Skip These Romances
We read these. We rated them a ☆ 3.25/5 or below. They’re not all bad and some are incredibly memorable, but with so many great romances out there, these can wait.
These Romance Novels Didn’t Rate Well
Not every book is a winner and no genre or author is immune to a low rating.
We’ve gone through and cataloged the romance novels we wouldn’t recommend, along with our rating and an explanation. Just because we didn’t like it doesn’t mean you won’t. The beauty of romance is there’s something for everyone. These weren’t for us.
Skip These - A to Z
-

24690 by A.A. Dark
☆ 2.5
Needlessly violent and full of plot holes.
-

Alien Skin Market by Lizzy Bequin
☆ 2.0
The FMC finds a rat. The rat gets bigger. Turns into an alien dog. The dog…pleasures her downstairs. The next day the dog is a man and they mate. Too weird for us.
-

All By My Elf by Olivia Dade
☆ 3.25
Consent overload. You’re naked together in a mincemeat pie van, doing some heavy petting and you…stop and exchange consent? I suppose that’s very responsible even if it’s a major buzz kill.
-

All or Nothing by Lo Everett
☆ DNF
The writing was impossible to get past. FMC gets dolled up to go to a black tie gala and the dialogue from one of her bakery employees, Mikey, is "That dress is everything." NO GUY NAMED MIKEY WORKING AT A BAKERY WOULD SAY THAT.
-

Almost Like Being in Love by Sariah Wilson
☆ 3.0
The plot was enchanting but the writing undercut the story. "I grabbed a bunch animal antibiotics for the animals." She’s a vet tech but her inner monologue reads like a 10th grader.
-

Alpha Games (Book 2) by Heather K. Carson
⭐ 3.25
Now the men must compete! And it's...whelming. I’m invested from Book 1 (Luna Trials) but I wish I weren’t.
-

Amid Clouds and Bones by Ella Fields
⭐ 2.75
She loses her virginity in a dirty shed. She finds a chicken bone in her pocket that lets her time travel. She falls for a man she knows is using her. She’s hard to root for.
-

The Art of Avoiding Your Werewolf (Book 1) by Lola Glass
⭐ 3.25
We love Lola Glass but don’t bother with this series. FMCs are impossible to care about. Rare miss.
-

The Art of Avoiding Your Alpha (Book 2) by Lola Glass
⭐ 3.0
Tori just rubbed me the wrong way - yes she wanted freedom, but she was obstinate. And a jerk.
-

The Art of Avoiding Your Soulmate (Book 3) by Lola Glass
⭐ 3.25
The FMC was tedious. She was sweet but soooo naive.
-

Audacity by Elodie Hart
⭐ 2.0
Nothing even happens. She’s basically a whore, who likes being called a whore, then gets mad when someone “outs” her as a whore. FFS
-

The Awakening of a Princess by Samantha de la Porte
⭐ 2.75
Clinical descriptions of people and everything. Sterile.
-

Bad Alpha by Kathryn Moon
☆ DNF
Just couldn't get into it. I didn't care about Eve or Adam.
-

Bad Bishop by L.J. Shen
⭐ 3.25
She was 18, deaf and hidden away, pregnant by rape, eventually married off to a dude who got his eyeball ripped out (and gifted it to her - along with a penis, not his) and lived HEA with him and the baby.
-

Beautiful Nightmare by Katee Robert
⭐ 3.25
My love of Katee Robert will transcend this disappointment. It’s a cute premise, but a pediatrician being that kinky was bad for my imagination.
-

Beautiful Torment by A. Zavarelli
⭐ 3.0
JUST USE YOUR WORDS. Please. This could have been avoided.
-

Beautiful Venom by Rina Kent
⭐ 2.5
Fictional drugs and an annoying FMC made this impossible to enjoy.
-

Bitten by the Winter Vampire by H.C. Hunter
⭐ 2.5
It's like the plot was determined by rolling a dice at the beginning of each chapter. They added “winter” to church it up, but he’s just a regular vampire.
-

