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Romance Ebook Deal Round-Up: March 19, 2026

Mar 19, 2026 | Book Deals

I love a good bargain for ebooks, and at the rate that I’m reading, grabbing an ebook deal is essential. I’ve rounded up a bunch of romance books that are on sale right now that you should check out. Click on the picture of the book cover to check the current price on Amazon. Prices fluctuate, so keep in mind that it might not be on sale for long. (If you make a purchase through these links, I get a small commission.)

Historical Romance

Contemporary Romance

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

Useful Resources:

Want an intro to historical romance series? This post will help!

Link to shop this bag on TikTok

Affiliate links may be used within this post. If you make a purchase, I receive a small commission at no extra charge to you.

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How I Made Over $19k in One Year with TikTok Shop Affiliate Program

Mar 18, 2026 | Side Hustle Diaries

Introduction

Did you know that TikTok is a shopping marketplace platform as well as a video content platform? There’s a whole shop section where major brands(and smaller brands) set up e-commerce and sell physical goods. Almost every category is represented here like make-up, skin care, books, home furnishings, etc. Sellers can also set up their products to allow affiliate commission if a content creator makes a video promoting and linking the product that ultimately generates a sale. Well, when I saw that some of my favorite content creators were sharing their journey with TikTok Shop content, I decided to check it out for myself and see if I could make a decent income from it.

Starting in September 2024 through August 2025, I’ve made over $19k in commissions, which I’d like to think is pretty darn good. Like, we’re not talking quit-my-job-money, but that’s a pretty nice bit of money, plus a house full of free products. Let’s look at how I got started, my full process, how I get free samples of products, and how much effort I’m putting in these days.

Joining the Program

The rules are constantly changing on how to get approved to be a TikTok Shop Affiliate, so make sure to check the official webpages. (link to join; link to Creator Eligibility Policy) In general, you need over 1,000 followers to get into the Creator Pilot Program, or over 5,000 followers for full access to all TikTok Shop features.

I was able to join early on, but never did anything about it. When I started to pay attention in September 2024, I slowly added a few things to my product showcase. At first, I thought that this platform was similar to the old days of blogging where I just link to products that happen to be in the background of my videos, even when the main content of the video was to promote my own Etsy shop. Well, I very quickly received a notice of content violation for redirecting traffic. It turns out that TikTok Shop has a whole other set of rules that I needed to study. (link to current content policy)

The content guidelines are constantly being updated, so it’s helpful to check them periodically to make sure you don’t get notices of violations (which put your account at risk of being shut down). Generally, content creators need to be careful of any health claims, unoriginal content, licensed content, and a whole bunch more. A really big one, especially for stay-at-home mom creators? No kids. Those kiddos cannot be part of your shop videos.

For the majority of the time I’ve been creating, another major rule was that I had to have the physical product in hand in the video. So that means one of my first tasks to get started is to find and retrieve products that have affiliate commissions within the product marketplace.

Initial Product Selection

The easiest products to start with are the ones you already own. So many brands are selling on TikTok Shop, it’s really easy to find common household items there. I’m pretty sure that I started with a pack of pens, some nail polish, and then I spent an initial $30 on a popular eyeshadow palette. I also borrowed a lot of makeup and books from friends to make videos. As you get going and have more sales data behind you, you’re eligible to receive free samples of products from the sellers. I’ll come back to the topic of samples after I go over initial video stuff.

Video-Making Process

As someone who has been making video content for many years, my home office/craft room was already set up for making shop videos. I record using whatever iPhone model I have at the time, which is my everyday smartphone (iPhone 13 Pro Max until October 2025 when I upgraded to iPhone 17 Pro Max). I mostly film at what I call my Lightbox desk.

I’ve got two softbox studio lights that I purchased 2015 angled towards the desktop and a piece of white posterboard as a clean background. For overhead shots, I’ll record using the phone’s back camera on the iPhone camera app or within TikTok, mounted on a rigged tripod set-up that consists of a microphone stand, piece of PVC pipe fitting, and a magnetic phone holder.

