Romance Archives - The Litertarian

Book Review:: Once and Again | Rebecca Serle

We’ve all had those moments, those crossroads moments, when we can see two paths stretching out before us, and we have to pick between them. Or something happens that is the furthest thing from our plans we wish we could erase them.

Well—what if you could?

Once and Again by Rebecca Serle Book Cover

This is a family saga that will tug at your heart. There is just a touch of magical realism here, but it’s load bearing. I’m not always the biggest fan of it, and in this case my rational mind wanted to protest in a few places, but I went along for the ride, the emotional experiment of it all, and I came away appreciating it.

Lauren is at one of those crossroads we talked about before. But she has a chance to make one change, thanks to a legacy in the women of her family. But only one, and she’s been saving it to save her father from his health condition. But she realizes she might need it for something else, after all.

This book has plenty to rachet up the tension: choices going forward, choices made in the past, and the kind of soul-searching that makes you think about your life differently.

You know you’re in good hands with Rebecca Serle. This one is no exception. Also, the audiobook is narrated by Julia Whelan—the queen—so that’s always an excellent option!

Note:: I received an early copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Details

Title:: Once and Again
Author:: Rebecca Serle
Genre:: Women’s Fiction
Publisher:: Atria Books
Length:: 256 pages
Published:: March 10th, 2026
The Litertarian Rating:: 4-Stars

If you liked this book, check out…

Book Review:: Won’t Back Down | Harper Jackson

Some books you read for the escape of it all. Something you can sink into, be transported, and find a satisfying plot with just enough tension (sexual, and otherwise), to keep you captivated and turning pages because you care about what happens next. If that’s you, I have to say, Won’t Back Down by Harper Jackson might be one of the best options out there. It’s romantic without being cheesy, suspenseful without being scary, and wholesome enough to keep it endearing. And man…it’s just a good daggum story!

Won't Back Down by Harper Jackson Book Cover

After losing her grandparents in quick succession, the only family she’s able to rely on anymore besides her brother, currently deployed in the Navy, Willa’s steady, reliable world is changing. Maybe once upon a time that wouldn’t have been a big deal, but now, she has enough psychological damage to deal with.

When she was a teenager, she drowned. Actually, fully drowned. But she was saved by her brother’s best friend, Sawyer. She has a lot of lost memories from around that time, and intense trauma from the years afterwards. She avoids thinking about any of that stuff at all. But now Sawyer is back on island, come home from his own stint in the Navy, and he’s there to help her cope, in any way he can. Emotionally, physically…legally.

Gosh darn it, this book got me. It is jam packed with all the good stuff, as I mentioned before. The sexual tension is present and done so well. The mystery elements are executed to perfection. There are lots of side characters I’m sure have and will pop up in other books in the same series (which I need to get my hands on immediately). It’s everything you want in this kind of book, which I like to call ‘candy’. The kind that just hits the spot. Refreshing, in many ways. Delicious!

Note:: I received an early copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Details

Title:: Won’t Back Down (Wayward Sons #2)
Author:: Harper Jackson (Kait Nolan)
Genre:: Romantic Suspense
Publisher:: Take the Leap Publishing
Length:: 331 pages
Published:: September 6th, 2024
The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars

If you liked this book, check out…

All the Missing Pieces | Catherine Cowles
Obsession Falls | Claire Kingsley
These Summer Storms | Sarah MacLean
Leave Before I Love You | Max Monroe

Book Review:: Stranger Things Have Happened | Kasie West

Kasie West’s books almost have that 90s rom-com feel. The situational, emotionally stunted but slowly falling anyway, long-story kind of feel. The kind that so many others have been struggling to tap into for decades since. I’m not saying she’s the next Nora Ephron, but there is something about her books…that x-factor sort of feeling.

Stranger Things Have Happened by Kasie West Book Cover

The concept: Sutton agrees to fake couple’s therapy with her best friend’s fiancée’s brother, because said fiancée is against it himself. They have this bet, see, that the therapist is a quack and won’t even be able to tell they don’t know each other. He wants to prove a point.

