Publisher: Berkley

I will openly admit that I picked this up to read not because of the fantasy-flavored monster romance story, but out of gross curiosity as an env. science reader that enjoys reading about cryptozoology. While I do read romance novels, this is my first monster-themed romance novel and my first read by Lana Ferguson. Part spicy Scottish themed romance part magical realism fantasy tale, Under Loch and Key is an unusual novel that attempts to be a contemporary romance but also a more complex fantasy story involving curses, magic, Scottish folklore, and family secrets. I was pleasantly surprised at the amount of detail and effort put towards the latter elements, going far beyond what I was expecting and required for a straightforward monster romance. When I read Ferguson’s opening dedication “for granting me forgiveness for giving Nessie a penis”, I wasn’t expecting much given her past novels sat comfortably in standard romcom territory. Though I originally thought the Nessie premise would be a simple one-trick pony gimmick with light Scottish flourishes, I was pleasantly surprised by how far Ferguson took the concept and expanded it with proper detailed and compelling lore. Rather than simply giving Nessie Lachlan all the exciting…

There’s a reason that opposites attract is not only a common trope in media but also one that happens all the time in real life. Emily Henry’s People We Meet On Vacation runs with that theme and successfully pulls off the the deceptively difficult friends to lovers trope effectively. Of all of Emily Henry’s adult romance novel pairings, Poppy and Alex’s chemistry and dynamics might be my personal favorite that feels so natural, effortless, but most importantly, relatable. While People We Meet On Vacation‘s premise is more straightforward and less narratively ambitious compared to her other novels, the tone and vibe of the story is excellent, feeling warm and comforting throughout. Although the pacing and past vacation flashbacks occasionally dragged for me in places and this novel doesn’t hit the same dramatic highs as some of her other works, it’s still a well-rounded and solid read that has a lot going for it. Of the common romance genres meet-cute/progression scenarios, I personally believe that friends to lovers is one of the most difficult scenarios to pull off well due to character growth and tricky chemistry needed to make the shift feel believable. Narratively speaking, there needs to either be a…

Side note, it’s hilarious to me how the most liked reviews for this book on Goodreads are in all caps, filled with frenetic energy or absolute distaste for elements that are really quite minor in my opinion. And that’s frankly so amusing to me considering this is possibly one of the least offensive, sickening sweet, and comfy books I’ve read perhaps this year. Falling firmly into the romcom area of the romance/chick lit genres, I thought the Love Hypothesis was a quick read that has a pitch-perfect tone for the story it’s telling. Clearly not intending to change the world nor blow you away with deep and nuanced romance, it’s a fun and light-hearted book decorated with light STEM and academic science references. I previously read Ali Hazelwood’s YA novel Check & Mate based on a friend’s recommendation but had some personal preference issues with some of the teenage angst, so I was encouraged to try her adult novels instead. Interestingly although The Love Hypothesis has a collegiate post-grad setting and two chapters of spice, in many ways it still felt like a YA type of read in that the characters felt quite standard and the plot entirely predictable and…

Light-hearted, good-natured, and comfortably predictable, Kristy Greenwood’s The Love of My Afterlife is a perfect example of understanding the assignment and hitting all the bullet points to get the job done, nothing more nothing less. This book is a casual read that’s catered directly to fans of cozy chick lit rom-com novels looking for an easy and pleasant time. Devoid of anything that could be remotely triggering or controversial and full of the genre’s expected hijinks and romance tropes, it’s a competently written book that doesn’t really have any glaring weaknesses. On the flip side, it also takes zero risks and feels complacently good but not great. For me personally, I found The Love Of My Afterlife to be a bit underwhelming although I thought its overall tone and plot were great. I picked this book up purely based on the intriguing premise (before it started trending on booktok I might add) fully knowing it probably wasn’t going to be to my taste, but I was surprised by how pleasant and quick it was to read. Unlike other romance novels with magical realism elements that skirt or cheapen their gimmick, The Love of My Afterlife sticks pretty close to its…

Cute, cozy, hints of the supernatural, and a habitual schemer, Happy Medium had a genius premise and all the elements of an amazing romantic dramedy. I had previously read Mrs. Nash’s Ashes so I had an idea of what I was getting into, and I had hoped that Sarah Adler’s sophomore novel would be able to improve on Nash’s disappointing and contrived climax/conclusion. Despite being paced more evenly and feeling more refined page to page, overall I found Happy Medium to suffer from similar issues of dumb character logic (2nd half only), melodrama that doesn’t have sufficient build-up (again 2nd half only), and a concluding plot twist that ruins most of its intriguing plot potential. On the plus side, I quite enjoyed FMC Gretchen’s spiky personality and devious wit. Constantly trying to plan out her moves, both to convince Charlie that his farm is haunted and to safeguard her investment with her spirit medium client, I thought the first half of the book worked quite well; albeit feeling a bit slow for my taste. Although her sparring and enemies to friends to lovers arc with Charlie was good, her enemies to friends banter with the ghost Everett was the real…