For face-to-camera, I sit in front of the same desk with an additional ring light and using a desktop standing phone holder. I use the iPhone camera app here on front-facing mode so I can see what I’m doing, and then when I upload the video to TikTok, everything is right side around without being mirrored on video. The white posterboard stays on top of the desk and serves as a soft light reflector.

Affiliate links to supplies:

TikTok Shop coaches and gurus and experts will tell you about things like hooks and calls to action, but I honestly haven’t implemented much of that strategy. Could I be more successful if I did? Maybe. But I’m trying to create in a limited amount of time and sticking to a style I’m most comfortable with. Which is basically my natural tone of voice, talking to the camera, as if I’m telling a friend about the product I’m featuring. Videos are 20 to 60 seconds long, sometimes I use the pause button, and definitely no editing on the back end. All-in, each video takes me less than five minutes to record and upload with the appropriate caption and links.

Commissions from the First Year

In the first year of doing TikTok Shop videos (September 2024 through August 2025), I generated $19,069 in commissions. My bank deposits ended up being slightly lower than that due to the occasional cancelled transaction or refunded purchases. The first few months were pretty low, due to the learning curve and low-ticket items I was featuring. At the beginning, I had a lot to learn about which products were worth my time and how to keep up with whether those products were in stock. As I got more comfortable with making shop content, my sales became steadier, and I was able to make videos on a larger variety of products with a range of commissions.

The First Viral Video

The first turning point for me was when I noticed that a specific tote bag from one of my favorite artists was back in stock. I hopped onto TikTok to make a quick video before I went to my day job and very enthusiastically shared that it was back in stock after having been out of stock for months, and that you needed to grab it now.

Link to video on TikTok

This video blew up, by my standards at least. I had tons of organic traffic the same day, plus the shop owner reposted the video. From a content perspective, I was face-to-camera, very visibly an Asian woman promoting an Asian artist’s very Asian themed tote bag. I was relatable and genuinely enthusiastic, demonstrating both nostalgia and scarcity. The commission rate at the time was 15% on a $27.99 retail price, earning me $4.20 per item sold. Over the next month, I think I sold almost 200 of these bags. This was my first big break that showed that I could make a video, put it online, and make real money.

I also learned from this product that all my videos about this product led to sales of other items in that particular shop. As long as the other products were in my showcase, I would make a commission when someone went from my video to the shop to purchase something else. This was super helpful to learn because I was able to make commission from items that I never made a video on.

Free Samples

One of the most fun experiences of being a TikTok Shop Affiliate is getting free samples. Who doesn’t love free stuff? It feels like getting presents in the mail! Evidence of your ability to sell goes hand-in-hand with the opportunity and likelihood of getting free samples. Sellers have the ability to see 30-day metrics on any creator and look at their sales track record and popular videos. Sellers can make decisions on whether or not to approve samples based on whether they think you’re a good fit for their brand.

There are multiple avenues for requesting free samples.

Creator-initiated from Product Marketplace
Seller-initiated Collaboration Invites
Partner-initiated via email

Within the Product Marketplace, products that have samples available are tagged with “Free Sample”. When you click on the product, there’s an option to request a sample. Best case scenario: If approved by the seller, they’ll send it to your address on file, and then you have 14 days to create a video linking that product. It’s important to wait until the product shows as delivered on the back-end of the app, so that the video counts as having fulfilled the post criteria. It takes another 3 days of the video being up for the sample to be labeled as “post criteria met”. If the sample is denied, you get a notification stating such. Sometimes, the seller will ignore the request altogether and the sample request will stay in a “pending approval” status until the request expires in 7 days. Each creator has a limit to the number of outstanding samples they have, and that includes pending requests, samples in transit, samples that need content, and samples with posts in review. This limit varies depending on your status, and the app will let you know when you hit that limit when you try to request something. Knowing that sample requests are limited, I try to make videos for the samples I have delivered within a day or two of receipt. This way, it gets the timeline rolling on when the post criteria is met and I can request more samples.

