My March Reading List: What to Read & What to Skip

Act Your Age, Eve Brown
by Talia Hibbert

Published March 2021
*ARC received
A Must Read Opposites Attract Romance for 2021
5 stars

Eve Brown is a certified hot mess. No matter how hard she strives to do right, things always seem to go wrong. Case in point when she accidentally hits the owner of the bed and breakfast with her car, breaking his arm.

Jacob may have turned her down for the head chef position during her interview, but with him laid up and understaffed Eve is everywhere he turns trying to help.

Eve’s chaotic nature is the complete opposite to Jacob’s need to control everything, so why is he starting to get used to her being around and liking it?

This is definitely one of the best romance books of 2021 so far and totally deserved its spot on my list of Most Anticipated Romance Books of 2021. It’s so good that I added it to my best romance novels of all time list!

I adore Eve and Jacob. Like, love, love, love these diverse characters and I was completely surprised that this book had some HOT moments which I totally didn’t expect. It’s opposites attract at its finest.

Such a great love story that I can’t recommend enough.

Related: Most Anticipated Romance Books of 2021, Best Romance Novels

Amazon | Goodreads | My Review

Blindsided
by Victoria Denault

Published February 2021
Kindle Unlimited
A Perfect Enemies to Lovers Romance with a Romeo and Juliet Vibe
5 stars

Tate Adler and Maggie Todd were never meant to be anything more than sworn enemies given the longstanding feud between their neighboring family farms. Yet when Maggie discovers Tate’s secret, a side hustle that could jeopardize his hockey scholarship, their face offs give off sparks that could blow everything a part.

I absolutely loved this book and highly recommend it! I adore enemies to lovers romance books and this one hit the spot with its Romeo and Juliet vibe where two families are at odds with one another with a hate that passes from generation to generation.

Tate and Maggie were the best characters to root for with some highly combustible chemistry! A must read.

Related: Enemies to Lovers Books, College Romance Books

Amazon | Goodreads | My Review

Hard to Lose
by K. Bromberg

Published March 2021
*ARC received
The Sweetest Falling in Love Story
5 stars

Chase Kincaid is thrown when she receives a letter sent to her family’s sports agency that was sent five years earlier from a baseball prospect that never came to be because he enlisted in the army.

Something about that letter pulls on Chase so she’s off to find the mystery ball player – and possibly pull some good PR from him for her company. She just didn’t expect to fall for him.

Just when I think this series can’t get any better, Bromberg does it again – and I think this is now my new favorite!

Let me just say that this book had me from the first moment Chase and Gunner meet. Their flirting was so much fun to read and the sparks were jumping off the page.

This can be read as a standalone but definitely check out the entire series!

Related: Best Sports Romance Books

Amazon | Goodreads | My Review

A Promise of Fire
by Amanda Bouchet

Published August 2016
A Fantasy Romance That Delighted
4.5 stars

Cat Fisa has been living in disguise as a soothsayer in a traveling circus until Griffin, an ambitious warlord from the magic-deprived south, recognizes her magic and kidnaps her.

Griffin knows Cat is the Kingmaker, the woman who divines the truth through lies. He wants her as a powerful weapon for his newly conquered realm-until he realizes he wants her for much more than her magic.

Wow- I absolutely got sucked into this story and couldn’t stop reading! Finally a fantasy romance book that is all about the romance as well as a fascinating story.

The back and forth between Cat and Griffin was off the charts as she fought her feelings for him, but he was the most patient alpha -phew! I loved it. I also loved the Greek gods aspect as well as the magic.

You can easily read this as a standalone but I can’t wait to dive into the next book and see how their story unfolds.

Amazon | Goodreads | My Review

Everything After
by Jill Santopolo

Published March 2021
*ARC received
A Chick Lit Book to Skip
2.5 stars

Fifteen years ago, Emily lost her two passions in life: music and Rob. Now she’s a psychologist helping troubled college students like she was and living a happy life with her husband, Ezra.