Why does she agree? Well, she needs therapy — and apparently doesn’t have anything better to do.

I adored this book. The set-up is weird, it’s fake dating without actual fake dating (the best kind, in my opinion, lol), but the characters are beautiful. I just believed it, you know? Elijah felt whole and convincing, and I was seriously rooting for them the whole time.

Beyond the romance, though, Sutton has some issues to sort out with her mother, who is a piece of work. She’s still nursing wounds from when her husband left, about a million years ago, and new wounds from being in an accident, which is why Sutton is back in her hometown.

At this point I will read anything Kasie West puts out. She knows her way around a romance, and I’m happy to recommend her books to anyone looking to step into a compelling romance that feels fresh and perfectly sophisticated.

Note:: I received an early copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Details

Title:: Stranger Things Have Happened
Author:: Kasie West
Genre:: Contemporary Romance
Publisher:: Saturday Books
Length:: 352 pages
Published:: April 14th, 2026
The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars

If you liked this book, check out…

We Met Like This | Kasie West
Where You’re Planted | Melanie Sweeney
As A Last Resort | Kristin Wollett
The Slowest Burn | Sarah Chamberlain

Book Review:: And Now, Back to You | B.K. Borison

I remember when B.K. Borison announced her deal for the Heartstrings series on social media: a series based on the 90s rom coms hard-coded into the DNA of all Americans of a certain age. What an incredible body of genius to work with! Though if you’re looking for retellings or something closely aligned to the classics, you may be let down.

And Now, Back to You by B.K. Borison Book Cover

And Now, Back to You is supposed to be inspired by When Harry Met Sally, one of the greatest movies of all time. But how it relates is a head scratcher.

All that aside, though, I did like this book.

The thing that sets apart a B.K. Borison book from a run-of-the-mill romance novel is something about the clean structure, lightly complex characters, and elevated prose. If you’re looking for something hot and swoony, you really can’t go wrong.

The characters in her books always have bigger problems than to typical will-they-won’t-they. This story has some meat on its bones. Jackson juggling enormous responsibility both in and out of work, and Delilah navigates a difficult situation in pursuit of her dream. Through the novel the rivals see each other in a new light and become genuine friends (and maybe a little extra).

This is the kind of book that makes people fall in love with romance. If you read a ton of it, you’ll see the scaffolding clear as day, but that doesn’t mean it’s not still a joy to read!

Note:: I received an early copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Details

Title::And Now, Back to You (Heartstrings #2)
Author:: B. K. Borison
Genre:: Romantic Comedy
Publisher:: Berkley
Length:: 464 pages
Published::February 24th, 2026
The Litertarian Rating:: 4-Stars

If you liked this book, check out…

Book Review:: Drive Me Crazy | Lizzy Dent

Buckle in, chappies, we’re going racing!

Drive Me Crazy by Lizzy Dent Book Review

We all know I’m a sucker for romance, and racing, so a romance with a backdrop of racing should be my holy grail of commercial romance — but it just isn’t.

I’ve read a fair few of F1 romances now, and while this ranks near the top of them, I have to say the trope as a whole hasn’t been very reliable. Apparently there is only so much trauma one can manufacture for an F1 driver. The wound is almost always the same.

That being said…this one is more successful than most, and I think the difference was Chloe. She is a badass, and constantly underestimated, and in a position that draws real scrutiny. The forced proximity in this one is real, and the conflict Matt is struggling with is very real as well.

Now I feel bad that I trashed the entire genre at the beginning of this review, but it’s a very real problem I’ve noticed, and I’ve read more than a handful at this point, so I feel pretty confident saying it. If you’re going to pick one up though, let this one be it. And if you know of another good racing romance (not just F1), send your recs my way!!

Note:: I received an early copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Details

Title:: Drive Me Crazy
Author:: Lizzy Dent
Genre:: Sports Romance
Publisher:: G. P. Putnam’s Sons
Length:: 368 pages
Published:: January 6th, 2026
The Litertarian Rating:: 3-Stars

If you liked this book, check out…

Once Upon A Boy Band | Jenny Proctor
The Perfect Putt | Annah Conwell
The Paradise Problem | Christina Lauren
The Tourist Attraction | Sarah Morgenthaler

Book Review:: How the Story Goes | Andrew Forrester

What happens when an author dies before finishing a beloved series? *ahem, Martin* In the case of an uproariously popular children’s fantasy series by Helen Longacre, she left that monumental task to her mystery-writer husband, Whit, who, for the record, has no idea where to even start.

