Then You Had Me at Hola is exactly what you've been looking for. Hey guys, I'm a 20 year old male currently in college and wanted to get back into reading novels. Diversity note: Glassman is a bisexual Jewish woman. And then, of course, there’s the issue of those romance novel covers. If you want to know whether a specific book has certain content that could make it a bad fit for you, I’m happy to check. This impossibly-romantic book sets out to answer that question. Kit is a fantastic STEM heroine, Ben is adorably torn, their personal and career-related character arcs are deeply satisfying, the cast of secondary characters is perfection, and I have to stop talking about this book now or we’ll be here for days. A Princess in Theory by Alyssa Cole (Amazon / Goodreads), Naledi Smith is an epidemiology grad student who’s being targeted by email scammers trying to convince her she’s a long-lost princess betrothed to an African prince. Bonus points for Drey working so hard to be a good dad, his real apology to his former best friend, Lucas being all sweet while he’s teaching kids Legendary Pairs, and the nerdiness of card game tournaments. As you do. They’re clearly good together, but Knox is quite willing to let you believe the relationship might not make it, because Katie isn’t willing to settle – and it’s not blindly reflexive due to her past, it’s a well-considered setting of boundaries and knowing what she deserves. YMMV. Can’t Lose by Rae Birch (Amazon / Goodreads). If you answered "all of the above," then congratulations because you really get romance as a literary genre. This is the romance novel equivalent of a blanket straight out of the dryer on a cold night. Nick isn’t willing to lose Erin, so they settle into a courtship of (delightful!) I also loved seeing C.B. Get on board! Arthur coaxes Martin out of his shell by talking about obscure books and semi-surreptitiously feeding him home-cooked meals. She got a rugby player. The plot has classic Western elements, and the two central characters are interesting, complex, and, at times, hilarious. Ledi is a black woman in STEM and the book doesn’t shy away from showing exactly how that can play out with racist and sexist colleagues. It turns out that both are fans of a show called Captain Werewolf, so a large part of their initial flirting is exchanging links to good fanfic and Danielle creating fan art for Clara. I loved the growing respect in their working relationship, that they both find the courage to save their personal relationship, and that they’re both such smarty smart-pants. The books I have read in the past have all been teen fantasy/sci-fi and I wanted something a little more … Diversity note: Arbon uses they/them or she/her pronouns. And once Stephen opens up and starts talking to him, Brian just might be in love with historical trivia, knowledge and passion, and those soft brown eyes. Liam, socially isolated college newspaper nerd, is rescued from an attack on campus by a mysterious vigilante known as The Raven. Additional diversity note: Zabo is bi and nonbinary, uses they/them pronouns, and prefers Mx. I quite literally stayed up all night to read these novels, unable to put them down. $16.00. Emotionally delicate in the best way, powerful storytelling, nerdy secret agents with hearts of gold, both main characters are on the asexual spectrum, more than one round of hurt-comfort, and I have no idea why I waited so long to read this M/M romance! Looking for Group by Alexis Hall (Amazon / Goodreads). He’s decided that the gorgeous but unhappy professor at the end of the bar needs to smile. My geek girl heart adored this high-tech M/F love story about connection and communication, wanted and unwanted, real and fake, technological and emotional. Evan was so refreshing because even though he has a fairly typical alpha male backstory – ex-military, physical job – his dominant character trait is kindness. When you think "romance novels," what comes to mind? emails, Skype chats, and never-enough intercontinental visits. It’s about time I throw in a contemporary romance. But hear me out. I don’t know if it’s what Sunday intended, but I read Liam as on the autism spectrum – I could be totally wrong and jumping to conclusions. If you're obsessed with Prince Harry, Meghan Markle, and generally all things royal, this series is the escapist dream you need. And voicemails are left, which are so painful, I literally teared up. The Search, by Nora Roberts It was a little strange to me that Pinky’s POV was first person and Trucker’s was third person. (Do they end up sleeping together despite knowing it’s not “proper or ethical”? Diversity note: I don’t usually point out secondary character diversity, but friend Hunter’s use of a wheelchair is a major element in the book, in a good way despite his sister’s overprotectiveness, so yay for that. I am horribly jealous of what Kate Canterbary does with words. The conflict is agonizing because they are amazing together, not the least of which because Kit, the adult child of an addict who grew up poor, has just purchased a historical fixer-upper for her first home, while Ben is technically on leave from his job to help out at the family business which salvages and sells restoration building materials (how perfect is that?). Flirting With Disaster by Ruthie Knox (Amazon / Goodreads). The Spymaster’s Lady, by Joanna Bourne Finding love at the Renaissance Faire? At least once during the book, when Ledi finds the family she’d thought lost (vague to avoid spoilers), I literally cried for her. But love may have other intentions for me.”, Cup of Tea by M. Arbon (Amazon / Goodreads). However, the small British town they live in has a hate-on for Ruth that newcomer Evan doesn’t understand, and her past quickly gets tangled up in their present. It’s clear that Hall, like Kit, believes strongly in the power of gaming to build real connections between people, in addition to being a form of entertainment.