My Favorite Romances of the Year
My top 3 romances of the year, The Hating Game movie, and a best of the year podcast episode...
I love a list.
The end of the year is one of my favorite times of the year because, despite having lots of To Do lists and wish lists, it also has lots of fun lists like hearing everyone’s favorite books of the year.
I had a great reading year (95+ books so far—and that’s way over my norm.) But it wasn’t just about the number. I had a lot of luck finding books I really enjoyed. I think the combination of keeping a reading journal, listening to lots of bookish podcasts, and embracing the DNF has helped me get better at curating my TBR.
This year I have a pretty hefty list of favorites across genres, and I talk all about them in today’s RAD Reading episode. But since I always share my favorite romances of the year in my newsletter, I wanted to keep that tradition going. Plus, I want to hear your favorites! (Because I’m greedy and always want more for my TBR.)
Alright, on to the books!
My Top 3 Romances of the Year
Long Shot by Kennedy Ryan
How had I not read this book or Kennedy Ryan before?
About the book…August meets Iris in a bar on the night before he plays in the basketball college national championship. They have this great conversation and connection, but when he goes to kiss her, she stops him and tells him that she has a boyfriend. Turns out, her boyfriend is August’s rival on the other team. Both get drafted into the NBA.
That’s the setup, but what follows is an epic story that spans years as August’s and Iris’s paths cross. Despite the billing as a “forbidden love story set in the NBA”, this is not a light read. Lots of trigger warnings for this one—domestic violence and sexual assault on the page (not by the hero)—so know that going in. There were pages I had to skim or skip because despite being well-written, some of those scenes were too hard for me to read (#highempathyreader). However, this was such a beautiful, complicated, and steamy love story that it hit my favorites of the year list instantly. Expertly done emotional love story. I instantly downloaded the rest of the books in the series.
It Happened One Autumn by Lisa Kleypas
Okay, so I’m recommending this book as a fave, which is book 2 of the series, but I’m really recommending the whole Wallflower series because you should get the experience of starting from the beginning. Plus, this book ends in a way that is going to make you rush out to get book 3, Devil In Winter, which is consistently ranked one of the best romances of all time by many. I liked book 2 the best, but the combo of book 2 and 3 together was magic.
About the books…Four women are sitting on the edge of the ballroom, the “wallflowers” of the season, and instead of just moping about being on the sidelines all the time, they become friends and form a pact—to help each other find husbands.
I adored the female friendships in these books and each woman had a distinct personality. I also liked that the heroes were a mix of noblemen and self-made businessmen. This series is set about 20 years after the Regency era so it gave a different flavor to the setting—a little more industry/technology, a few more Americans in the mix. But at their heart, just really great historical romances. A great series to get lost in!
The Roommate by Rosie Danan
About the book…Clara, a prim and proper East Coaster, follows her childhood crush across the country to be his roommate in California. But when she arrives, the crush has bailed to go on tour with his band and has left her with a stranger for a roommate. A stranger who happens to be really hot, really charming, and…a real deal adult film star.
I wrote about this one on my blog and said this: So this one was a pure delight. As a reader, I’m very tough on romances these days. It’s hard for me to turn off my writer brain, and I find myself analyzing things instead of just getting lost in a story. That was not the case here. I was able to fall into this fun story and simply enjoy the ride. The premise was frothy, light-hearted, and sex-positive. And don’t be fooled by the cartoonish cover. This one is steamy in content—if not in frequency. If you’re looking for a page-turning, sexy rom com, grab this one!
So that’s the top 3! Now I’d love to hear yours. Give me your best in the comments! I need to know because…I don’t have enough books, you know, ever.
Romantic Movie Marathon
Title: The Hating Game
Release date: December 10, 2021
Where to Watch: Rent from any of the big streaming services
Starring: Lucy Hale and Austin Stowell
Official description (from IMDB): Resolving to achieve professional success without compromising her ethics, Lucy embarks on a ruthless game of one-upmanship against cold and efficient nemesis Joshua, a rivalry that is complicated by her growing attraction to him.
My description: A movie of a romance novel I read and loved! (I mean, do you really need to know more than that? It’s so rare that great romance novels get made into movies, so I’m on auto-watch mode for these.)
My Review
1 . Is it actually a romance?
YES! It was a book first. And I know I loved the book, but I read it long enough ago that I didn’t remember details (thanks, crappy memory!) so I could watch this without constantly comparing it to the book.
2 . Romantic tropes
Enemies-to-lovers, opposites attract, workplace romance, sunshine/grump, just one bed, fake dating/wedding date
3 . Sweet or steamy?
A touch of steam and some naked male butt. Could’ve been steamier. ;)
4 . Swoonworthy love interest?
I love the Joshua character in the book. In the movie, he was a little stiffer than I’d imagined him. I know that he was supposed to be uptight, but sometimes it came across a bit wooden. But when the facade breaks down, he’s very sweet and vulnerable.
5 . Would I want to be friends with the main character?
Sure, she was fun, and I really liked Lucy Hale in the role.
6 . Does it show its age?
Brand new.
7 . Would I rewatch?
Maybe
8 . Favorite moments:
I love that the first time she’s at his place, the first thing she does is check out his bookshelf because—of course we all want to do that!
Also, random, but the shots of New York City that they used during transitions were beautifully shot.
9 . Thoughts: I thought this was a fun, light-hearted rom-com, and I’m so here for romance novels becoming movies. (Not that I have a vested interest in that or anything. Hey, Hollywood, call me. ;) )
10 . Rating: a solid 4 stars
Want to hear about the rest of my favorites of the year along with Dawn’s top picks?
We’re sharing all of our favorites, including thrillers, non-fiction, audiobooks, fantasy, and more on the podcast today.
Listen in your favorite podcast app:
Or add to your favorite podcast app with their “Add by URL” feature and paste this link there: https://feeds.acast.com/public/shows/rad-reading
That’s it for this week! I hope you have a great weekend and don’t forget to tell me your favorite reads of the year! Also, has anyone else watched The Hating Game? What say you?
*Book links are affiliate links (Amazon, Libro.fm, and/or Bookshop.org), which means I earn a small commission if you buy through my links. Also, I receive advanced listening copies of some audiobooks through Libro.fm’s Influencer program. However, all reviews and opinions are my own.
Falling Hard by Lexi Ryan. Lexi Ryan can be hit or miss, but this one is perfection.
Idol by Kristen Callihan. Also, The Game Plan by her.
Coming in From the Cold by Sarina Bowen. I love all hers (except the co-written ones - those are terrible)
One Night For Love - Mary Balogh
The Hourglass by Barbara Metzger
The last two are old, but still great
I've read some of these! Gonna have to chk out the rest! Happy holidays🎉🎉🎉