Bound to the Battle God by Ruby Dixon
⭐ 2.5
Too long. The audiobook is 21 hours and there’s just not enough plot for it.
-

Broken Knight by L.J. Shen
⭐ 2.5
A hot football god looking to [checks notes] lose his virginity, settle down, and have kids. Okay cool. Oh…at 19. Really?
-

The Butcher by Penelope Sky
⭐ 1.5
This book was riddled with distracting language. So many "my big dick" comments from the MMC. "She oozed from my touch" about how wet she is. "I felt my body burn so hot I was about to shed my skin like a snake.” Gross.
-

Camera Shy by Kay Cove
⭐ 3.0
She’s not a “Queen” - she’s a whiny FMC who can’t crunch basic numbers.
-

The Carnal Games by Naudii Nebula
⭐ 2.5
This story makes no sense. One character is kind of redeeming. Kind of.
-

Catalyst by Nicole Fanning
⭐ 2.5
FMC fell for the MMC in like 2 days even though she knew jack shit about him; people just randomly died around her and she didn't question anything.
-

Caught Up by Navessa Allen
⭐ DNF
Insufferable FMC. You don’t get a humanitarian award for being a camgirl. Get off your soapbox.
-

Chaos Queen (Book 4) by H.B. Cliffy
⭐ 3.25
This book was the spice excerpts missing from the first 3 books. It was twice as long.
-

Chasing the Wild by Elliott Rose
⭐ 2.75
The FMC was a young “old soul” with weird dialogue and the MMC was “an old asshole” who is only 42. So am I. F*ck off.
-

Claiming Their Omega by Sadie Moss
⭐ 2.5
There’s no story at all. If you want ‘designates as an Omega in a bar’ read Baby and the Late Night Howlers.
-

Coach Sully by Sloane St. James
⭐ 3.0
Rare miss by Sloane St. James. If you’re not into a milk kink, this probably isn’t for you, either.
-

The Consequence of Falling by Claire Contreras
⭐ 3.0
This FMC had no redeeming qualities. She was bitchy and entitled throughout this whisper of a plot.
-

A Court of Frost & Starlight by Sarah J. Maas
⭐ 2.75
This was more like a novella; pointless to the the larger story. Nothingburger.
-

Corrupt by Penelope Douglas
⭐ 3.0
At one point the FMC's house burns down, her mom is missing, no one answers her calls, her bank account is empty and the three guys that she sent to jail as a teenager are in her new city and she doesn't really think anything is wrong?
-

Crow by A. Zavarelli
⭐ 3.25
If you want to work at a strip club, but have never stripped, don’t try it on your interview. Just interview as a bartender. There. Done.
-

Cruel Lies by Lillian Harris
⭐ 3.25
FMC was waaaay too desperate. Too obsessive. It was kind of pathetic.
-

Dare to Love Me by Rosa Lucas
⭐ 3.25
I tried to give this series another chance because I have loved other Rosa Lucas books, but the way the FMCs are written is just desperate, ditzy and pathetic. Thank you, next.
-

Darkest Sins by Neva Altaj
⭐ 3.0
He’s an elite hit man and…illiterate?
-

Daughter of No Worlds by Carissa Broadbent
⭐ 2.0
So painfully slow. We both listened to the audiobook so maybe you need to be able to skip the content easier. Try the Kindle or physical copy if you must read it.
-

Deal with the Devil by Deborah Garland
⭐ 2.0
Re-shelve, move along, nothing to see. Female narrator made the FMC sound drunk and high most of the time. Hard pass.
-

Debt of Darkness by C.J. Holmes
⭐ 2.5
This book couldn’t figure out it’s soul. Vampire, mafia, fated mates, arranged marriage, submissive, not submissive. It tried to do too much and all of it in half measures.
-

Descent by Sam Mariano
⭐ 3.25
She’s basically kidnapped. And not in a cute way.
-

