Zomromcom by Olivia Dade (2025)

Paranormal romance. Book 1 of the Supernatural Entanglements series. This book was so much fun to read. Just the right amount of action and adventure and danger. And oh my gosh, the steam. Edie is trying to fight off a zombie and protect her dimwitted neighbor, but it turns out her neighbor is secretly a vampire named Gaston. He goes by Max, but get ready for all sorts of iterations of the Gaston song throughout the book. They’ve got loads of zombie danger to deal in trying to save the neighborhood and we meet all sorts of wacky side characters along the way. It was an absolute delight to read.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby. Advance audiobook provided by Penguin Random House Audio.

The Mistress by Caroline Lee (2025)

Historical erotic novella. Book 2 of the Dirty Little Harlots series. Smutty novella where a mistress is bartered to another man in a card game. And then they all spend the night together. Quick and dirty little read.

Advance ebook provided by Caroline Lee.

The Gilded Heiress by Joanna Shupe (2025)

Historical romance. Gilded Age New York. Standalone novel. This one is a really good Anastasia retelling with mystery and intrigue and steam. Leo is your basic con-man in Boston, and when he sees Josie singing in the street, he has a glimmer of an idea to pass her off as a long-lost heiress. And she has no idea that’s his game because he’s pretending to be a talent manager to get her on Broadway. They go to New York together and try to keep things professional, but that only works for so long when they spend literally all their time together. We get to uncover the mystery of the lost heiress and how Leo’s late father is involved in the mess. This book was so much fun to read and listen to.

Advance ebook provided by Avon Books via NetGalley. Advance audiobook provided by Harper Audio via NetGalley.

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

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The Undercutting of Rosie and Adam by Megan Bannen (2025)

Fantasy romance. Book 3 of the Hart and Mercy series. Loved this book and great conclusion to the series. The whole book is told from Rosie’s point of view. She’s an immortal demigod who’s really struggling with grief and the lonely life she has ahead of her. It’s been ten years since the events of the last book and she’s starting to see her coworkers and loved ones age. She’s also been somewhat pining over inventor and all-around genius Dr. Adam Lee for the past five years and not willing to do anything about it or get to attached, since she’ll live forever and everyone around her dies. But we get all sorts of forced proximity when we find that the portals in and out of the Tanrian mist have malfunctioned and need to be repaired. The romance is the slowest of slow burns while we work through our malfunctioning portals. We also get our favorite sidekick Duckers throughout this story and revisit the adorable dragons.

Advance ebook provided by Orbit Books via NetGalley.

Seven Brides for Beau McBride by Amy Barry (2025)

Historical romance. Western America. Book 3 of the McBrides of Montana series. Junebug is at it again and this time she’s brought in six potential wives for her brother Beau; meanwhile, he’s invited his own wifely prospect, bringing the total to seven mail-order brides. Unfortunately for everyone involved, best friends Ellie and Diana are both in the running, have each responded to Junebug and Beau’s newspaper ads respectively. And it turns out that Ellie was the one writing letters for Diana to send, and maybe Beau is really in love with her. It’s messy and chaotic and hilarious. I loved this book, even though I wish Junebug would learn her lesson and that her brothers would actually listen to her when she says she doesn’t want to cook and clean for them anymore.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Road Trip with a Rogue by Kate Bateman (2025)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 3 of Her Majesty’s Rebels series. I love a good road trip romance, especially when our two travel partners are clearly pining for each other and denying their own feelings about it. Daisy is on a mission to thwart an elopement and runs into Lucien, her brothers’ friend and longtime crush along the way. What she doesn’t know is that he encouraged the elopement of his nephew and an heiress. And she gets thoroughly distracted by Lucien. We’ve got highwaymen, cramped quarters, and even a kidnapping in this chaotic adventure. Loved seeing these two connect and talk to each other, with the most excellent banter.

Advance ebook provided by St. Martin’s Press via NetGalley.

Finding Mr. July by Anna E. Collins (2025)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. Loads of emotional angst in this workplace rom-com. Holly is basically starting over in her career after leaving her job as a lawyer under unpleasant circumstances. Now she’s an intern at some sort of nonprofit and competing with the other interns for a coveted permanent position. And in order to do so, she’s working on a fundraising project involving men and their dogs. Her grumpy co-worker Jonathan is the only person available who hasn’t been claimed for another intern’s project, so she’s stuck with him. And then it turns out he has his own issues, having formerly been an award-winning photographer and having his previous career implode. These two are delightfully flirty and bantering and I enjoyed watching them fall in love. Great cast of supporting characters with Holly’s best friend and work mentor, her brother, and niece. I listened to most of this book on audio, and loved the narrator.

