuttle program, Joan becomes obsessed with being part of the 1980s training and with becoming one of the first women in space. I love an astronaut story. Reid spends far more page time on the astronaut aspect than the space aspect (and puts far more emphasis on the relationships than on the astronaut aspect). The complicated interpersonal situations added wonderful depth to the complexities of astronauts' training, stresses, competition, and life-and-death goals of entering space. The women's fights to fully be part of a traditionally male-dominated field and the various ways in which they navigated this were particularly captivating to me. The constricting social standards of the 1980s limit Vanessa and Joan's freedom to express their feelings publicly, and this reflection of the real-life times is heartbreaking to read. I adored the love for Joan's niece Frances that draws the in-love couple even more deeply together. The carelessness that partially leads to the crisis in space felt unrealistic to me, and the high drama and gasping reveal regarding the pivotal space scene toward the end could have felt over the top, but as usual, I was putty in Taylor Jenkins Reid's hands, ready to embrace every bit of it. This was exactly the right story for me at the right time, and I hugged it to my chest when I finished, then immediately began telling everyone how much I loved it. More Love for the Author and for Astronaut Stories Taylor Jenkins Reid is also the author of Carrie Soto Is Back , The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo , Malibu Rising , and Daisy Jones & the Six . You might also want to check out these other Bossy reviews of books about astronauts  and space .

My Oxford Year takes a light, romantic tone and within it, explores weighty issues like serious illness My Oxford Year is my favorite kind of romance; Whelan uses a light-fiction structure to take on seriously

Ready or Not is a light take on unplanned pregnancy. It felt so easy for Eve to plan to enter into single parenthood despite the many practical challenges she faces; but the love story that emerges is lovely and offbeat, satisfying and sweet. Eve Hatch is an administrative assistant at a wildlife conservation organization who's obsessed with creating a homey, personalized tiny Brooklyn apartment for herself to cozy into. Eve's parents died when she was younger, and her Midwestern brothers are far older. But she's got Willa close by--her friend-like-family best friend since childhood. While Eve's largely letting her life happen to her, Willa and her husband are struggling to conceive a child. But another beloved figure in Eve's life, Willa's older brother Shep, has moved to Brooklyn, and the three of them are ready for some carefree fun. Then a one-night stand with a cute neighborhood bartender leads to an unplanned pregnancy, and suddenly everything changes in Eve's world. I was on the fence about this book at first; the tone initially felt silly, and Eve seemed to be creating nonsensical complications for herself. (For example: Why keep bringing peanut butter sandwiches in her purse, knowing her officemate was allergic to peanuts? The first time she repeatedly found herself short on time so that she wouldn't be able to brush her teeth following the sandwich-eating and therefore couldn't eat at all, she did not learn and change her lunch plan for the future. I found this too dangerous for the officemate and too generally ridiculous to believe.) But the novel settled into a lovely set of back stories and a deliciously loving found-family situation. Eve spent very little time exploring options upon discovering her unplanned pregnancy; it was so easy for her despite her complete lack of a plan, she knew she would keep the baby despite the many challenges and unknowns (lack of money, single parenthood, lack of space, lack of a plan, lack of career security). And while the trajectory of the novel was evident, it was fun to watch the nontraditional love story and blended family unfold. I listened to Ready or Not as an audiobook. Do you have any Bossy thoughts about this book? You might also like the novels on the Greedy Reading Lists Six Lighter Fiction Stories Perfect for Summer Reading , and you can find other Bossy light fiction reviews here .

Croucher's young adult queer medieval adventure romance is sweet, spunky, and full of great banter, with things get complicated for both Mariel and Clem in this sassy, fun, queer historical fiction young adult romance

Henry brings her signature warmth, great banter, and sultry romance to this story within a story.

Just for the Summer is another Jimenez story with wonderful banter and a romantic connection that's anchored Abby Jimenez is wonderful at crafting a satisfying romance that's anchored in serious issues, and in

historical fiction story about the building of the Grove Park Inn in Asheville, North Carolina, had a romantic The romance aspect of the story became more of a focus than I was anticipating, and I enjoyed Callaway's

The Oceanography of the Moon reads like a romance, with superlative moments, emotional encounters with This book felt somewhat like a romance, as characters swoon, repeatedly cry over art and music, feel dramatic angst when they are fake-unable to be together, experience multiple perfectly romantic moments

Have you loved any other romantic comedy or lighter fiction stories lately? Weather Girl is romantic and occasionally steamy. , with the inspiration of her mom's favorite romantic comedies. Liz is a hopeless romantic who has been waiting her whole high school career to be swept off her feet in quintessential romantic-comedy fashion--with the perfect soundtrack playing in the background.