Devil You Hate (Book 1) by J.L. Beck
⭐ 1.0
MMC was horridly abusive up until last 15% of Book 2. Do not read; not worth it.
-

Devil You Know (Book 2) by J.L. Beck
⭐ 1.0
MMC was horridly abusive up until last 15% of Book 2. Do not read; not worth it
-

The Devil's Deal by Lillian Harris
☆ 2.5
The flashback section, the first 40 pages, was riveting. Crime, action, murder, escape. And then we get to the present and it doesn't feel like the same book. Disappointing.
-

The Diary of Bink Cummings Volume 1 by Bink Cummings
⭐ 3.0
I just can't take any MMC seriously that calls someone "Sugar Tits"
-

The Diary of Bink Cummings Volume 2 by Bink Cummings
⭐ 3.0
“Sugar Tits” part 2.
-

Dom by S.J. Tilly
⭐ 3.0
Dom’s personality would have improved by being dead. And Valentine was insufferable. No MC love here.
-

Drawn to Darkness by Michelle Heard
⭐ 2.5
Dario was great, but Eden really struggled with their class difference. 25% of this book was the business of setting up a soup kitchen. Anticlimactic.
-

Drive Me Crazy by Jere Anthony
⭐ 3.25
How is she still alive? She must be the dumbest, klutziest FMC we’ve read. Second only to Daisy from Highest Bidder.
-

Emperor of Wrath by Jagger Cole
⭐ 2.75
The story and the MCs are so aggro and it just never lets up.
-

Empire of Shadows by Jacquelyn Benson
⭐ 3.25
We WANTED to like this one, but it’s so historically detailed, you should get college credit at completion. The action picks up at the end.
-

Enigma by RuNyx
⭐ 3.25
Cool story that didn’t move for 350 pages. Resolved in half a chapter. Deflating balloon sound
-

Faith and the Dead End Devils by Kathryn Moon
☆ DNF
It spent too much time focusing on a useless FMC. I can take it for part of the book, setting up her redemption, but I got to 60% and she had done nothing but quiver in a closet.
-

Falling for Red by Serena Pier
⭐ DNF
She’s so intolerant and preachy. I hated to DNF, but the fun was gone after the third ‘teaching moment’.
-

Fated to My Rogue Alpha by Ravan Tempest
☆ 2.75
She gives tattoos out of her van. She thinks nothing of the visions and blackouts she experiences while tattooing the MMC.
-

Feral Alphas by Sierra Knoxly
⭐ 2.5
Two mute, feral alphas. Two law enforcement officers. One cellist. One reformed murderer-turned-submissive. A child-like omega. The pieces didn’t quite fit together.
-

Feral Omega by Lenore Rosewood
⭐ 3.0
Lots of dark potential, but it was boring.
-

Finding Their Omega by Sadie Moss
⭐ 3.25
Boring. The writing was tedious. So much repetition about her past and why her old boyfriend Marcus was a twat. Yeah, we get it.
-

First Down by Grace Reilly
⭐ 3.0
Every decision was so immature. The writing matched that tone.
-

Five Brothers by Penelope Douglas
⭐ 3.0
She’s collecting brothers like Pokemon.
-

Gallows Pole by Eris Adderly
⭐ 2.5
Terrible. Only 100 pages and that’s 99 too many. He rapes her and 3 nights later she is totally over it.
-

Gentleman Nine by Penelope Ward
⭐ 2.5
Stupid story; Condom broke and instead of getting the morning after pill they both sat there and said "welp, i guess we will wait to see if we are pregnant now"
-

Get Thee Off My Lawn by Daria Vernon
⭐ 2.5
Tries to introduce progressive sexual views in historical romance, and cute swans, but the FMC just comes across slutty. Not enough swans.
-

God of Malice by Rita Kent
⭐ 3.0
The writing toed the literacy line. Stream of consciousness sentences and missing words broke our immersion.
-

Guarded by the Nightmare by Cassie Alexander
⭐ 2.5
Everything felt pointless. No backstory on the nightmare, no creative use of smoke. Mina’s story is sad and moving.
-