Advance ebook provided by Forever Books via NetGalley. Advance audiobook provided by Hachette Audio.

Tusk Love by Thea Guanzon (2025)

Fantasy romance. Part of the Critical Role universe. I have no idea what Critical Role is, but I’m reading anything that Thea Guanzon writes. Luckily, I wasn’t lost and was able to follow and enjoy this story. Guinevere is a merchant’s daughter traveling to meet her parents and gets into a bit of trouble (or lots of trouble) and ends up scorching her enemies with her secret magical fire powers. And then a stranger named Oskar rescues her and ultimately escorts her on the journey. They’re total and complete opposites, with Guinevere being totally naive and sheltered and bubbly, and Oskar being a little bit of a grump and skeptical of the entire world. Still, we’ve got a heavy dose of insta-lust, plus danger that helps with the adrenaline rush. The romance here is sweet and steamy and we’re just waiting for Guinevere to stand up to her parents. Super funny to read and I really enjoyed it.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby. Advance audiobook provided by Penguin Random House Audio.

Bad Luck Bride by Laura Lee Guhrke (2025)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 3 of the Scandal at the Savoy series. Loved it. Definitely recommend. We’ve got a second chance romance here between Kay and Devlin and they’re both engaged to other people. Things ended poorly between them with an elopement gone awry fourteen years ago and Kay has been trying to recover her reputation ever since. Meanwhile Devlin is all sorts of cynical and doesn’t believe in love. But of course all the sparks fly when they see each other again after all these years. I don’t know how a second chance romance can be such a slow-burn, but it was absolutely delightful.

Advance ebook provided by Forever Books via NetGalley. Final print book provided by Forever Books.

This Much is True by Vivienne Lorret (2025)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 3 of the Liars’ Club series. Everyone is lying here and it’s kinda sorta confusing til we figure it out. Althea is in her third season following a toxic courtship with a playwright last year and in massive writers’ block for her own plays. And for some wild reason, she makes up stories about encountering a highwayman when she’s out in society, mostly because she’s a storyteller and partly because she wants to attention. Unfortunately, Jasper is an actual highwayman and worries he’ll be found out, so he keeps clumsily ruining her gowns to distract from her stories. Jasper has his own problems with an abusive uncle, so he pretends to be a clumsy oaf in public, even though he’s a clever highwayman who’s protecting his family. Oh, and these those are pretty much attracted to each other at first sight. Their relationship is messy and chaotic and loads of fun to read.

Advance ebook provided by Avon Books via NetGalley. Audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Two Ruins Make a Right by Janna MacGregor (2025)

Historical romance. Standalone novella. Nell needed to marry a marquess to save her family’s financial situation and in the process jilted her commoner fiance. He’s still a bit salty about it eight years later, since Nell was annoyingly tight-lipped about her family’s disgrace. Now, James is on the wife-hunt again after the death of his previous wife and Nell accidentally crashes the house party when her carriage breaks down. We get some more scandal when Nell’s sister and James’ cousin are caught in a compromising situation and Nell is still keeping secrets about her terrible parents. We see pretty quickly that James and Nell still have feelings for each other after all these years, and James’ six-year-old daughter is the best sort of meddler. Steamy and scandalous, all in a quick read.

Advance ebook provided by Janna MacGregor.

Love Is a War Song by Danica Nava (2025)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. Avery is the only Native American pop star around and she makes the horrible mistake of listening to her uninformed mother and team in the process of posing for the cover of Rolling Stone. And so, her reputation is totally tanked, and she’s sent off to stay with her estranged grandmother for awhile til the gossip dies down. Instantly, she’s on the wrong foot with Lucas, the extra handsome man who works at the grandmother’s ranch. Just about as instantly as she’s attracted to him. She’s learning to adapt to a totally new environment, while everyone around her is terribly unhelpful. But the attraction between her and Lucas is super strong, despite all the realities of their lives. This book was funny and emotional and I loved seeing Avery embrace her roots.

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

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 Dragon Wakes with Thunder by K.X. Song (2025)

Fantasy. Book 2 of the Dragon Spirit duology. This book will only make sense if you’ve read the first one. Our heroine, Meilin, is a prisoner after being outed as a female sword-wielder, which apparently is illegal in their kingdom. Luckily, her beau Sky is a prince who wants to marry her. We get a whole bunch of political backstabbing and intrigue, along with a magical threat that needs to be dealt with. Plus, Meilin has waffly feelings towards Sky and/or the prisoner-prince from another kingdom, Lei. It’s messy and adventurous and loads of action.