How the Story Goes by Andrew Forrester Book Cover

This is a story about the kind of displacement that happens when you lose something you love. Something you thought you’d have for a lot longer than you did. The publisher is on a major deadline (which, wtf fictional publisher), but they have to concede to the last wishes of Helen, who wanted her precious story to be left in the hands of the man who didn’t even really read the books. Not because he was a bad husband. Because marriage doesn’t have to be everything for every person. They shared a love for writing, not a passion for writing the same thing.

I liked the straight-forwardness of the prose and Whit’s attitude. He is who he is, and though he tells a few fibs to get the agents and editors off his back, he’s a very honest person, and that gets him far. The woman he ends up asking for help has her own story, and a past that won’t stop haunting her.

In some ways, this story felt refreshing. While it has common elements of things I’ve loved before, it felt like something entirely new. The voice was direct, with lots of personality. The characters were well formed, intelligent, and trying their best, and the premise itself lends itself to the kind of deep grief that if we haven’t felt ourselves, can at least vividly imagine and empathize with.

Through the grief is healing and the remembering of good memories and trying to live up to being the person someone once thought you could be. Through the healing, comes a different kind of new beginning. A continuation of a story after a mid-point plot twist.

I adored this book. And I will keep my eye out for more from this phenomenal debut author. Congratulations, Andrew. This book is perfectly special.

Also, the narrators were top-notch and brought this story to life in a beautiful way. James Fouhey, especially, I felt brought the exactly right voice for Whit’s character.

Note:: I received an early copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Details

Title::How the Story Goes
Author::Andrew Forrester
Genre::Contemporary Romance
Publisher::Avon
Length:: 368 pages
Published::May 5th, 2026
The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars

If you liked this book, check out…

Where You’re Planted | Melanie Sweeney
Thank You for Listening | Julia Whelan
The Last Love Note | Emma Grey
Promise Me Sunshine | Cara Bastone

Book Review:: The Bodyguard Affair | Amy Lea

Ah, good ol’ rom-com territory for the first time in awhile! The Bodyguard Affair by Amy Lea is an engaging, spicy, and always moving forward.

The Bodyguard Affair by Amy Lea Book Cover

The premise is a gimmick as this entire genre has loudly become in the past ten years. Tropes, tropes, everywhere, which is fine when there’s also some heart.

The tone is genuine rom-com territory: mostly bubble-gum level antics framed in a serious but straight-forward situation.

It’s not all surface level laughs though, there is a little bit of meat on these character’s bones. Complicated families, pursuing dreams, forgiveness, and genuine emotion play a role here too.

Overall, this is an entertaining commercial romance I think a wide-audience will appreciate. If you’re looking for something to sink your teeth into though, this may not be the right thing to pick up at the minute. Read it at the end of a long week, I think it’ll help lighten the load.

Note:: I received an early copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Details

Title:: The Bodyguard Affiar
Author:: Amy Lea
Genre:: Contemporary Romance
Publisher:: Berkley
Length:: 432 pages
Audio Length:: 10h 51m
Audiobook Narrator:: Brittany Pressley & Teddy Hamilton
Published:: December 2nd, 2025
The Litertarian Rating:: 4-Stars

If you liked this book, check out…

Book Review:: Over and Over | Becky Hunter

So it turns out I’m a sucker for love stories through time (who knew there were so many of them?!), but this one has a twist on whatever standard there may be. It’s fully contemporary romance, there is no time travel — there are but the smallest hints of past lives, and they seem to be pointing Lissa toward a guy she recently met. A guy she really shouldn’t have any feelings for, but can’t seem to stop herself.