Hans by S.J. Tilly
⭐ 3.25
Skip this. Read Nero instead. Same author, way better book. Hans requires too many logic leaps to work.
-

Haunting Adeline by H.D. Carlton
⭐ 2.5
Don’t read this, no matter who tells you to. It’s disturbing for shock value alone.
-

He Loves Me Not by C.M. Nascosta
⭐ 2.0
This was a small business how-to on starting a plant store.
-

Hello Stranger by Lisa Kleypas
⭐ 3.25
Forgive me, Lisa, but I hate this book. It’s your only flop in my decades of reading your stories. Flimsy plot, boring characters.
-

Here With Me by Samantha Young
⭐ 3.0
Cuteish, small town romance, however dragged out a little too long. Who the hell hangs out with your friend's man in his bedroom, on his bed, in lingerie.
-

Highest Bidder by Sara Cate
☆ 3.0
Daisy is the idiot FMC here. “I’m tired of being treated like a child. I can take care of myself.” “Oops I forgot to take my birth control for a few days, guess I’m pregnant.”
-

His Darkest Desire by Tiffany Roberts
⭐ DNF
She made a deal to save her own life. “In exchange for saving your life, you will bear my child.” Yeah, now that she’s alive, she is refusing the deal and keeps calling Vex a rapist.
-

His Grace, the Duke by Emily Rath
☆ 3.0
Low stakes, high smut. The big centerpiece of the book, Burke’s engagement to the gorgon, didn’t include any scheming. The group talked a big game, but worked very little.
-

HIs Passerotta by Nicole Cypher
⭐ DNF
She's an idiot. She's a hairdresser late for a wedding (her first gig) when they meet. She tries to fill up her car but forgets her money. She's Daisy [from Highest Bidder] but with even more brain-eating amoebas.
-

Honest Illusions by Nora Roberts
⭐ 3.0
One of the only Nora Roberts books I dislike. It’s a coming of age story about a family of magicians.
-

How Stego Got His Groove Back by Lola Faust
⭐ 2.0
Dinosaur Romance. Don’t you dare judge me for reading this. I did this for you!
-

I Could Be Yours by Helena Hunting
⭐ 3.0
Felt like a self-help book written by a therapist trying to drum up business. But you should read the Toronto Terror series. It’s so good.
-

If You Want Me by Helena Hunting
⭐ 3.25
Dad’s best friend but she’s waaaaay too immature for it. So whiny.
-

Inferno by Luna Mason
⭐ 2.5
He’s the Irish ‘Master’ of a chocolate-factory-in-the-front, sex-club-in-the-back located in Philadelphia, exclusively used by organized crime.
-

Irish Thoroughbred by Nora Roberts
⭐ 2.0
It doesn't hold up. Not a single character was redeemable. They all shared one brain cell.
-

Ironling by S.E. Wendel
⭐ 3.25
Eh, the story is boring until the last 10%. Read Halfling (#1). Read Sweetling (#3). You can skip this one without missing a plot beat.
-

Keeping My Bride by Angela Snyder
⭐ 3.0
Drivel dialogue. HIM: "I want to wreck your sopping wet c*nt and drive a truck through it while I finger your *sshole." HER: "Me too."
-

Kismet by Lauren Blakely
⭐ 3.0
I fully expected a more friends-to-enemies-to-lovers story. But they were nice to each other. Even at work. Boring.
-

Knot The One They Want by Harper Lennox
⭐ 3.0
The pack is needlessly cruel. She almost dies. She takes them back without a single grovel.
-

Lilac by B.B. Reid
⭐ DNF
No real drama and far too predictable.
-

Limerence by HC Dolores
⭐ 3.0
He’s a sophisticated stalker and manipulator…in high school.
-

Little Stranger by Leigh Rivers
⭐ 2.0
MMC belongs in a mental institution.
-

Lorenzo by Sadie Kincaid
⭐ 2.0
Lorenzo oozed "old man creepy" with a weird sex fetish - made FMC wear a collar around the house and none of the family members he lived with felt it was weird.
-