This is the type of romantic fantasy I adore.

enemies, and as they agree to cover for each other amid sword-fighting, royal court goings-on, and romantic This didn't feel strictly young adult to me, although it's certainly romantic without being explicit

Are there any stories you've loved recently that fall under the romantic comedy category? Thirty-two-year-old Fern Brookbanks has pinned most of her romantic dreams on Will Baxter--despite the I love Curtis Sittenfeld's books, and in Romantic Comedy she offers an outstanding premise: Sally Milz Romantic Comedy offers lots of funny, funny dialogue that delighted me. In Ashley Poston's The Dead Romantics, Florence Day is a ghostwriter for a famous reclusive romance writer

Sink into this light-fiction escapism; Nora Goes Off Script is romantic and satisfying in its outlandishly Monaghan's light fiction Nora Goes Off Script, Nora Hamilton is a scriptwriter for a Hallmark-style romance channel--and an expert in crafting the perfect romantic storylines and happy endings, according to her , something outlandishly amazing might happen, it will (a nomination for a Major Award; a celebrity romance

Ali Hazelwood's light fiction novel is wonderfully immersed in science, offering a forbidden relationship and an enemies-to-lovers dynamic, plus lots of steamy scenes. Elsie Hannaway is an adjunct physics professor, but her dream is to dedicate herself to a career in research. She's gotten some positive attention for her innovative work on liquid crystals, but her crochety male advisor assures her there's little interest in hiring her for full-time positions. To help pay the bills, Elsie is a paid escort (who does not have sex with her clients, as she keeps explaining to certain of them). She's fake-dating a nice man in order to keep his family off of his back. She uses a different last name and poses as a librarian rather than a physicist in order to stay anonymous. But her fake boyfriend's brother John seems suspicious of her story and oddly interested in the details of her life. Now Elsie has the interview of a lifetime, at MIT. But a series of coincidences and misunderstandings lead to her being unaware that the head physicist on site...is her fake boyfriend's brother. I loved the significant science element here, the jargon, the exploration of academic politics, and the passion for research and discovery. The factors keeping Elsie and Jack apart are one part zany (a fake-dating-the-brother code of silence) and two parts believable (longstanding professional conflict; a power mismatch). I was frustrated by Elsie's lack of assertiveness, although I recognized that it was set up in order to have her ultimately find her own opinions and set her course. I found the family dynamic related to her mother's demands of Elsie absurd. The situation with her twin brothers felt slapstick and silly to me. The steamy scenes, the twisty route to the relationship, the career shifts, and the science focus were all winners for me. I'd like to read more by Ali Hazelwood. Do you have any Bossy thoughts about this book? I received a prepublication audio version of Love, Theoretically, narrated by Thérèse Plummer, courtesy of Libro.fm and Penguin Random House Audio Publishing Group. If this book sounds intriguing, you might also be interested in the books on my Greedy Reading Lists Six Rom-Coms Perfect for Summer Reading, Six Great Light Fiction Stories Perfect for Summer Reading, and Six More Great Light Fiction Stories.

these issues are explored within what feels like a safe space--amid swirling attraction, burgeoning romance But letting go of expectations about realistic cause and effect in order to buy into a romantic setup difficult for me than suspending my disbelief in order to buy into outlandish or supernatural aspects of a romantic steps in their lives, inner voices that feel real, human connections that warm my heart, and a little romantic what it might mean for her career, for promoting body positivity, and maybe even for her lackluster romantic

It makes sense that Yarros is the author of a romance series, Flight & Glory, as well as other romance

coping with the grief of having lost her mom--while navigating the sparkly idea--and messy reality--of romance , with the inspiration of her mom's favorite romantic comedies. Liz is a hopeless romantic who has been waiting her whole high school career to be swept off her feet in quintessential romantic-comedy fashion--with the perfect soundtrack playing in the background. the banter, the heartbreaking, heartwarming growth, the fun--this is basically a perfect young adult romantic

In Weather Girl, Rachel Lynn Solomon brings humor and a little steamy romance to a newsroom setting, Weather Girl is romantic and occasionally steamy.

