Friday Feature: Read, Read, Read - Romance Roundup!

It's no secret that I did a lot of reading this winter, with all the blizzards and less-than-ideal weather in New England. But one weekend I outdid myself and read EIGHT BOOKS in two days. Well, I got up early Monday to finish the last 20 pages of the eighth book, but still. Eight. Books. Not novellas. Books. Brain Candy Books.

Three were contemporary romance.
One was romantic suspense.
Two were New Adult Contemporary Romance.
Two were Young Adult Paranormal Romance.

Five of the Eight were worth 4 stars in my rating system. One of them I went back and completely reread on Wednesday night. Yeah, only 3 days after reading it the first time. So maybe that should be a "5"... but it doesn't feel like a 5, if you know what I mean.

Thank you, BookBub.com, for bringing all these free reads to my attention. (If you haven't signed up, I urge you to check it out.)

Here are the books and brief reviews of the five I would recommend, in no particular order. If you need a weekend read, any of these would work. Or all of them. Your choice.

MARKED, by Kaylea Cross
Romantic Suspense, published 2014
Action, adventure, hot heroes and tense situations. Loved the interactions between the main characters, and between the secondary characters too.

These days, it seems "FBI romantic suspense" should be it's own subgenre. But the adventure and thrills keep readers like me coming back, so I'm not knocking it. Kaylea Cross is a new-to-me author, and seems to have mastered this genre. I look forward to reading more of her books! 4 stars.

BE MY LOVE, by Lucy Kevin
Sweet Contemporary Romance, published 2014
This is Bella Andre's sweet side, her contemporary romance alter ego that leaves everything but the longing firmly behind closed doors. There are a few kisses but nothing more, and yet she develops the tension and the longing through masterful storytelling and scene setting. Other authors might do this better, but Andre is a master storyteller, giving us a satisfying romance with the HEA the characters deserve. 4 stars.

CAUGHT UP IN US, by Lauren Blakely
Steamy Contemporary Romance, published 2013
Kat Ross is earning her MBA to launch her jewelry business to the next level. She hasn't seen or heard form Bryan since he walked away from their relationship on her 18th birthday, five years ago. Now he's her business mentor, and sparks fly between them. Sparks, desire, longing, obsession, and some of the hottest phone sex scenes I've ever found in a book! 4 stars.

SOMEONE ELSE'S FAIRY TALE, by E.M. Tippetts
Contemporary New Adult Romance, Published 2013
First person contemporary New Adult romance - our narrator is a college student with a troubled past that is revealed in drips and drops until it comes to a head. An extra on a movie set for the hottest bad boy star in America, she meets him but is the only one not fawning all over him - which intrigues the guy enough to pursue her. The whirlwind friendship and subsequent romance is fast-paced and fun to read, with enough twists to keep you turning pages. 4 stars.

FINDING SOUTHERN COMFORT, by Barbara Lohr
Contemporary New Adult Romance, published 2014
Harper is a recent SCAD graduate reeling from a bad breakup and struggling to find her place in the world (while still paying rent on time.) She takes a nanny position and falls for her widowed boss. Predictable and cliched, right? Actually, so much about this story is fresh and fun, from the Savannah setting to Harper's Chicago tough side. It kept me turning pages to see how the author would unkink all the knots she tied her characters into - and yes, this is the book I reread again after only three days. Fun, flirty, sexy and fun. 4 stars.