The Fake Out by Stephanie Archer (2023)

Contemporary romance. Book 2 of the Vancouver Storm series. Steamy fake dating romance here. Hazel and Rory have known each other since high school; he’s kind of an asshole, but learning to get along with his new team; she’s not interested in any sort of long term commitment and especially not with hockey players. But her toxic ex-boyfriend is traded to the team where she works and she pretends Rory is her boyfriend to get him to leave her alone. Rory, who is clearly smitten with Hazel, agrees to the ruse, but he’s really trying to convince her that this thing is real. Flirty banter the whole way through and learning about Rory’s family and backstory. He’s the ultimate boyfriend though and very obviously falls first and harder.

Ebook accessed from Kindle Unlimited.

After Hours at Dooryard Books by Cat Sebastian (2025)

Historical romance. 1960s New York City. Standalone novel. Slow burn romance here between Patrick, bookstore manager, and Nathaniel, the lost soul who needs a place to stay. Basically, at the generosity of the kind and caring bookstore owner, Patrick was saved once upon a time, and is mostly the kind of guy who saves other. Nathaniel gets dropped off at the bookstore steps by the nice old lady before she heads out of state. He’s a total mystery and maybe sort of panics every time he has to go outside. And then Patrick’s sister-in-law shows up with a newborn baby after her husband (and Patrick’s brother) dies in Vietnam. It’s a messy depressing sort of time, but this group quickly forms a family, along with the other neighbors who live in the building. There’s no dramatic external plot, just the quiet everyday lives of this family, and I absolutely loved it.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Sunk in Love by Heather McBreen (2026)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. Rosalyn has pretty much been lying to her family, pretending everything is fine, when really she asked her husband Liam for a divorce and hasn’t actually seen him in three months. But the big family vacation is coming up and her grandparents are planning a vow renewal and asking Liam to officiate. They agree to pretend everything is fine during the vacation, which makes things awkward, but also they have all sorts of repressed feelings and attraction. I’d say this book veers more into repressed communication, rather than miscommunication. It’s all angsty and heartbreaking and I really just wanted someone to be brave and speak up. The whole book is from Rosalyn’s POV, and while no one is the outright villain of the break-up, everyone kind of sucks here. But the spice is spicy and they clearly still have passion for each other.

Advance ebook provided by Berkley via NetGalley. Advance audiobook provided by Penguin Random House Audio.

The Lost Letter by Mimi Matthews (2017)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Standalone novel. Second chance romance here between Sylvia, a baron’s daughter turned governess, and Sebastian, earl’s second son turned earl. Sebastian’s meddlesome sister pretty much finds and coerces Sylvia to come visit Sebastian, after he had been injured in battle and come home scarred and surly. She’s not expecting much here, thinking he hates her having never replied to her letters three years ago. But you can predict that their letters had been tampered with, leaving them both thinking the other person heartlessly rejected the other. We just need to get to the point where they tell each other the truth of their feelings and resentment, rather than holding onto their pride. I always love reading Mimi Matthews, and this was another one I really enjoyed.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Fundamentals of Being a Good Girl by Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone (2026)

Contemporary romance. Book 1 of the Academic Affairs series. Just to be clear, even though this is an age-gap romance, it is NOT a professor-student romance. Brom and Maddie meet at a bar on her 26th birthday and have a one night stand. And of course, she shows up at his house the next day as the potential nanny for his kids. It’s a huge conflict of interest, especially when he finds out that she’s adjuncting at the same university where he works (totally different department though), but he desperately needs the childcare and she also desperately needs the money. Clearly, it’s a matter of time before they give into their attraction. But along the way, we have Brom’s amazing friend group and family to learn about, and this lovely little small university town. Maddie is also connected to the Christmas Notch series, so we get some fun cameos throughout the book. Loved it. Can’t wait to read more of this series.

Advance ebook provided by Avon Books via NetGalley.

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Here’s a round up of a bunch of my favorite romance books narrated by Justine Eyre. Click on the image to go to the Libro.fm listing page to check it out. (Affiliate links used, so if you make a purchase, I get a small commission)

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.

