#roni loren

[nerdynatreads]

☆☆YouTube | Tumblr | Instagram | Storygraph ☆☆

book review || What if You & Me by Roni Loren

video review || RomComathon -- Reading Vlog 304: 2 books finished!!

Another 5-star for this series, because I, once again, absolutely fell in love with Loren’s characters! Both Andi and Hill have fleshed-out backgrounds and personalities to match, plus fantastic chemistry that all had me completely enthralled any time I picked this book up. The way their friendship developed was so pure, only to become more and more tension-filled, though each of them is working on handling their trauma. My god, though, the way they support each other through it had my heart in a vice and I couldn’t tear my eyes away! And yet, they’re still their own people, they aren’t dependent on one another. The communication too! Everything in this book is just so healing and made me happy.

Andi was such a fun heroine while suffering from PTSD. The last-minute suspense that occurred could have been so predictable, but Loren didn’t let it and I loved Andi even more. Hill’s a recent amputee also suffering from PTSD and heartbreak. As much as I hated his ex, I was really impressed with the turn of events in regard to their past relationship. It highlighted just how perfect Andi and Hill were for each other. Alpha males are not my type, (looking at you, Tessa Bailey) but when done like this? Where they have the ability, where there’s the assumption that they fall into that type, but really they’re big golden retrievers, cinnamon roll boys? I’ll fall in love with those every time.

There’s so much emotional depth in this book, that’s backed up with a good amount of steam and laughs too. I cannot wait to read the last book in this series!

5 / 5 stars

[daybrightsims]

I'm picking up reading again, which is great.

It's all smut, mind you, but I'm just happy to be reading again.

It's also instilled in me that I think I could confidently write a novel. Will I ever? Meh 🤷🏽‍♀️ but I COULD!

[sandythereadingcafe]

REVIEW

GOOD GIRL FAIL by Roni Loren at The Reading Cafe:

‘fast paced, captivating, consuming’

http://www.thereadingcafe.com/good-girl-fail-by-roni-loren-a-review/

[sarah-maclean-completist]

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Again the Romance! (@againtheromance)

[greenconverses]

This might be a silly question but do you enjoy contemporary romance novels? I love historical romance novels but for some reason I find contemporary romance really cringe. Are there certain authors you think always have good stories? ( like the way I know anything you write will always be a banger). I want to expand outside of historical romance but not sure where would be a good start that I would also enjoy. (And I know I won’t know if a book is bad or good until I read it but I can’t finish bad books I just read the last chapter to know how it ends and then return it to the library so would rather avoid this lol)

Oh, I definitely struggle to find contemporary romances I like! I'm reading way more of them than I was a few years ago, but historical is still my go-to.

It's probably because I prefer third person POVs and historical is absolutely dominated by third person. First person can be so great in the hands of a good author, but contemporary is full of really shitty first person, especially now that BookTok has a chokehold on the romance genre. (Don't even talk to me about the trend of using first person on back of the book blurbs, I want to set it ON FIRE.)

I'm also very distrustful of the overall quality of contemp romances. I've been burned way more often by crappy contemp than I have with historicals. I think the standards are just higher with historicals because authors want to sound/be time period accurate, so they end up doing research and being a bit more thorough with the entire writing process. Obviously shitty historicals do exist and the "wallpaper" trend of just plopping modern characters down in Regency/Victorian setting is whole other thing, but by and large, the style, standards, and tropes of historicals just serve me better as a romance reader.

When I'm looking for contemp authors, I look for some of those same qualities: third person POV, great attention to detail, strong character voice, actual romantic tension, satisfying emotional arcs. I also look for authors who implicitly understand what romance is as a genre.

BookTok contemp authors love ticking off romance trope boxes, but most of them don't do the work required to make that trope sing or deeply misunderstand the appeal of said tropes outside of fan fic. The same thing happens with ~spicy books. There's so much of a focus on sex/being sexy versus the romance leading up to sex that you get these really bad cardboard sex scenes that, again, do nothing but check boxes and fail to further the romance.

I can rant about BookTok ruining contemp romance for longer, but that's not that you asked for! Contemporary authors I'd recommend you try: Talia Hibbert, Emily Henry, Ashley Poston, Roni Loren, Alisha Rai, Amy Lea, Rachel Lynn Solomon, Ashley Blake Herring, Alison Cochrun, Uzma Jalaluddin, Julia London, Alyssa Cole, Helen Hoang, and of course, my forever favorite, my GOAT, Meg Cabot.

