Game Misconduct by Ari Baran (2023)
Contemporary romance. Book 1 of the Penalty Box series. Another strong start to an MM hockey romance series. Mike is pretty lonely and used to getting into fights on the ice, most often with rival player Danny. They meet unexpectedly in an alley in a queer neighborhood in Mike’s town and have an angry backalley hookup. Only to be repeated when they see each other again after a game. This is a super slow burn romance, with the progression from Twitter DMs, to Snapchat convos, to exchanging real numbers. But once they actually realize they like each other and not hate each other, the connection between them is so much fun to read. Content warnings for Danny’s alcoholism and depression.
Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.
Accidentally Yours by Christina Lauren (2026)
Contemporary romance. Part of Improbable Meet Cute series. Cute little novella. Veronica tries to go to a Zoom job interview, joins a totally different meeting full of tech bros, and gives some constructive criticism in the chat before leaving. Jude, the CEO of the company, decides to hire her, sight unseen and over email. And then it turns out they’re neighbors. It’s sweet and flirty and fun.
Ebook accessed from Kindle Unlimited.
How to Get Away with Scandal by Caroline Linden (2026)
Historical romance. Part of the Scandals series. Evangeline is a bit of an outcast after being widowed twice, the second time with her husband being shot in another married woman’s bed by her husband. She has a one night stand with a famous explorer Richard, but she leaves him without saying goodbye and he tries to track her down, but no one will help him. He’s got to set sail for his next trip, so off he goes. Only to find her again four years later. An affair resumes, but on Evangeline’s terms: no falling in love and no marriage. But we all know Richard is ready and willing to do whatever it takes to stay in Evangeline’s life.
Advance ebook provided by Caroline Linden via NetGalley.
The Ex-Perimento by Maria J. Morillo (2026)
Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. We spend most of the book with Marianto being sad her boyfriend needed a break from her and trying to figure out how to win him back. She loses her boyfriend and her job and needs to re-evaluate her life, but she just wants all of it back. She comes up with a scheme to win her boyfriend and her job back, but her new boss Simon is pretty skeptical. He’s pretty much perfect, being the lead singer of her favorite band and being an awesome relationship coach. But how long will it take for Marianto to realize that Simon is a better fit for her? The romance part here between our endgame couple is a little light considering we spend so much time hung up on the ex-boyfriend.
Advance ebook provided by Berkley via NetGalley. Advance audiobook provided by Penguin Random House Audio.
The Duke Deal by Valerie Bowman (2023)
Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 1 of the Whitmorelands series. Veronica’s grandfather is super sick and has a dying wish of seeing his whole family happily together at Christmas. And he doesn’t know that Veronica is estranged from her husband, so she has to go ask him to play pretend with her for the holiday. Sebastian was left by his wife when she caught him visiting a former mistress, but they’ve both stubbornly decided to neither communicate nor listen to each other. So it’s angsty heartbreak all around. Oh, and Sebastian wants access to Veronica’s bed in exchange for the playacting, so it’s angrily steamy too.
Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.
Since the Marquess Demands by Darcy Burke (2026)
Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 6 of the Rogue Rules series. Look, Ellis is still reeling from the revelations of her true parentage, so she’s hiding from her friends and family. She takes up a position as the Marquess of Keele’s secretary, but she’s disguised as a man to get the job. Roman catches on pretty quick though, but lets her keep the job because she’s just so darn competent. And of course, the attraction between these two starts to simmer and they eventually start an affair. Except Ellis is keeping secrets and just generally in hiding, so definitely not a suitable long term partner for Roman, or so she thinks. Loved seeing how all the characters are entangled in each other’s backstories.
Advance ebook provided by Darcy Burke.
Second Act Romance by Julie Soto (2026)
Contemporary romance. Part of Improbable Meet Cute series. Cute little novella. Bex and CJ get a chance to meet again after eight years when her entire co-cast is down with food poisoning. Humorous little story here, with both Bex and CJ holding onto a crush on each other all this time.
Ebook accessed from Kindle Unlimited.
Thanks so much for reading this post! Looking for more bookish resources and romance book reviews? Read the archives!
Useful Resources:
Read more about getting the most out of your library card
Want an intro to historical romance series? This post will help!
Learn more about Kindle Unlimited
Get my massive guide of all the romances I’ve read on Kindle Unlimited
Read an introduction to fanfiction
Learn more about sources for reading fanfiction
Follow me on Instagram at @randomolive
Shop my handmade bookmarks on Etsy
Support this page with a donation
Affiliate links may be used within this post. If you make a purchase, I receive a small commission at no extra charge to you.
Thanks for reading Random Olive Reads! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.