When a tragedy upends her perfect life, she hears a familiar voice on the radio singing a song about a woman who got away. As her passions come roaring back into life, she’s faced with tough questions. Who is she meant to be? Who is she meant to love?

I love to check out new authors, especially when the story line of a book sounds appealing, but this book was not a hit for me. I consider this a chick lit book as there was NO romance at all.

I really did not like Emily’s husband and she was just a depressing character. This is one to skip. Trigger warning alert: Miscarriage is a topic discussed at length in this one.

Amazon | Goodreads | My Review

The Devil in Her Bed
by Kerrigan Byrne

Published March 2021
*ARC received
A Romance with Suspense and a Strong Heroine
4 stars

Francesca is a countess by day and stalks her prey—those responsible for the death of her family—by night. Only the Earl of Devlin himself, one of the Crown’s most dangerous weapons, may stop her if she doesn’t lose her heart to him first.

This was such a well-written book that it swept me away even though the storyline was a bit darker than my typical read.

Francesca is such a strong heroine set on revenge no matter the costs. I enjoyed the intrigue and the storyline between these two tortured characters.

This is the third book in the series but I read it as a standalone with no issues.

Related: Best Historical Romance Novels

Amazon | Goodreads | My Review

The Cruel Prince
by Holly Black

Published January 2018
A Fantasy Romance That Tried but Missed
3 stars

Despite being stolen away to live in the treacherous High Court of Faerie when she was seven years old, Jude wants to be one of them. But as a human, she is despised by many of the fae, including Prince Cardan, the youngest and wickedest son of the High King.

To win a place at the Court, Jude becomes mixed in royal intrigues and deceptions, ultimately needing to forge an alliance with the Prince to save herself, her family and possibly the kingdom.

This was my pick for the March 2021 Romance Book Reading Challenge which was to read one fantasy romance book this month.

But I think I’m in the minority on this one. While I acknowledge that this was well written, the story lacked focus, felt repetitive and dragged for me.

It has promise to develop into an enemies to lovers romance but I’m not sure I like the characters enough to want to continue with the series to see if that is true.

Amazon | Goodreads

Call Me Crazy
by Melanie Harlow

Published February 2021
Kindle Unlimited
A Delightful Fake Relationship, Marriage of Convenience Story
4 stars

It was the perfect plan. Enzo needed a wife to inherit the family company and Bianca wanted a baby. Why not draft a business contract to marry each other so they’d both get what they wanted? But even with a no-touching clause, things don’t always go as planned.

Could I ask for anything better than a romance book that combines three of my most favorite romance book tropes? Melanie Harlow brought it with this third book in the Bellamy Creek series which I think is the best yet.

Enzo and Bianca had the best chemistry as enemies who agree to a fake relationship and marriage of convenience. This book has great story pacing and was just a delight to read.

Amazon | Goodreads

Related: Best Enemies to Lovers Books, Best Marriage of Convenience Books, Best Fake Relationship Books

Nightfall
by L.H. Cosway

Published March 2021
Kindle Unlimited
*ARC received
A Paranormal Romance With Great World Building
4 stars

When Teagan is rescued from a robbery attempt at work she didn’t expect it to launch her into a world inhabited by vampires, slayers, dhampirs, witches and warlocks.

All of these players however recognize that Teagan is not just a lowly convenience store worker but someone quite unique and perhaps even more useful. Now she’s launched into a battle between species and an attraction with a vampire who’s after her heart.

Cosway always writes great characters and excels at great world building and I felt like she did that again this this book. In this she crafts a city that included humans, vampires, witches, warlocks and the like.

It’s book one in a series but you get a complete story in it as well without any crazy cliffhangers! Check it out if you’re into paranormal romance.

Amazon | Goodreads | My Review

The Devil Wears Black
by L.J. Shen

Published March 2021
Kindle Unlimited
A Billionaire Romance that Fell Flat
2.5 stars

Maddie’s life is exactly as she wants it – perfect. The perfect career, the perfect apartment and the perfect boyfriend. All it took was one ask from her ex, Chase Black, to have her perfect walls come tumbling down.