Love to Loathe Him by Rosa Lucas
⭐ 3.25
An HR Manager falls for the CEO. She’s worked for him for years, but yeah, sure, he’s totally different than you think. Vehemently shakes head
-

The Making of a Highlander by Elisa Braden
⭐ 3.0
Loved the premise. But the Scottish dialogue on audiobook was soooo distracting. I loved her references to the Englishman being so pretty and feminine.
-

Master of Salt and Bones by Keri Lake
⭐ DNF
There's only so much "I'm banging the housekeeper" you can hear, you know? He just wouldn't shut up about it.
-

The Matchmaker by Elle Nicoll
☆ 3.25
I liked the initial premise of the story, but FMC morphed into a lovesick fool. This wasn't character development, Hallie just turned pathetic.
-

Mating Season (Book 3) by Heather K. Carson
⭐ 3.25
UGH as soon as she gives into the bond, she's a pushover. Lost every ember of her fire.
-

Mean One by Ab. Cynthe
⭐ 3.25
Max is fucking crazy. She's the Harley Quinn of Whoreville. I'll give this story credit: I had NO IDEA how this story was going to unfold.
-

Meeting His Match by Katee Robert
⭐ 3.0
IDK it was just too easy. Everything was too perfect, to the point that things actually didn’t make sense.
-

Merry Christmas, Ya Filthy Animal by Meghan Quinn
⭐ 2.0
Betty had really reasonable responses in her head. But when she spoke, she was a bitchy, unreasonable fuss. She reminded me of Nesta in ACOTAR. Not a compliment.
-

Merry Ever After by Tessa Bailey
⭐ 3.0
What a disaster, thank god it was short. The dialogue was abysmal. I was cackling the entire time. EVIE: [talking about how difficult it must be to find clothes] "You're big all over." LUKE: "They don't make jeans that fit me, and they don't make many women that fit me, either."
-

Midnight Masquerade by Halley Larkin
⭐ 2.75
This book lacked all emotion. Descriptions were purely tactile. "Then he was kissing me. My hands in his hair. Pressed against his front." BUT HOW DID IT MAKE YOU FEEEEEEEEEEL, CHARMAINE?
-

Mistletoe Mayhem by H.B. Cliffy
⭐ 3.25
Damn this series is dark. I don't understand the interest in Mae. She barely met these guys and they're sipping her lady koolaid.
-

Moon Enchanted by Devyn Sinclair
⭐ DNF
She's kidnapped from a concert and held captive in a castle tower in another realm. The MMCs were ill-prepared and complete jackasses. Couldn't do it.
-

Mountain Daddy's Milk & Honey by Elena Dawne
⭐ 2.0
Maggie longs to seduce her former stepfather so she hooks herself up to the milking machine, eats lactation cookies, and prays for boobs.
-

My December Darling by Lauren Asher
⭐ 2.5
Multiple chapters start with: "[We] fall into a pattern over the next few days of meeting up at work to write her speech, spending our free time building the LEGOs set, and texting during the in-between." Just boring.
-

My Favorite Holidate by Lauren Blakely
⭐ DNF
The MMC, a mature man running a sports company, took people management advice from his 11-year-old daughter ("Don't manage people, meet them where they're at."), I drew the line. Nope, not doing it.
-

My First Mistake by Sadie Kincaid
⭐ 3.25
Had potential, but went a little downhill when a sex room appeared in their cabin and they banged non stop for like half the book. Then the ending was a little too happy. I know how that sounds, just trust me.
-

Nico by Sarah Castille
⭐ DNF
FMC is a brilliant computer scientist who wears short skirts with 3 studded belts for decoration, black combat boots laced up to her shins, and has the internal monologue of a 15-year-old goth girl to match. Nothing sexier. FFS.
-