Advance ebook provided by Penguin Random House via NetGalley. Advance audiobook provided by Penguin Random House Audio. Final print book provided by Penguin Random House.

The Ward by Caroline Lee (2025)

Historical erotic novella. Book 1 of the Dirty Little Harlots series. Such a short little novella, I didn’t bother to learn anyone’s name. We have a gentle lady who is the ward of a duke and she’s been sent a dirty little book to learn about how to please a man. The older duke brings her into his study to confirm that she’s studied well.

Advance ebook provided by Caroline Lee.

The Show by Caroline Lee (2025)

Historical erotic novella. Book 3 of the Dirty Little Harlots series. Another quick and dirty novella. A woman is working at a brothel and a whole group of men are there to seek her services. She’s not terribly enthused about the job until the brothel madam joins her.

Advance ebook provided by Caroline Lee.

An Unforeseen Kiss by Alexa Aston (2025)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 4 of the Captivating Kisses series. Tragic backstory for Eden who’s mother is paralyzed after a horse riding incident when she was young, plus the sudden death of her father when she is on the cusp of making her debut. She ends up as a governess to two young ladies, but definitely wary of her circumstances. Val is the newly inherited duke who is learning his responsibilities after the sudden death of his father. His aunt is keeping his mother company during her mourning period and sends for her daughter and their governess to stay. Val is instantly smitten with Eden, but she wants to maintain her distance due to their stations. Lucky for her, he’s only got honorable intentions. Loved this romance.

Advance ebook provided by Dragonblade Books via NetGalley.

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 Undercutting of Rosie and Adam by Megan Bannen (2025)

Fantasy romance. Book 3 of the Hart and Mercy series. Loved this book and great conclusion to the series. The whole book is told from Rosie’s point of view. She’s an immortal demigod who’s really struggling with grief and the lonely life she has ahead of her. It’s been ten years since the events of the last book and she’s starting to see her coworkers and loved ones age. She’s also been somewhat pining over inventor and all-around genius Dr. Adam Lee for the past five years and not willing to do anything about it or get to attached, since she’ll live forever and everyone around her dies. But we get all sorts of forced proximity when we find that the portals in and out of the Tanrian mist have malfunctioned and need to be repaired. The romance is the slowest of slow burns while we work through our malfunctioning portals. We also get our favorite sidekick Duckers throughout this story and revisit the adorable dragons.

Advance ebook provided by Orbit Books via NetGalley.

Road Trip with a Rogue by Kate Bateman (2025)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 3 of Her Majesty’s Rebels series. I love a good road trip romance, especially when our two travel partners are clearly pining for each other and denying their own feelings about it. Daisy is on a mission to thwart an elopement and runs into Lucien, her brothers’ friend and longtime crush along the way. What she doesn’t know is that he encouraged the elopement of his nephew and an heiress. And she gets thoroughly distracted by Lucien. We’ve got highwaymen, cramped quarters, and even a kidnapping in this chaotic adventure. Loved seeing these two connect and talk to each other, with the most excellent banter.

Advance ebook provided by St. Martin’s Press via NetGalley.

This Much is True by Vivienne Lorret (2025)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 3 of the Liars’ Club series. Everyone is lying here and it’s kinda sorta confusing til we figure it out. Althea is in her third season following a toxic courtship with a playwright last year and in massive writers’ block for her own plays. And for some wild reason, she makes up stories about encountering a highwayman when she’s out in society, mostly because she’s a storyteller and partly because she wants to attention. Unfortunately, Jasper is an actual highwayman and worries he’ll be found out, so he keeps clumsily ruining her gowns to distract from her stories. Jasper has his own problems with an abusive uncle, so he pretends to be a clumsy oaf in public, even though he’s a clever highwayman who’s protecting his family. Oh, and these those are pretty much attracted to each other at first sight. Their relationship is messy and chaotic and loads of fun to read.

Advance ebook provided by Avon Books via NetGalley. Audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Love Is a War Song by Danica Nava (2025)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. Avery is the only Native American pop star around and she makes the horrible mistake of listening to her uninformed mother and team in the process of posing for the cover of Rolling Stone. And so, her reputation is totally tanked, and she’s sent off to stay with her estranged grandmother for awhile til the gossip dies down. Instantly, she’s on the wrong foot with Lucas, the extra handsome man who works at the grandmother’s ranch. Just about as instantly as she’s attracted to him. She’s learning to adapt to a totally new environment, while everyone around her is terribly unhelpful. But the attraction between her and Lucas is super strong, despite all the realities of their lives. This book was funny and emotional and I loved seeing Avery embrace her roots.

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

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.

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.