September Romance Wrap-Up

Septembers month of reading focused heavily on some angsty small town reads.

Lauren Winslow ('23)

Septembers month of reading focused heavily on some angsty small town reads.

If you are a lover of books, specifically romance, then you are definitely in the right place. Welcome to the first edition of my new column where I will give you the scoop on every romance novel I read during the month.

Now while I don’t claim to be an expert in romance novels, I certainly have read enough to pick up on what makes the hearts of readers tick. If you’re looking for insta-love recommendations, I got you. Want some small-town cowboys, I know just the book. Maybe you want to spice it up with some mafia, well let me tell you, I have all the connections.

As a mood reader, the books I read over the course of a month tend to vary. If you want some tear-jerking recommendations just wait until January when everything just makes me want to cry.

Most of the books I read can be found for free with Kindle Unlimited. I’m not kidding when I say my Kindle is my baby.

This month, I went from rom-coms to angsty second chances to my all-time favorite, hockey romance. If there’s ever a month where I don’t talk about a hockey romance, there is something seriously wrong with me. But, anyway, let’s dive into this month’s reads — all 16 of them.

4.5/5 stars (Courtesy of Goodreads )

First, we started off strong with, can you guess it? A hockey romance. “Consider Me” by Becka Mack was originally published on the app Wattpad, but has since been published officially on Kindle Unlimited. The tale follows the story of Carter, an absolute mush of a hero, and Olivia who just can’t seem to resist Carter’s charms. While the book is on the longer side, Carter and Olivia’s banter, goofy moments and love for Oreos will make it worth your while.

Next up is “Buttercup Baby” by N. Alikyan. Tommy and Emory’s story was chock full of sweet moments and followed a classic trope of brother’s best friend. While I did enjoy the journey, this book felt more like a palate cleanser in between reads and was just your average heartwarming romance.

3/5 stars (Courtesy of Goodreads )

Following the trend of mediocre books, I read “Falling For Temptation” by M.J. Hendricks. While this book was slightly more developed, it was very plot-driven and we didn’t get to see into the minds of Harley and Adam. As one of the few bad girl/good boy books out there, I wanted to feel the tension more, but it still made for a good, quick read.

3.5/5 stars (Courtesy of Goodreads )

I have a confession to make. At this point, I did proceed to read ten Devey Perry books in a row. As one of my favorite authors, Perry just has the ability to draw me in and make me love every single one of her characters. First I started out with the Jamison Valley series, which included “The Coppersmith Farmhouse,” “The Clover Chapel,” “The Lucky Heart,” “The Outpost,” “The Bitterroot Inn” and “The Candle Place”. All of these books, just like all of Devney Perry’s books, were small-town romances. My favorite out of the series was “The Outpost” which featured the suspenseful story of Sabrina, a journalist on the run, and Beau, a mountain man with a heart of gold.

5/5 stars (Courtesy of Goodreads)

After the Jamison Valley series, I proceed to devour the Lark Cove series which consists of “Tattered,” “Timid,” “Tragic” and “Tinsel. Again these books were all small-town romances that are somehow full of angst but they never make you question how much the male main characters love their women. I honestly can’t pick a favorite because they were all so different yet all made me love every single moment.

5/5 stars (Courtesy of Goodreads)

Following this 10-book binge, I decided to give myself a little guilty pleasure read. I finally did it. I read “Ice Planet Barbarian” by Ruby Dixon. If you’re scared by the title, the book is exactly what it sounds like. Ice planet. Possessive aliens. Stranded humans. Destined mates. And that’s all I have to say about that.

4/5 stars (Courtesy of Goodreads )

Remember how I said before how I loved ice hockey romance? Well, I read another one. “Icebreakers” by Hannah Grace is one of the most realistic college romances I’ve ever read. And it features one of my favorite character relationships—reverse grumpy sunshine. Throughout the novel, grumpy figure skater, Anastasia, and gold-retriever hockey player, Nathan build a solid connection with the help of their diverse and wacky friend group.

4.5/5 stars (Courtesy of Goodreads)

The last book of the month featured another of my favorite tropes, single-mom. I love seeing a male main character develop such a special bond with his love interest’s children. Plus the kids are some of the cutest fictional characters ever. In “Fired Up” by K.K. Allen, after an instant connection gone wrong, Asher and Meadow are able to reconcile and their relationship only grows from there. I know I said that single-parent romances are my favorite, but this one felt a little too insta-lovey and my favorite parts were when Meadow’s son Tate was being absolutely adorable. Seeing more of the development of their relationship would have made it a better read.

3.5/5 stars (Courtesy of Goodreads)

Overall, September was a great reading month full of some really enjoyable reads.

Highlight of the month: “The Outpost”

*Always make sure to read trigger, content and age warnings before reading any recommendations