Lissa meets Ash through the guy she’s casually sleeping with at work. That is, after Ash saves her life on the street. She’s in a pretty dark place, being the anniversary of her sister’s death, and despite not getting off on the right foot, every time they run into one another, there’s this undeniable…something.

This book is mostly about grief, or more specifically, unprocessed grief. Lissa has a lot of healing to do with her family surrounding her sister’s death, and out of nowhere she starts getting these weird flashes of almost…memories. It gets bad enough that she searches out help for someone who specializes in past lives, even though she feels foolish for doing so.

I would call this a high concept novel, and the author stays true to her vision. I’m just not sure it entirely worked on me. It felt like a tall order, tying in the past life passages and trying to relate them to the current timeline. I would get more specific, but that feels like stepping into spoiler territory.

Don’t choose this book if you’re looking for a sweeping romance that covers generations. Don’t choose this book if you’re heavy into the metaphysics of it all. Do choose this book if you enjoy complex stories about grief and unlearning negative stories about yourself. There is a worthwhile journey in the pages of this book, it’s just not really the one that was promised.

Note:: I received an early copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Details

Title:: Over and Over
Author:: Becky Hunter
Genre:: Speculative Romance
Publisher:: Forever
Length:: 400 pages
Published:: February 24th, 2026
The Litertarian Rating:: 3-Stars

If you liked this book, check out…

The Book of Lost Hours | Hayley Gelfuso
PS I Hate You | Lauren Connolly
Work in Progress | Kat Mackenzie

Book Review:: Seeing Other People | Emily Wibberley & Austin Siegemund-Broka

Even though the premise of this book is clear from the title, the cover, and whatever the blurb says (which you all know by now I almost never read) — it still surprised me.

There are ghosts, and ghosts make for excellent adventure, and, turns out, make pretty good matchmakers.

Morgan is haunted by a guy she barely knows and she has no idea why. What is it that is anchoring him to her? He was nice and all, but how does she get rid of him?

Then she meets Sawyer, who has been haunted for years by the love of his life. Together, they decide to help one another. After all, how often do you meet someone who is actively being haunted?

Though the premise is a little silly, and translated to a story that is sometimes silly and fun, it’s also a story of deep grief and loss, and learning to live again. I really appreciated the careful balance of the depth, and I thought the romance was handled really organically, too.

Besides the cover, which makes no sense (why are both of the ghosts there girls?!), I thought it was a really great book, and I recommend it.

Note:: I received an early copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Details

Title:: Seeing Other People
Author:: Emily Wibberley & Austin Siegemung-Broka
Genre:: Paranormal Romance
Publisher:: Berkley
Length:: 352 pages
Audio Length:: 9h 45m
Audiobook Narrator:: Brittany Pressley & Dan Bittner
Published:: December 9th, 2025
The Litertarian Rating:: 4-Stars

If you liked this book, check out…

32 Days in May | Betty Corrello
Promise Me Sunshine | Cara Bastone
The Last Love Note | Emma Grey

Book Review:: Fallen City | Adrienne Young

A city is falling – it’s inevitable – but the man who started it is also the one who cannot leave. Not without her.

Fallen City by Adrienne Young Book Cover

Maris and Luca, oh my my. This book has political tension, mystical mysteries, warfront tactics, rivalries, brotherhood, courting, and a love so deep and true it’ll have you aching for more and afraid to find out what happens next.

The pacing and reveals in this book are its crowning achievement. Young pulls you through the novel with sparse inner-chapter hints and last-line gut-punches that keep that sense of discovery feeling constant through just about the whole book. It’s propulsive. It’s a valuable lesson for writers (like me).

I honestly feel like the plot is secondary here, though there is plenty of it to sink your teeth into. But it’s the characters that make it unforgettable.

Will I read the next installment? You don’t even have to ask.

Note:: I received an early copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Details

Title:: Fallen City (Fallen City Duology #1)
Author:: Adrienne Young
Genre:: Romantasy
Publisher:: Saturday Books
Length:: 416 pages
Audio Length:: 11h 19m
Audiobook Narrator:: Dylan Reilly Fitzpatrick & Leela Bassuk
Published:: November 4th, 2025
The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars