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.

Delay of Game by Ari Baran (2023)

Contemporary romance. Book 2 of the Penalty Box series. Friends to friends with benefits situation here, with pretty boy screw up Zach and the all-around good guy captain Nate. They’ve been buddies for years, with possible deeper feelings, but no one makes a move until one drunken night. And then they keep doing it, but tell themselves it’s for good luck so they keep winning hockey games. But like, Zach is the total golden retriever who thinks he’s doing a great job at wooing Nate, but also not verbalizing his feelings. Emotional angst all around when things fall apart because both of these dummies are too scared of ruining the friendship to say out loud what they really want.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Home Ice Advantage by Ari Baran (2024)

Contemporary romance. Book 3 of the Penalty Box series. Workplace rivals to lovers to so much more here. Ryan is basically dumped by his wife and offered a new job all in the same week, with a new position as head coach. Unfortunately for him, the assistant coach Eric also wanted to job and is totally resentful of Ryan. What starts as angry bickering, turns to angry sex, and then a genuine connection between these two. I loved reading their relationship develop and them learning more about each other. It was just so easy for them to fall into the patterns of being real partners, especially since they see each other at work all the time. Loved this book so much. I mean, I love this whole series, so you should just read them all.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby. Audiobook borrowed from my local library via Hoopla.

Goaltender Interference by Ari Baran (2025)

Contemporary romance. Book 4 of the Penalty Box series. Second chance romance here between Aiden and Matt. They’ve been apart for like a decade, but meet up again after Aiden is retired and Matt is in New York with his family. They start casually angrily hooking up, with very little in the way of conversation. It’s pretty much a very slow rekindling of their relationship, especially after Aiden goes to stay with Matt in Montreal. Neither of these guys is willing to be direct or ask for what they want because they’re afraid of bursting the bubble they have right now. Add in Aiden’s post-retirement depression and we have a recipe for tons of angst. Not my fave of the series, but still a great read.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby. Audiobook borrowed from my local library via Hoopla.

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First to Finish by Rebecca J. Caffery (2026)

Contemporary romance. Book 2 of the Pole Position series. Poor Johannes is in a rough place with his secret boyfriend being a total asshole. Heartbreak all around really. And it’s affecting his racing. Luckily, his race engineer Caleb is super competent. And also super hot. The tentative build of their friendship and relationship was so much fun to watch. Plus Caleb is way better for Johannes than the old boyfriend. Loved this one.

Advance ebook provided by One More Chapter via NetGalley.

The Governess’s Guide to Spells and Managing Misfit Marquesses by Amy Rose Bennett (2026)

Historical fantasy romance. Book 2 of the Parasol Academy series. Governess Mina kidnaps a viscount when she thinks the young boy is in danger. A magical mishap brings her and Christopher to another ship in motion, where she meets Phinn, the Marquess of Kinsale. He’s got his own problems being a former prizefighter with a noticeable accent and stammer. However, he ends up enlisting Mina’s help with his etiquette and speech. It’s an obvious sort of slow burn romance here with Mina and Phinn falling in love, and I enjoyed how Phinn basically rescues a street urchin to have an excuse to hire a governess. It might be one of my fave microtropes. No third act breakup here either.

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

The Paris Match by Kate Clayborn (2026)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. Layla is about to have the most awkward week of her life, attending her ex-sister-in-law’s wedding in Paris while her ex-husband (the bride’s brother) is bringing his new girlfriend. Awkwardness made worse when she meets Grumpy Griffin on the airplane and then finds out he’s the groom’s best friend and best man. And Griffin is clearly operating under some chronic pain and major anxiety. Dual POV here as Layla and Griffin stick together to deal with the bride’s cold feet. Both Layla and Griffin are very guarded and not willing to overshare at first, but they just seem to have that instant energy connecting them. Finally learning Griffin’s backstory and how he became injured will break your heart. Ugh, the loveliest book. You should definitely read it. Avoid if you’re sensitive about a recent breakup, I think.