The Lady’s Guide to Celestial Mechanics by Olivia Waite (2019)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 1 of the Feminine Pursuits series. Heartbroken Lucy ends up in the care of the widowed countess Catherine in the pursuit of translating a rare astronomy text. They’re both pretty prickly around each other at first, but quickly find their footing as friends and then more. It was so nice watching their romance blossom and Catherine learn things about herself in the process, even as the older and more established woman. I loved seeing them both battle the patriarchy for Lucy’s place in science. A delightful slow burn romance here.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

The Care and Feeding of Waspish Widows by Olivia Waite (2020)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Feminine Pursuits series. The slowest slow burn friends to lovers story here. Widowed Agatha is running her print works and finds a swarm of bees where they shouldn’t be, so her mother-in-law refers local bee expert Penelope to help. Penelope is a married woman who’s husband is actually in love with her brother and they go off sailing and catching whales together. Loved seeing Agatha and Penelope’s friendship develop through their letters and subsequent visits to each other’s homes. It’s a super slow build, but well worth the read.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

The Hellion’s Waltz by Olivia Waite (2021)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 3 of the Feminine Pursuits series. I love a good swindle, especially when combined with some vigilante justice. Sophie is rightly skeptical of anyone being swindled, with her family’s recent downfall at the hands of a con-man. However, Maddie and her band of weavers have a plan for getting back at the local draper who has been taking advantage of them for decades. While Sophie is trying to figure out which side she wants to support, she’s definitely falling for Maddie’s seductions in the process. We have a bit of a fast-burn romance here, with Sophie quickly joining the weavers’ side and bringing her own ideas to the chaos. Loved this little village who support each other and I liked seeing how they were all tied to each other.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

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.

The Exception to the Rule by Christina Lauren (2024)

Contemporary romance. Part of the Improbable Meet Cutes series. Super cute short story, where two strangers have been emailing each other on Valentine’s Day every year. No identifying information, but they’ve definitely grown close over the years and might be making plans to meet. I gave a twenty second try to listen to this on audiobook, and then realized they had to read out their email addresses and time and date stamps, so switched to ebook real quick. So stinking cute and totally worth the read.

Ebook accessed from Kindle Unlimited.

Remember That Day by Mary Balogh (2026)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 5 of the Ravenswood series. I love the slow and quiet romance of Mary Balogh’s books. Two people who are total opposites end up falling in love here, even when they’re supposedly courting other people. Winnie was an orphan who was adopted at the age of nine and now visiting London with her famous painter father. Her aunt, who happens to be a duchess, throws her a debut ball and pretty much pushes her into society a bit. She’s not quite courting Owen, who is a friend of her step uncle and waffles between being hopeful of a true courtship and just being happy being friends with him. The real romance here is between Winnie and Owen’s older brother Nicholas though. They’ve got a 13 year age gap and totally unsuited for each other. Except Nicholas can’t stop thinking of Winnie either. It all gets even more muddled when everyone is invited to Nicholas’ country estate for a few weeks in the Summer. Agh, I loved it.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Catch Her If You Can by Tessa Bailey (2026)

Contemporary romance. Book 5 of the Big Shots series. A few flashback chapters in this one, since Eve and Madden have known each other for years. They’ve always had a bit of chemistry together, but Eve’s best friend has had a crush on Madden for years, so she’s always stayed away. Plus Eve is the local pariah since her father owned the local strip club. Madden does not care about any of that and only cares about Eve. When he’s got the chance to make his move, he proposes and marriage of convenience. She’s definitely the one setting boundaries, but it’s really only a matter of time before she gives in. Loved this super steamy read.

Advance ebook provided by Avon Books via NetGalley.

The Odds of You by Kate Dramis (2026)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. Fairly predictable contemporary romance set up here. Writer Sage meets actor Theo on an airplane, does not know who he is, gets photographed by the paparazzi and now kind of amidst a clout-seeking scandal. Oh, and she has massive writer’s block and her family is not at all supportive of her creative career path. But Theo is actually pretty sweet and funny and they get along great. Except for the whole being famous thing. They part ways pretty quickly, only to run into each other again a few weeks later in Scotland. Almost like fate. Single POV story from Sage’s perspective, so we don’t know any of Theo’s motivations, other than simply being attracted to Sage. They’re sweet and funny together, but of course their lives are in two totally different places, so the Scotland bubble will have to burst eventually.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby. Advance audiobook provided by Macmillan Audio.

Behind the Net by Stephanie Archer (2023)

Contemporary romance. Book 1 of the Vancouver Storm series. Grumpy Jamie is back in his hometown to care for his mother who suffers from depression and anxiety. He definitely does not have time to date, and ends up hiring a personal assistant to take care of his dog. When his high school crush Pippa shows up at his door, he doesn’t tell her he recognizes her right away. She’s down on her luck after her boyfriend dumped her and basically slashed her dreams of being a musician. Luckily, Jamie is the ultimate supportive boss, friend, and eventual boyfriend. They spend a lot of time trying to resist each other, but it’s super steamy when they stop fighting it. Fun intro to the series and looking forward to reading more.

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.

Here’s a round up of a bunch of my favorite romance books narrated by Callie Dalton. Click on the image to go to the Libro.fm listing page to check it out. (Affiliate links used, so if you make a purchase, I get a small commission)

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.