There’s also a spot in the toolkit labeled “Collab Invites”. This is the section where sellers will reach out to creators to offer them samples or higher commission rates on their products. Sellers can mark the products as either samples to request or auto-approved samples. When you’re first starting out, the offers here might not be that exciting, but as you make more sales, there’s a higher likelihood of getting a collab invite from a brand you’ve actually heard of. In my experience, samples requested within a collab invite do not count towards the sample request limit.

Affiliate partners may also reach out to you via email. At first, I totally ignored these emails because I didn’t recognize who they were from. And then I realized, wait a minute, there are links to even more samples! So read those unfamiliar emails carefully and check to see if the links lead you directly back to the TikTok app. These will be special affiliate partner product showcases with more opportunities to request samples. And these don’t count towards your sample limit.

With a steady stream of free products delivered to you, it’s easy to start experimenting with the type of product you like to make videos about. Personally, I mostly make videos on beauty and art supplies because they’re smaller products that fit over my desk to do faceless white background videos. I’ve seen other creators do primarily fashion, or outdoor pools, or kitchen equipment. Find the type of product that works best for your workflow. And sometimes those free samples turn into big sellers that you can promote again and again.

Once you get started on requesting samples, it becomes a little addictive. For me, when I have a “bad” sales day, I think that I’m making it up to myself by requesting free samples. If I’m not getting paid in money, might as well get paid in product, right? Except, it’s totally possible to get overwhelmed with low quality and low paying products that you’re stuck making videos for. And then you spend all your limited time just making videos for new products every single day, with no guarantee that any of them will make money. It’s kind of a gamble. I’m definitely guilty of requesting too many samples, and some of them are hits, and others just end up in the donation pile. This is what the TikTok Shop gurus call Sample Hell. Because you’re just in this endless cycle of opening packages, making videos on those items one time, and then doing it over again tomorrow. This is why it’s better to be discerning about the samples you request in the first place; check that the product is something you would genuinely use or enjoy (or have a friend who would use/enjoy), check the commission rate, and check to see if it’s from a reputable seller.

Now, I’m actually a frugal person with very minimal needs in the way of household items. I don’t truly use a lot of the samples I receive because they just don’t fit into my life. But I know that I have friends and family members who could use those items, so I’ll request it, make a video, and then pass it on. (For my really good friends, I even recruit them to film more videos for me to post on TikTok) I also continue to request samples because I can make content for Amazon on-site commissions, which is a totally different program that I will write about another day. This helps me maximize my potential for income with one free sample.

If you’re drowning in free products, and you’ve run out of friends to gift things to, you can also sell your samples. I’ve heard of people selling their samples on Facebook Marketplace or holding garage sales. I like to sell books on the PangoBooks app because it’s quick and easy to use. (I’ll write more about selling books in a separate post)

Learning and Growing

For me, growing in sales really came from getting more samples. This allowed me to make more videos without any upfront cost to acquire those products. And, it helped me figure out which type of videos to keep making. Honestly, it’s a bit of a toss-up because sometimes a super-simple unboxing video ended up getting tons of views and sales. I was able to figure out my favorite brands and then continue to make videos of those products week after week. With how quickly people’s feeds move, you can make videos of the same product multiple times and keep making money from it. And you can use a similar format over and over again. For awhile, I was making face-to-camera videos every single day of the makeup I was wearing: 1. Here’s my foundation and why I love it, 2. Here’s my blush today and why I love it, 3. This is my eyeshadow palette today and what shades I used, 4. Here’s my setting powder today and look, my forehead isn’t shiny, and 5. Look at my new fave lipstick, isn’t it great? These five videos took me less than ten minutes to record and upload. (I also was NOT demonstrating the makeup or doing a tutorial, I sat down with my fully done face and held up a product and talked about it for about 30 seconds). And all of this new favorite makeup? From free samples.