Even though Chase once broke her heart, she’s somehow agreeing to play his fiancé so he can fulfill his father’s last wish.

A supposedly sweet woman is infatuated with an unfeeling billionaire who manipulates his way into a fake relationship with the girl for business reasons….didn’t I just read this story in Shen’s The Villain?

I will admit that the writing is good, but I didn’t care for the story or the characters in this one. I kept waiting and waiting and waiting to find something redeeming about Chase to like the man or to understand what Maddie saw in him but it just didn’t come. This was a miss for me.

Amazon | Goodreads

Hate Crush
by Angelina M. Lopez

Published June 2020
A Second Chance Romance Between Rock Star and Royal
3.5 stars

Ten years ago, Princesa Sofia Maria Isabel de Esperanza y Santos fell in fast crazy love with Aish Salinger during one California harvest season. Now the success of her winery and the future of her country depends on her ability to fake a relationship with the now-famous rock star who broke her heart.

I read this as part of Nana Malone’s March monthly challenge to increase romance reading diversity!

It was a hard one to rate though. Lopez is definitely a talented writer with great storytelling but a few things kept me from loving this completely.

It took a good while for these two characters to get their act together, but when they finally did give in, they were definitely one hot couple!

Amazon | Goodreads

Dragon Bound
by Thea Harrison

Published May 2011
A Fantasy Romance for Lovers of Dragons
4 stars

Half-human and half-Wyr, Pia Giovanni realizes that her days are numbered once she’s blackmailed into stealing from a dragon – the most powerful of the Elder Races.

She’s always kept a low profile to protect her true identity but when Dragos spares her for her crime, her life as she knows it changes forever. As does her heart for the dragon who claims her for his own.

I loved this fantasy romance that is a contained story in itself but launches a series as well.

Pia was a fierce heroine who doesn’t cower from the famed Dragos who is one HOT alpha. The moments when you see him adapt and learn to compromise were my most favorite of the story.

I definitely recommend if you’re a fan of fantasy romance.

Amazon | Goodreads | My Review

Headstrong
by Eden Finley

Published March 2021
Kindle Unlimited
A MM Romance To Escape Into
4 stars

The fact that Whit is a hockey player should have been reason enough to stay away. But I can’t help becoming his wingman to help the newly out guy score a hook up without scaring everyone away. 

The problem is, this straight guy can’t help thinking about kissing him.

I loved the set up of this romance and absolutely adored Whit. He was incredibly sweet and yet totally lacked game despite his determination to give up his V card.

The connection between him and Rainn made this a great MM romance that I read in a day. I’ll be reading more of Finley for sure!

Related: Best MM Romance Books

Amazon | Goodreads

Show Me
by Neve Wilder

Published March 2021
Kindle Unlimited
A Voyeuristic MM Romance
4 stars

Jesse is tired of being friend-zoned so he’s ready to take on senior year with a bang – or at least a lot of hookups. But when his straight, football-playing roommate asks him for a favor to film some adult videos, he’s in and can’t help catching feelings.

Sam is just trying to make some extra cash with his videos but he needs to change things up a bit. He’s comfortable with his roommate Jesse so why not have him shoot his videos and maybe perhaps even star in some?

Turns out maybe Sam isn’t so straight after all but is this all just an experiment and for fun or is it turning into something more?

As someone who loves MM romance books, I’ve so enjoyed this series by Wilder. This one is no different from the other three in that it involves college guys – one gay and one not so straight.

I loved the take on this story – a look into voyeurism and exhibitionism – and how it brought Jesse and Sam together.

It was a sweet love story with great writing and even a bit steamy (though not in the stratosphere of Want Me).

Recommended for MM lovers.

Related: Best Erotic Romance Novels, Best MM Romance Books

Amazon | Goodreads