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

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Thanks so much for reading this post! Looking for more bookish resources and romance book reviews? Read the archives!

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The Siren of Sussex by Mimi Matthews (2022)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 1 of the Belles of London series. Another amazing romance from Mimi Matthews. Evelyn is in London for the Season and intends to make her impression on the marriage mart on horseback. And that means hiring the lesser known, but very talented habit-maker, Ahmad. It’s pretty much sparks at first sight here, on top of mutual respect for each others’ talents. But they’re different classes, different races, and a pairing between them will not solve their respective financial problems. But they definitely grow closer as Ahmad goes from just making Evelyn’s riding habits to making all of her dresses, and it’s easy to see how they slowly fall in love.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

The Belle of Belgrave Square by Mimi Matthews (2022)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 2 of the Belles of London series. This one is a marriage of convenience story with Beauty and the Beast vibes. Julia is the daughter of sickly parents and has social anxiety. She thinks that no one wants to marry her because of her awkwardness, but Captain Jasper Blunt is very much interested. He needs a wealthy wife to restore his estate and care for his three illegitimate children. Nevermind that he’s known as a monster and has a huge scar on the side of his face. But Julia sees beyond the rumors and the appearance and notices that he’s actually very kind to her. So when she needs help getting away from her parents, she proposes to him. It’s delightful seeing her being both vulnerable and bold, and I love a protective husband. And Jasper is keeping secrets, which are so much fun to uncover. Another stellar book from Mimi Matthews.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

The Lily of Ludgate Hill by Mimi Matthews (2024)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 3 of the Belles of London series. If you want to talk about yearning, this book is the one to read. We spent the first two books of this series seeing the animosity between Anne and Hart, but really, they have a history as childhood friends and then a brief romance followed by a huge falling out. When Anne needs a favor, she asks for Hart’s help in rescuing her friend. And he has conditions. But as they spend more time together, it’s clear that they still have feelings for each other, buried under all that bickering. This whole book is super angsty and makes you feel all the feelings. I loved slowly uncovering what went wrong all those years ago and what they’re doing now to make things right. Loads of family drama on both sides of the relationship, which definitely brings more challenge to the romance. Loved this book.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

The Muse of Maiden Lane by Mimi Matthews (2024)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 4 of the Belles of London series. Final book of the series and ties back to the Parish Orphans of Devon series. Stella and Teddy had a brief meeting once at an art gallery (in Book 3) and she’s shocked to find him at the Christmas house party that she’s attending. She’s especially embarrassed because she normally has grey hair but has dyed it for the party. He’s just happy to see her because he’s an artist who is captivated by her beauty and wants very much to paint her. But that’s not at all proper and they seem to disagree how to the proceed here. What follows is a super slow burn romance with each of them dealing with their separate troublesome families. I loved seeing these two assert their independence together and learn to trust each other.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

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Can’t Get Enough of the Duke by Lenora Bell (2026)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Thunderbolt Club series. Dex is shattered by war and made a battlefield promise to his lieutenant to find and care for the man’s daughter. It takes him a few years to track her down, but he’s able to find Analise and bring her home as his ward. The goal is to find her a husband and get her settled, but she’s a fiery hoyden who’s not interested in that at all. She wants experiences and adventures to write about in her novels, and ends up in a compromising situation with Dex himself. Luckily, he’s ever the honorable sort, so they end up married. She’s got all the tempestuous emotions and slowly breaking down his walls, and he’s totally enamoured of her, even if he’s slow to admit it. Delightfully entertaining.

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

The Scoundrel and the Siren by Christy Carlyle (2026)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 2 of the Princes of London series. Awkward first meeting for Dom and Tess who are at odds in a noblewoman’s library. Luckily, they meet again very soon at the site of an archeological dig. Attraction is strong between these two, but Dom is usually the carefree rake and Tess has been burned by a gentleman before. They have to work together at the dig and grow closer along the way. The flirtatious banter is delightful and I loved seeing Tess be the one to tame Dom. Loved it.

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

Want to keep your own reading organized? Try this digital reading journal template!

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.