Another thing to consider is that there might be a lag time on when a video picks up steam. I have had this crochet stitch dictionary in my posession for years. (I used to design crochet patterns; more on that in a separate post). I noticed it was for sale on TikTok shop and it was easy enough to make a one-minute video talking about it. And then, nothing. No likes, no sales. I moved on to other categories of products. And then one day, months later, I saw a lot of sales on this one book. I have no idea what happened, but I knew I should make more videos. When something is working, it’s best to reward the algorithm by making more content on it. And since this is a very visual product, I know I can just open the book up to a random page and just start talking.

Current Process (March 2025)

The algorithm has its ups and downs, so my income here is inconsistent. It feels like it’s at the mercy of the platform, but I also know that I’m spending a lot less time here than I had before. I probably spend on average one hour per day working on TikTok Shop, and that includes requesting samples, unboxing samples, recording, and uploading. For the little amount of time I’m spending, I’d say the income is pretty decent. What’s great about this income stream is that I feel like I can work as little or as much as I want (or am able, depending on what else is going on in my life). I try to stay updated on the content policy guidelines (remember, they’re always changing) so I can make sure to avoid content violations. I spend more time doing faceless videos than face-to-camera videos and I don’t notice much difference in sales between these two video types. I can go into more detail on how I make videos for various product types in a separate post down the line.

Conclusion

I hope that my experiences have inspired you to give the TikTok Shop affiliate program a try. Despite the inconsistencies in revenue, I really do have a lot of fun doing this. Samples feel like getting presents all the time, and I’ve found a whole bunch of new favorite products that way. I think this income stream is a good fit for someone who is already comfortable talking to the camera and has experience making short-form content. Having experience in speaking quickly and pointedly without a lot of filler words will save you time on the back-end because you don’t need to edit those things out. If you’re already a big TikTok user or a TikTok shopper, it’s even easier to learn to navigate the platform. If you decide to try it out, let me know so I can see your shop videos!

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Game Changers Hockey Romance Book Series by Rachel Reid

Mar 18, 2026 | Book Reviews

Game Changer by Rachel Reid (2018)

Contemporary romance. Book 1 of the Game Changers series. Super steamy insta-lust, insta-love situation for hockey player Scott and smoothie maker Kip. Scott’s gotta keep his personal life secret because of macho sports reasons, but Kip is just excited to be with him. At first. The secret boyfriend situation will eventually be the big conflict of the book, but it’s super sweet to see these two get together and fall in love. Kip is absolutely adorable and you can totally feel his insecurities here being the big burly famous athlete’s secret. But Scott definitely has his own issues that he’s slowly working through when he realizes love is more important than anything else. Great setup for the rest of the series.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Hoopla.

Shop this book via Amazon // Bookshop.org // Libro.fm

Heated Rivalry by Rachel Reid (2019)

Contemporary romance. Book 2 of the Game Changers series. The hype is real. Everything anyone says about this book being amazing is true. Did it take a TV adaptation and all the hype to get me to read it? Yes. Have I even seen the show yet? No. But this book was so good. How the heck does a secret romance spanning 8 years over the course of the book hook you in? I don’t know, but it’s amazing. We start with Shane and Ilya being total sports enemies, sports prodigies, totally famous rookies, but also terrified of being attracted to each other. There’s hockey and then there are all the secret hookups, that start off as an angry way to get it out of their systems, but keep happening. For years. And the pining when they aren’t together is insane. Loved this book. It will change your life.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Tough Guy by Rachel Reid (2020)

Contemporary romance. Book 3 of the Game Changers series. Ryan just got traded to a hockey team in Toronto, mostly known for being the tough fighter guy on the team, and has a history of anxiety. He’s not quite in the closet, but he’s socially awkward and doesn’t advertise his sexuality. And he definitely has a thing for more androgynous sort of guys, which includes Fabian, a musician that he had a teenage crush on and reconnects with in Toronto. It’s super obvious these two have a crush on each other and it’s fun seeing them stumble through their burgeoning relationship. Big fan of Fabian’s friend group and also glad to step outside and away from the sports world of this series. These two are total opposites and it totally works.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Hoopla.