[clinchcoverenthusiast]

I kicked off my birthday month by rereading Pacts and Predicaments after recommending it on a particular subreddit and it had been a minute since I'd revisited one of my favorite kinky couples. Several books I'd been waiting for came out in March, so it was a great reading month. Favorites this month were Black AF History, The Fractured Dark, James, The Other Side of Disappearing, and There's Always This Year. I own Pacts and Predicaments and Black AF History, which I listened to on Libby. I also listened to There's Always This Year on Libby because I love when Hanif narrates his own books. Everything else was from either Hoopla or Libby.  

Pacts and Predicaments - Jo Henny Wolf

The One in My Heart - Sherry Thomas

The Night Eaters, Book 2: Her Little Reapers - Marjorie Liu and Sana Takeda* **

Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees #1, #2, #3 - Patrick Horvath

Meegan (Loose Ends #3) - Rebekah Weatherspoon**

The Sitcom Star (Chu's Restaurant #1) - Jackie Lau* **

Black AF History: The Un-Whitewashed Story of America - Michael Harriot* **

The Reluctant Hearththrob (Chu's Restaurant #2) - Jackie Lau* **

The Fractured Dark (The Devoured Worlds #2) - Megan E. O'Keefe

Wandering Stars - Tommy Orange* **

The Ones Who Got Away (The Ones Who Got Away #1) - Roni Loren

Sweetest Scoundrel (Maiden Lane #9) - Elizabeth Hoyt

James - Percival Everett* **

Chef's Kiss (Chef's Kiss #1) - TJ Alexander

Chef's Choice (Chef's Kiss #2) - TJ Alexander

The Other Side of Disappearing - Kate Clayborn

Sunflowers - Keezy Young

There's Always This Year - Hanif Abdurraqib* **

* = author(s) of color

** = main character(s) of color

[writers-against-gun-violence]

Gunfight by Ryan Busse - A former firearms executive pulls back the curtain on America's multibillion-dollar gun industry.

As an avid hunter, outdoorsman, and conservationist–all things that the firearms industry was built on–Ryan Busse chased a childhood dream and built a successful career selling millions of firearms for one of America’s most popular gun companies. But blinded by the promise of massive profits, the gun industry abandoned its self-imposed decency in favor of hardline conservatism and internal policing, sowing irreparable division in our politics and society. That drove Busse to do something few other gun executives have done: he's ending his 30-year career in the industry to show us how and why we got here.   Gunfight is an insider’s call-out of a wild, secretive, and critically important industry. It shows us how America's gun industry shifted from prioritizing safety and ethics to one that is addicted to fear, conspiracy, intolerance, and secrecy. It recounts Busse's personal transformation and shows how authoritarianism spreads in the guise of freedom, how voicing one's conscience becomes an act of treason in a culture that demands sameness and loyalty. Gunfight offers a valuable perspective as the nation struggles to choose between armed violence or healing.

There are many other anti-gun books on the market. Penguin Random House partners with Everytown for Gun Safety to help send a powerful message to end gun violence and they actively promote the National Gun Violence Awareness Day Reading List. The list includes The Violence Inside Us by Chris Murphy, Carry by Toni Jensen, Stop Teaching Our Kids To Kill by Lt. Col. Dave Grossman and Gloria Degaetano, Stay True by Hua Hsu, Guns Don’t Kill People, People Kill People, by Dennis A. Henigan, The Anatomy of Violence by Adrian Raine, Stand Your Ground by Caroline Light and Fist Stick Knife Gun by Geoffrey Canada.

In addition, there have been many novels that send powerful anti-gun messages. Some of the more recent anti-gun novels include Big Guns by Steve Israel, Only Child by Rhiannon Navin, Fierce Kingdom by Gin Phillips, Gun Love by Jennifer Clement, If We Had Known by Elise Juska, Luckiest Girl Alive by Jessica Knoll, The Ones Who Got Away by Roni Loren, Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds and This Is Where It Ends by Marieke Nijkamp.

Each one of these books helps to carry the message that something has to be done about gun violence in America and I encourage everyone who reads this blog to also read these books.