Sarah Grunder Ruiz serves up an irresistible rom-com with great banter and with interesting and difficult, complex issues of loss, grief, and responsibility at its heart. Jo Walker is a yacht stewardess. She fell into the job years ago while trying to find herself--after a youth in which her father died, her mother fell apart, her older sister Beth became pregnant by (and married) her beloved high school sweetheart--and after Jo moved in with the young married couple while she finished high school. But none of Jo's losses or disappointments or life experiences could have prepared her for the horrific, shocking loss of her young nephew Samson, Beth's youngest child (and Jo's birthday twin), in a biking accident. Months later, Jo's grieving sister sends her two living children, Kitty and Mia, to stay with Jo for the summer. Jo has been set on achieving a zany bucket list of items before her thirtieth birthday--and the girls are set on helping her any way she can. But the girls' emotional pain naturally creeps through, and it's bringing up uncomfortable feelings in Jo--who vividly remembers the loss of her beloved father when she was young and who adored Samson. She has always pushed down her grief, but she wants the girls to be able to lean on her. Meanwhile, Jo keeps crossing paths with a handsome, charming man new to town. But she's sworn off of relationships since her last boyfriend cheated on her, so she supposes they'll have to just be friends. Or is she reconsidering her stance on love after all? I enjoy a rom-com with a solid center of complex issues, and Love, Lists and Fancy Ships (side note: I really want to add a serial comma into this title) serves up depth: grief and loss, fractured futures, clinging to familial relationships, fearing change, the sadness of moving forward, and the heartbreaking reckoning with perceived responsibility for events leading to loss. The tension that keeps Jo and Alex apart feels plausible, and I accepted the difficulties each faces when considering a commitment to the other. I loved the best-friendship with Nina, the messy path of grief, and the imperfect characters all doing their best. I welcomed with open arms the happy ending served up by Sarah Grunder Ruiz. I listened to Love, Lists and Fancy Ships as an audiobook. Do you have any Bossy thoughts about this book? You might also like the books on my Greedy Reading Lists Six Rom-Coms Perfect for Summer Reading and Six More Great Rom-Coms Perfect for Summer Reading.

Jimenez's rom-com frequently had me laughing, made me tear up a little, and kept me hooked on the fake-dating, will-they-won't-they tension while also digging into some deep themes. Briana Ortiz's divorce from her cheater husband is about to be finalized, her brother Benny's health is failing, and she's living in her childhood home, complete with its original flowered couches and shabby carpet. At least she can pour energy into her work. She's busy as an ER doctor and is poised to become the next Chief. But when a new doctor relocates to the hospital, Bri's promotion is in jeopardy. She's set to detest this interloper--but then he sends her a letter that changes everything. Sometimes when I want to sink into a rom-com I'm distracted by what feel like overly manufactured roadblocks. (Really? They couldn't and wouldn't find five minutes to clear up this enormous misunderstanding?) BUT. In Yours Truly, Jimenez layers her characters with complex back stories, significant and interesting emotional baggage, and trauma from relationship disasters, all of which complicate their ability to be vulnerable. There's a health crisis and solution that involves the two main characters in key ways and complicates things. There's a fake-dating situation that's designed to save the feelings of loved ones. And there's a professional environment they must navigate within. It's not unusual for me to feel frustrated by a drawn-out will-they/won't-they tension, or by a fake-dating setup between two characters who should obviously be together. But this novel had me eating out of Jimenez's hand. I loved the letter-writing element and loved the looooove here! The banter between Bri and Jacob is funny and adorable, their attraction is sometimes steamy, the supporting characters are all wonderfully wrought, and I loved tracing Bri and Jacob's emotional self-discovery as they moved toward a hard-fought resolution to the issues initially stopping them from being together. Jimenez also digs into deep themes here: anxiety disorders, trauma, miscarriage, divorce, financial struggles, and more. I was hooked on Abby Jimenez's Part of Your World, but I loved Yours Truly even more. This book frequently had me laughing and also made me tear up at a couple of points. The very end of the book quotes from a personal set of writings and for some reason this felt a little jarring to me--I think I wanted to focus on Bri's internalizing the messages (which we as readers already understood) rather than jumping back and forth into them and then cutting to her reaction. If we're going to have a happy ending, we might as well fast-forward to a happy near-future scene and see it allll wrapped up--and Jimenez provides this for us. It doesn't feel like a spoiler to share that Yours Truly offers a clean ending without loose ends. Former enemies are best friends and almost everyone is in love with someone. If you've agonized through the main relationship's ups and downs throughout the story, you might just feel that Bri and Jacob--and frankly we the readers!--deserve this final section, which wraps up everything in a neat bow. Do you have any Bossy thoughts about this book? Jimenez is also the author of Part of Your World, The Friend Zone, and The Happy-Ever-After Playlist. You might also like the books on my Greedy Reading Lists Six Great Light Fiction Stories Perfect for Summer Reading and Six More Great Light Fiction Stories.