Common Goal by Rachel Reid (2020)

Contemporary romance. Book 4 of the Game Changers series. Recently divorced Eric is trying to figure out his life and he’s not happy about being attracted to the much younger and carefree Kyle, who is kind of hung up on his friend Kip who is engaged to Eric’s teammate Scott. It’s a little messy here, but somehow Eric and Kyle become friends, and then friends-with-benefits with flirting and sex lessons built in. Both of them start having feelings fast, but Eric is doing that annoyingly noble thing where he thinks he’s too old and boring and inappropriate for Kyle and pushes him away. Classic romance trope type of book here, with special appearances and humor by our favorite Russian hockey star.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Hoopla.

Role Model by Rachel Reid (2021)

Contemporary romance. Book 5 of the Game Changers series. Troy used to be an asshole, but I guess he’s turning things around after a video of him calling his best friend a rapist has gone viral. Troy is out of his old hockey team and onto a new suckier team, but is somehow in the most welcoming and collegial team he’s ever been on. And social media manager Harris is totally part of sunshine, with his positive attitude, apple farmboy vibes, and the caretaking of the team puppy. Troy has been trying to improve himself and that might actually mean coming out as gay instead of hiding his true personality. Luckily, he’s got Harris to help with everything. And we’re spending all our time in Ottawa, so tons of Ilya being awesome. Timeline overlaps with The Long Game, so events will be seen from multiple perspectives.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Hoopla.

The Long Game by Rachel Reid (2022)

Contemporary romance. Book 6 of the Game Changers series. I don’t have words. I’m in a book hangover after binging this whole series in five days. Best book binge I’ve had in awhile. We’re following Shane and Ilya for this one, still in a secret relationship, with Shane being kind of an oblivious idiot while Ilya suffers in his loneliness. Ilya’s the star of this book with his emotional journey and seeking friendship and help. Shane’s got a lot of stepping up to do here and wake up to how he hasn’t actually given up any of his life or comforts to have a secret relationship with Ilya. Lots of callbacks to previous events from prior books, and this book overlaps in timeline with Role Model. We do finally tie it up and get the happily ever after that Shane and Ilya deserve.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Hoopla.

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

Useful Resources:

Want an intro to historical romance series? This post will help!

Get my massive guide of all the romances I’ve read on Kindle Unlimited

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

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.

Weekly Reads: March 9 to 15, 2026 (hockey romance, historical romance, cozy fantasy)

Mar 17, 2026 | Book Reviews

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.

Shop this book via Barnes & Noble // Bookshop.org // Libro.fm

Despite the Duke by Kathleen Ayers (2026)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 1 of the London Vices series. So much scandal here. Tragic prologue when a duchess is running for her life after her husband is attacked. She dies giving birth to the next duke. We start Chapter 1 in Sophia’s perspective, where she is the oddball daughter of an earl and then compromised by a handsome duke in the garden. When called upon the next day by her father, the drunken Alexander has no recollection of going to the ball, let alone compromising a young lady. But they have to marry anyway because of propriety and all of that. There is so much bickering between these two, since they don’t really want to be trapped into marriage with each other. It was so much fun watching them slowly soften towards each other and fall in love. Plus there’s the overarching mystery of why Alexander’s uncle is sketchy and the possibility of fraud somewhere.

Advance ebook provided by Dragonblade Publishing via NetGalley.

Shop this book via Amazon // Barnes & Noble // Bookshop.org // Available on Kindle Unlimited // Get a free trial to Kindle Unlimited

Magic and Mischief at the Wayside Hotel by Elizabeth Everett (2026)

Cozy fantasy romance. This book was so cute and funny with the mix of wacky characters. So former knight Pax runs the Wayside Hotel, which is actually a magical traveling form of lodging that goes between worlds. The magic at the hotel has run out and they’re stranded in the human world. Josie and her son Amos are looking for a new place to live and lucky for them, there’s an affordable opening at the Wayside. The romance here between Josie and Pax is very sweet, but the real entertainment is how the other ragtag residents interact with each other and with Josie, all while keeping their magical origins a secret.