The Omega Merger by Roxy Collins
⭐ 3.25
Started fun with an "all business" beta who commands a board room. And then one night she’s giving a blowjob to her best friend in a bathroom and turns into an Omega. Actual dialogue from the book: "You just tip up your hips and give me your sweet juices."
-

Omega Sanctuary by Mira Kane
⭐ 3.25
This plot just doesn’t move. And when it does, it’s not logical.
-

On Wings of Blood by Briar Boleyn
⭐ 3.25
Medra is a know-it-all and morally superior. She's dropped into a whole new dimension and doesn't have the sense to shut the fuck up for a minute and just learn. But she successfully saved an entire realm before she died? No way.
-

The Pack's Grovel by Gwyneira Blythe
⭐ 2.5
She's a rejected mate and a professor. They're the pack who rejected her for no damn good reason. It's 50 pages but it's not satisfying in any way.
-

Paddled by Krampus by Harley Laroux
⭐ 2.0
Razor thin plot, lots of spanking, and a kleptomaniac FMC who drinks an orgasm potion effectively summoning Krampus. Also the book cover is modern, the story is the f*cking middle ages.
-

Painted Scars by Neva Altaj
⭐ 3.25
If you start the Perfectly Imperfect series with Painted Scars, try another one. This is not a reflection of the series. It’s disjointed, jumpy, and not endearing like the others. Neva gets a pass on this one.
-

The Penalty Box by Odette Stone
⭐ 3.0
To be fair, we think the audiobook was part of the struggle with this one.
-

Play Along by T.L. Swan
⭐ 2.0
“I've been kidnapped and put on a ship by this bad guy, I guess I'll wear his clothes. Oh, we've landed on shore. We're now in love and planning the biggest diamond heist ever. Oh my god he betrayed me I'll never forgive him. JK, I misunderstood the situation. We're in love again. The end."
-

The Point of No Return by Devyn Sinclair
⭐ DNF
I love Phantom of the Opera and reading this made me sad, not excited. This is gargoyle fated mates at an opera house. You might like this.
-

Powerless by Lauren Roberts
⭐ 3.0
The FMC is insufferable. She doesn’t have power, but other people do and she’s jealous. Especially because they save her life 20 different times. She should have died.
-

Pretty Little Savage by Lucy Smoke
⭐ 3.0
The FMC is angry all the time, never realizing her shitty choices are the problem. They keep her in a circle of screaming. A group of MMCs who are trying to take over the world but have to keep cleaning up the FMC's mess.
-

Promised In Blood by Sadie Kincaid
⭐ 3.25
Book 2 of Forged in Blood. It’s smutty, but the story only inches forward.
-

The Pucking Wrong Number by C.R. Jane
⭐ 3.25
The MMC was UNHINGED. He ass needed to be checked into either prison or some sort of facility.
-

Queen of Spades by Jillian West
⭐ 3.0
She has a long term boyfriend she wouldn’t bond with..idk why not. But then she forms a pack and bonds…some random guy first. Rude.
-

Rebel Rising by Caroline Peckham & Susanne Valenti
☆ 3.0
The FMC is a spoiled city dweller who naively believes her world is ruled by others for her benefit. She is so easily swayed that when she changes her mind and joins the rebellion, it feels flimsy.
-

Reborn (Book 3) by Jaymin Eve
⭐ 3.25
Whomp whomp. The finale of this series fell flat. Mera, our fearless FMC, is insufferable. Her personality did a 180. Where she was determined in the first two books, she became morally superior in this one.
-

A Reckless Match by Kate Bateman
⭐ 3.25
It’s the Capulets and the Montagues working together to defeat pirates. It sounds cooler than it is.
-

Recruitment by K.A. Riley
⭐ 2.5
Nothing happens.
-

Reply All by Caroline Frank
⭐ DNF
Cute premise, but the FMC was so arrogant and ditzy it was a hard combo to like.
-

The Ritual by Shantel Tessier
⭐ 2.5
There was not an ounce of plot in this “book” - and the audiobook voice was robotic. Terrible combo.
-