Jimenez offers humor, spicy moments, and romance while incorporating weighty issues into her light fiction Told in alternating points of view from Daniel and Alexis, Part of Your World is romantic, often funny

This light fiction young adult novel offers (reluctant) romance, best friendships, dance lessons, glimpses As Evie's putting her former favorite romance books into a Little Free Library, a wizened old woman approaches But Instructions for Dancing was romantic, sweet, fun to read (well, to listen to as an audiobook, which

This was a satisfying, often funny, romantic book that hit all the right notes for me. The Ex Talk is a fast read with lots of sexual tension along with some sexy romantic interludes, and data-driven dating program--and she receives an unheard-of 98 percent compatible romantic match with I appreciated that the will they/won't they romantic tension satisfyingly hinges on factors somewhat The story is steamy and romantic at times without being dramatic.

This was a satisfying, often funny, romantic book that hit all the right notes for me. Very Sincerely Yours is light fiction that delivers delightful, charming banter, the promise of a new romance This was a satisfying, often funny, romantic book that hit all the right notes for me.

Much of this book about a rock star and his (unrecognized) teenaged soulmate didn't ring true enough for me to feel that I could buy into the story. Moonlight Drive relies upon a seemingly implausible premise: Nick, a rock star, doesn’t recognize the person who provided the pivotal, years-long emotional connection in their early teens. The new band “groupie” was really Nick's dearest friend in his (recent) teens. She once went by the name Dani and now goes by Daniela--another reason it doesn't feel like it would be an enormous stretch for Nick to make the jump to identifying her. Daniela soon lives on the bus, is invited to share rooms with the band, and tantalizes the star--all without being recognized by the soulmate of her youth. Nick engages in outrageously destructive, hurtful behaviors. Exploring this brokenness could have been intriguing, but I found his character frustrating and off-putting. He absurdly feels he deserves congratulations for the small measures that he considers restraint (in one example that felt staggering, he receives oral sex from a stranger with his soulmate sitting next to him rather than having sex with the woman, and he seems to feel this is a sacrifice). The relationship at the heart of Moonlight Drive just didn't hold up for me. There were some steamy moments, but the sexiness often felt violent, the racy talk didn’t land for me and at times felt jarring and aggressive, and most importantly, to me, the characters' emotional connection didn’t feel real. A style note: there are many instances of interrupted speech--so much so that sometimes I wasn’t even sure what the characters were getting at--and frequent instances of what felt like unrealistically intuitive mind-reading as characters pieced together what they imagined the other to be trying to express. This felt unnecessarily confusing. I was puzzled as to why the "secret" that Nick, a professional musician, played piano and wrote songs would be considered too sensitive or personal to be made known. This felt forced and a little silly. I also wasn't clear as to how his broken, consistently self-destructive drug- and alcohol-fueled implosions allowed him to feel irresistible, even to the most grounded characters. Even solid mentor Jim inexplicably says to Dani about Nick's appeal, "Keep spending time with him, on him, you're gonna fall in love." The specter of Nick's addiction overshadows much of the story, and this element felt tragic and compelling. Hadley's descriptions of the clothing styles of the musicians of the era were entertaining and a highlight. But much of this felt too convenient and unrealistic for me, and reactions frequently didn’t seem to follow from events. I received a prepublication digital edition of this book through NetGalley and Chameleon Media Productions. Do you have any Bossy thoughts about this book? If you like stories about music, you might like the books on the Greedy Reading List Six Rockin' Stories about Bands and Music or the books A Song for the Road or The Girl with Stars in Her Eyes.

Axelrod offers a light fiction romance that's heavy on engaging passages about making music, band life Axelrod offers a light fiction romance that's heavy on engaging passages about making music, band life

The Ex Talk is a fast read with lots of sexual tension along with some racy-steamy romantic interludes If you like romantic, sometimes racy light fiction that offers character backstory, witty banter, and

Henry strikes the perfect tone for this wonderfully sweet, funny, friendship-based, romantic story that But Henry strikes the perfect tone for this wonderfully sweet, funny, friendship-based, romantic story