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

Shop this book via Amazon // Barnes & Noble // Bookshop.org // Libro.fm

Sheer by Vanessa Lawrence (2026)

Contemporary fiction. Standalone novel. Ooh, this one was fun. We have present-day scandal for beauty brand founder Maxine, intercut with her life story and how the company was founded and grew. There’s an overarching mystery of what exactly the scandal is of the present day, but we start to see glimpses of it when faced with the stories of the past. Super interesting to see how a young woman from the middle-class New Jersey suburbs fought for her independence and her art in her makeup brand. If you were ever interested in the evolution of makeup trends over the past few decades, this book might be up your alley. I really enjoyed it.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby. 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:

Want an intro to historical romance series? This post will help!

Get my massive guide of all the romances I’ve read on Kindle Unlimited

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

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.

Romance Audiobook Deal Round-Up: March 13, 2026

Mar 13, 2026 | Book Deals

View audiobook of Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall

View audiobook of Finding Mr. July by Anna E. Collins

View audiobook of Last Chance to Save the World by Beth Revis

View audiobook of The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren

View audiobook of Not That Duke by Eloisa James

View audiobook of A Most Unsuitable Suitor by Emma Orchard

View audiobook of Plot Twist by Erin La Rosa

View audiobook of A Duke in Time by Janna MacGregor

View audiobook of Wreck My Plans by Jillian Meadows

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

Useful Resources:

Want an intro to historical romance series? This post will help!

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

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.

Romance Ebook Deal Round-Up: March 12, 2026

Mar 12, 2026 | Book Deals

Historical Romance

Contemporary Romance

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

Useful Resources:

Want an intro to historical romance series? This post will help!

Want an intro to historical romance series? This post will help!

Affiliate links may be used within this post. If you make a purchase, I receive a small commission at no extra charge to you.

Beneath the Wild Sky Romantic Suspense Series by Katie Ruggle

Mar 11, 2026 | Book Reviews

The Scenic Route by Katie Ruggle (2024)

Romantic Suspense. Book 1 of the Beneath the Wild Sky series. Private investigator Bennett is looking for some missing jewels and is detoured by running into his target’s daughter Felicity. She’s a bounty hunter with a thieving mother who skipped bail and is trying to track her mom with her sisters. However, Bennett is her new stalker, so Felicity zigs while her sister zags to try to get the stalker away from her mother. Felicity and Bennett end up in a cozy mountain town to search for yet another bail jumper, this one with ties to a local militia and a history of dealing meth. It’s a fun adventure as Felicity finds new friends and allies in the town, along with tons of enemies. It’s all sorts of action-adventure in this book, and Felicity and Bennett grow closer as they survive all their wacky scenarios. Super crazy and chaotic and messy, and now I want to go back to Ruggle’s previous series to read more about the couples from this mountain town.

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

Crossing Paths by Katie Ruggle (2025)

Romantic suspense. Book 2 of the Beneath the Wild Sky series. Absolute chaos in all the best ways. Norah and her sisters are bounty hunters, but Norah’s usually a behind the scenes gal doing research from behind her computer screen. Until one of their targets hacks into her computer and sends creepy chat box messages. Along with all that, she’s also taking self-defense lessons from Dash, the local ex-MMA fighter and gym owner. The romance here is super cute and Dash is the ultimate gruff and protective sort. But the real drama revolves around Norah’s digital stalker, plus some other close calls with danger. I mean, we go from drinks on the couch at Dash’s apartment to fire bombs being thrown in the window real fast. It’s the kind of crazy danger that just makes the book more funny than fearsome. Definitely a fun ride.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Take a Hike by Katie Ruggle (2025)

Romantic suspense. Book 3 of the Beneath the Wild Sky series. Crazy chaos, as expected from Katie Ruggle. We’re running from the militia, treasure hunters, and more when Charlie and her sister and brother-in-law try to lay a trap for their wayward mother. Of course, Charlie meets the grumpiest firefighter ever Kieran and decides she’s smitten. The romance here is way too easy and no angst whatsoever, but we do get some fun grumpy flirting. There’s plenty of action in the form of fires, breaking and entering, and car chases to keep us entertained.