The Royal We by Heather Cocks & Jessica Morgan
⭐ 3.25
Way too long for a book with not much going on. Could have been cute if they cut out like 50% of the book. Just them aimlessly wandering around talking about life. Boring.
-

The Rule Breaker by Elle Nicoll
☆ 2.75
Sinclair reminded me of Paris Hilton for some reason. She seemed dumb and it was hard to take her seriously. Also…Sinclair? Not an androgynous name unless you’re a gas station.
-

Salt by Liz Shipton
⭐ DNF
Just boring. It took place on a boat manned by a juvenile delinquent and a young man with a savior complex.
-

Savage Desire (Book 2) by KC Kean
⭐ 3.25
There’s a huge disconnect between who the FMC is and what the author wants her to be. She’s insufferable. You can’t really skip this one if you’re reading the series, but just know. It’s tough.
-

Savage Sacrifice (Book 4) by KC Kean
⭐ 3.25
Uneventful finale. The series is a really interesting premise, but the finale is just okay. Bummer.
-

Scorned Heir by Victoria Page
☆ DNF
This book drops you into the middle of a scene with no backstory, no character introductions, and no reason to care. Oooo she gets into a man's car. What happens next?? 😑
-

Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi
⭐ 2.5
There’s no way so many impossible coincidences happened in this dystopian world. And why the f*ck did they dress her up like Wonder Woman?
-

Shattered Omega by Marie Mackay
⭐ 3.0
Her actual name is ‘Shatter’. Part 2 is better, but there are better choices out there.
-

Sinner by Sierra Simone
⭐ 3.0
The first half was promising. The second half the MCs act out of character and it gets preachy. Loved Priest (#1) - read that one.
-

Sinners Consumed (Book 2) by Somme Sketcher
⭐ 3.0
I don't know what the point of this book was.
-

Sinners' Playground by Caroline Peckham & Susanne Valenti
☆ 2.75
For a book that started out with a bang (the FMC was buried alive in a shallow grave), it was a disappointing read. Most of it was rehashing the past and punishing each other. Also, foam parties. Gross. You're just asking for foot-and-mouth disease.
-

The Siren of Sussex by Mimi Matthews
⭐ 3.0
I didn’t care about her green riding habit. Apparently that’s necessary for this plot.
-

Snow Place Like Home by Laura Pavlov
⭐ 3.0
Despite allegedly pining for one another since childhood, the MCs somehow exhibited negative ‘yearn.’
-

Sold to the Fae by Kyra Alessy
⭐ 3.25
Eh, they were just so mean to her. It was hard to read. There isn’t real spice, but there’s a lot of second base.
-

Sovereign by Raya Morris Edwards
⭐ 2.75
There is no way he could smell her ovulating. GTFO
-

Spark by Allie Lasky
⭐ 2.0
Lite on literally every plot point EXCEPT why Asher wanted to be pegged.
-

The Steel Rogue by K.J. Jackson
⭐ DNF
She stalks the man who gave her the burn scars on her body. He locks her in a ship cabin onboard his vessel. The author described her socks, her scars, her fucking dinner but didn’t move the plot an inch. I'll never get that time back.
-

Stuffed by Sylvia Morrow
⭐ 1.5
She finds human touch skeevy, but she’s horny. So she finds comfort in the arms…of a magic pillow man who steals the life force from flies to maintain his sentience.
-

A Substitute Wife for the Prizefighter by Alice Coldbreath
☆ 2.75
A proper lady joins the circus. And surprisingly, it’s boring.
-

Sugar Daddy by Lisa Kleypas
☆ 3.25
I like some world building/background building, but this one had way too much - story didn't really start until like 2/3rds of the way through the book.
-

Tempt Me by K.A. Tucker
⭐ 2.75
I despise the "billionaire bangs his assistant" trope and this was far worse - she was a virgin AND naive to the bone. And 'to the bone.'
-