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:

Get my massive guide of all the romances I’ve read on Kindle Unlimited

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

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.

Weekly Reads: March 2 to 8, 2026 (sports romance, contemporary romance, historical romance, thriller)

Mar 10, 2026 | Book Reviews

Fated Skates by Victoria Schade (2026)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. Second chance romance with figure skater Quinn and speed skater Ben, who is interviewing her for an in-depth streaming service special. Quinn was overmanaged by her mother and coach, totally bombed her performance at the last Olympics, and now training with a new team and a new attitude. Apparently, her comeback story is TV-worthy, and her former fling Ben is at the helm of the interview. She’s trying really hard to avoid him, or at the very least protect her heart, but we all know how this one is going to end. Cute story here.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Shop this book via Amazon // Barnes & Noble // Bookshop.org // Libro.fm // Available on Kindle Unlimited // Get a free trial to Kindle Unlimited

Without a Clue by Melissa Ferguson (2026)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. Cozy mystery with a dash of romance. Pip is the assistant to a group of seven authors (in various genres) and they’re on their first book cruise. And then the head-boss, mystery writer Hugh, is murdered on practically the first day. Everyone on board the ship is a suspect, but especially the other six writers. There’s a mystery to solve, but at least Pip and Nash get to grow closer together. This one was fun to read, a little predictable, and reminded me a lot of The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year by Ally Carter.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby. Advance audiobook provided by Libro.fm

Better than a Duke by Suzanne Enoch (2026)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Standalone novel. Opposites attract single parent romance here. Single dad Beckett is in town for the Season, courting a very proper young lady, at the insistence of his mother. His daughter Rebecca is nine years old and will likely need a mother figure soon to ease her way into society. And then Rebecca instantly makes friends with the boy next door, Edmund, who very conveniently has a widowed mother, Iris. As the two kids spend more time together, so do Beckett and Iris, forming their own friendship. The kids try to scheme to get their parents to couple up, but they’re mostly oblivious and trying to do what’s proper, even if they’re attracted to each other. Fun series of hijinks throughout the book and I love their blended family.

Advance ebook provided by Bramble Books via NetGalley. Advance audiobook provided by Dreamscape Media via NetGalley.

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.

Shop this book via Barnes & Noble // Libro.fm

Anderson in Bloom by Jennifer Dugan (2026)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. Second chance romance with so much angst. Andy has ditched her Hollywood lifestyle after a final betrayal from longtime girlfriend and co-star Nikki, has been hiding in a tiny seaside town for the past five years, and is a floral designer at a struggling flower shop. Unfortunately for her, Nikki is also in the same seaside town and also writing a memoir. It’s a lot of push and pull here as Nikki tries and fails to apologize for all the things that went wrong between them. The whole story is told from Andy’s point of view and we’re really left wondering if it’s even possible for forgive Nikki, especially when Andy is trying so hard to avoid talking about heavy topics. Loving Andy’s support network of friends and supportive parents here too.

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

She Fell Away by Lenore Nash (2026)

Thriller. Standalone novel. I like to read thrillers sparingly because I get so invested that I have to finish the book in a day. Luckily, I read this one on a Saturday. I picked this one up because I’ve read and enjoyed this author’s historical romances as Lenora Bell (with a rom-com historical style; her last book was a Grease retelling), so I was interested to read her debut thriller. Our main character Lake is not a detective at all, but somehow gets involved in the case of a dead football player Bruce, and a missing American exchange student Bowie, and wondering if these two cases are connected. We’ve got an intercut of chapters from Bowie’s point of view, but it’s mostly Lake following different leads on the missing Bowie. I love being suspicious of pretty much every character in the story as we learn more and get closer to solving the thing. Definitely kept me hooked the whole time.

Advance ebook provided by Atria Books via NetGalley.