Terms and Conditions by Lauren Asher
⭐ 3.25
Confusing inner monologue and what happened with Bethany?
-

There Are No Saints by Sophie Lark
⭐ 2.5
The MCs are literal dirty artists and the plot is razor thin.
-

To Sir Philip with Love by Julia Quinn
⭐ DNF
This book portrays Eloise as a bit of a coward. I couldn’t read it.
-

Twisted Game by Eva Ashwood
⭐ 3.25
After multiple tries, she finally loses her virginity on a dingy couch in a chop shop.
-

Twisted Lies by Ana Huang
⭐ 3.0
A mediocre Social Media Manager catches the eye of a billionaire security firm owner. She’s useless and he’s enthralled. Disappointing series finale. Read any of the other books in this series. They’re 5.0/5.
-

Under Loch & Key by Lana Ferguson
⭐ 3.25
Such an adorable plot. But the first 100 pages are a farm simulator. It moves too slow.
-

Unfurl by Elodie Hart
⭐ 3.25
Five too many priest fantasies.
-

Unhinged by Vera Valentine
⭐ 2.0
So here's the deal - if there were more details, I think I'd actually like this one. How the door became a sentient door besides that his father fucked a tree knot hole and is a god. That would be helpful.
-

Unwanted by Dawn Darling
⭐ 2.0
It was like 3 unfinished stories smushed into one book, tenuously strewn together. All 3 stories were interesting, but not developed.
-

Us Dark Few by Alexis Patton
⭐ 2.5
The writing was rough. MMC was written as this "scary, brooding" guard, but was immediately nice to FMC and helped her train to fight while she was in prison??
-

The Very Naughty List by Callie Rose
☆ 2.5
Shallow and smutty. Hailey is a poor decision maker. "I have to attend this Christmas ball with my ex and his parents to play nice to help my family’s business." At the party: "Let's have loud, public sex in this closet so my ex and his parents hear us."
-

Vines by Brynne Asher
⭐ 3.0
She’s the neighboring winery owner. He’s a special forces agent. Someone is after her because of something her dead dad knew. No other details available.
-

Wait Until Midnight by Amanda Quick
⭐ 3.0
It was the writing. It was the story. It was the characters. They were all like 70% okay, but that 30% missing collided into a mess.
-

Whatever It Takes: The Royal Romance by Anna Svoboda
⭐ 3.25
Love Anna, but the dialogue in this book toggled between period and modern. A guy tortures the queen and doesn’t even lose a finger? No way.
-

When He's Torn by Suzanne Wright
⭐ DNF
Can't do a snake shifter. "My snake shivered" - NO.
-

Wicked by Jennifer L. Armentrout
⭐ 3.0
The plot was strong, but the FMC was completely insufferable. She’s the best. She knows everything. She listens to no one. Bad things happen after her dumb decisions. Totally unrelated.
-

Wicked Designs by Lauren Smith
⭐ 3.25
There’s ‘virgin’ and then there’s ‘violently virgin’ - this FMC was the latter. And when she was kidnapped by the MMC’s brother, no one is surprised or bothered?
-

Wicked Intentions by Elizabeth Hoyt
⭐ 3.25
She's a prudish spinster running a failing orphanage. He's a billionaire investigator tracking a killer. And she’s your best option to solve the mystery? I think you’re a shitty investigator.
-

Wolf.e by Paisley Hope
⭐ 2.75
-

You Better Not Pout by Mia Sosa
⭐ 2.5
YIKES. Exchanging numbers with her ex in front of her almost-ex is cold. She’s rude and selfish. Eric deserves better.
@35CARDIGANS @BLACKCAT100
Find us on The StoryGraph
Join The StoryGraph, our romance book tracking app of choice. Scope out our TBRs, see which titles we’ve read, and watch us rate in real time. Just more proof that we’re humans.
(Yea, we also use goodreads…but so do our families. Who we’re connected to.)
Email us
Looking for a book recommendation? Want to give us a recommendation you’ve read? Need to yell into the void?