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Contemporary Romance Books with Fake Dating

Mar 9, 2026 | Book Reviews

It’s All in Your Head by Sabina Nordqvist (2026)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. Strangers from an online chronic illness message board meet and fake date. Skylar is just trying to be helpful and prevent Pike’s mom from calling the cops for a wellness check, and maybe sorta lies that she’s Pike’s girlfriend. It does not go over well. But they meet in person and establish some ground rules for their fake relationship. Basically, they’re both navigating life suffering from chronic pain and their respective medical conditions. And as they slowly start to trust each other, it’s amazing to see how supportive they can be. Lots of insecurity and self-doubt for each, but they’re the best advocates for each other. I loved seeing these two turn their fake relationship into a real relationship, and see all the support they get from their social circle. Seriously, one of the best books with chronic disability representation I’ve read.

Advance ebook provided by Grand Central Publishing via NetGalley.

The Bodyguard Affair by Amy Lea (2025)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. This was a really fun set-up where Andi and Nolan meet at a bar, have a somewhat awkward one night stand, and then don’t see each other for three years. But they run into each other at work, where Nolan is the Prime Minister’s new bodyguard and Andi is the Prime Minister’s wife’s personal assistant. And then somehow, Andi is rumored to be having an affair with the Prime Minister (which she’s not), so a fake relationship with Nolan will help distract the scandal. Nolan is all sorts of caring and sweet and I love how obsessed he is with Andi. We get a really nice dual POV story here. This is the first Amy Lea book that I’ve read, and I was under the impression that she writes Asian characters, so I kept trying to see if either Andi or Nolan had any Asian heritage. I was also given an ARC copy from the Berkley Influencer Hub for Underrepresented Voices as an Asian book reviewer. I didn’t happen to catch if either of these two main characters were Asian, but maybe I missed it.

Advance ebook provided by Berkley Publishing via NetGalley. Audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

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.

Christmas Fling by Lindsey Kelk (2025)

Contemporary romance. Standalone romance. Super funny with lots of chaos and a crazy cast of side characters. Laura is about to sublet an apartment from a total stranger who is off to pastry school in Paris, but she ends up walking in on the man totally naked. And then his parents stop by and assume that she’s the girlfriend that he’s been telling them about all year. Callum is basically trying to avoid returning back to his home in Scotland with his overbearing parents and tales of family legacy, so he’s been making up a fake girlfriend named Caroline for the past year. After the parents leave, Laura pitches the idea of traveling with Callum to his home as his fake girlfriend. Lots of mishaps all the way through the book, and so entertaining to read, along with watching Callum and Laura falling in love. Such a great book.

Advance ebook provided by Harper Collins via NetGalley. Audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

I Think They Love You by Julian Winters (2025)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. Second chance, fake dating romance. Denz is a contender to take over as CEO after his father retires, and maybe sort of makes up a serious relationship to prove that he’s a more serious and stable worker. Except he ends up having to ask his ex-boyfriend Braylon to be the fake boyfriend, and there’s definitely all sorts of tension there. The whole book is from Denz’ point of view, so we need to deal with his career aspirations and his fear of being heartbroken again by the same guy. There’s definitely some simmering attraction between these guys, but Braylon needs to step up and actually communicate about what happened all those years ago, along with what he wants right now. Loved this book, and the hints of the potential romance between Denz’ best friend and his cousin.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Love and Other Brain Experiments by Hannah Brohm (2026)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. Academic rivals Frances and Lewis have a meet cute on their flight to a conference, and then are assumed to be dating by the conference organizer. And then they keep up the ruse through the conference because Frances doesn’t accidentally want to be called a liar. It turns out Lewis is not a mean guy, but just a socially awkward one who made one academic mistake on the advice of his mentor, and Frances is totally obsessed with prioritizing her work over any other type of relationship. I enjoyed seeing them communicate and air out their disagreements and then also nerd out together over science. This was a couple that was really fun to read, especially when they were supporting each other instead of getting in each other’s way. Super cute, steamy, and emotional.

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:

Want an intro to historical romance series? This post will help!

Get my massive guide of all the romances I’ve read on Kindle Unlimited