[nctsworld]

cee's 2023 reading list

∘ the secret bridesmaid - katy birchall ∘ the boyfriend candidate - ashley winstead ∘ today tonight tomorrow - rachel lynn solomon ∘ the last word - katy birchall ∘ pucked - helena hunting ∘ the last wish - andrzej sapkowski ∘ tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow - gabrielle zevin ∘ daisy jones & the six - taylor jenkins reid ∘ happy place - emily henry ∘ faking with benefits - lily gold ∘ i'm glad my mom died - jennette mccurdy ∘ the bodyguard - katherine center ∘ good girl fail - roni loren

rereads:

∘ the dare - elle kennedy ∘ the mistake - elle kennedy

[scarr-stuff]

That Didn't Work For Me . . .

This year, I DNF'd more books than previous years. And I'm proud of myself for that! However, based on how many books I finished but didn't enjoy, I would like to see more DNFing in 2023.

As far as books that didn't work for me - some of these are just books I did not like, and some are books I personally think have problematic messaging. If you enjoyed any or all of these books that’s okay! We should have different tastes and preferences. Also, reading journeys (should) change your opinions about books you've previously read. There are many books I read years ago that I loved and raved about but if I were to read them now, I likely would not have the same opinion - for a variety of reasons. And there are books you just like regardless of your growth as a reader, and that is okay, too. By the Hour by Roni Loren - this is by far the biggest offender I read this year and I will never, ever read another book by this author. I disagree with the messages of the book. (context, the MMC worked as an escort for years but no longer is one when the mc's meet. He now works as a sex surrogate for patients). Anyway the FMC did not respect the MMC's surrogacy job until he was physically assaulted during a session with a patient. Another issues is how the book seems to say sex workers are only doing sw until they find something better and we should encourage them to pursue other careers effectively removing their agency. On top of that is the MMC's shitty understanding of consent - which is weird considering he is supposedly used to frequent sex clubs and is "in" the BDSM lifestyle.

This genre is often hostile to sex work/ers and kinksters - dehumanizing these people by using them and their lifestyles as props for "spicy" content. Like, these are real people and in the case of sw'ers, a group so marginalized that, at best, people find them and the work they do distasteful and, at worst, morally reprehensible and unworthy of their humanity. There are authors who can write these experiences really well, and those are the ones I will read. In 2023, I pledge to no longer read books that do not take seriously the rights and humanity of sex workers. Sustained by Emma Chase - this was an example of folks I follow loving something (it has to be nostalgia!) and me hating it lol. From the get-go, I knew this book wasn't for me. The MMC was a douche and all the friends were mean. I should have dnf’d this! Alas I am a coward. Immortals After Dark by Kresley Cole - I have read 4 books in this series and none of them worked for me. I read Hunger Like No Other years ago and despised it so much I never went back. And it wasn't just the non-consent for me, it was the bad writing. Last year and this year I decided to give the series another go. Although the books I read were better than HLNO, they weren't good. I think Kresley's writing doesn't work for me as I've tried to read books by her outside of IAD and had a similar experience. I own Dark Desires After Dusk so I'm gonna try it; but if it doesn't work for me, I will abandon this series for good. A Twitter friend said this series is on life support lol and after only 4 books read, I agree.

Rock Hard by Nalini Singh - This was not great eek! The FMC has experienced trauma in her life and the mmc spends the entire book attempting to grift that trauma into getting his dick wet. I’ve read books where one MC has had similar traumatic experiences and the love interest doesn’t attempt to bang the trauma out of the person. So yea this just didn’t work for me.

Portrait of a Scotsman by Evie Dunmore - The MCs did not fit well together and they basically disliked one another so much that I just could not believe their pairing. I will say, the role-playing sex scene was very good.

The Dirty Duet by Laurelin Paige - as I said in my GR review for this duet, "these books were free of charge, but they were not good." Or they were not good for me! Rough sex with a virgin, bullying, rich people being mean, etc.

One Moment Please by Amy Daws - Amy Daws books are anti-abortion. In every book of hers I have read that included a pregnancy (always unplanned) the pregnant character ALWAYS makes a point to stress they would NEVER, EVER have an abortion. I’ve read several of her books and I have no excuse for continuing to read even though I knew better.

Dominic by Elizabeth Amber - The book has two novellas and both were not great. The magical system didn't make sense and the sex throughout was non-consensual. I haven't read any of the other books and have no plan to. Also - the sexual language was laughable but like unintended - the woman in the first story referred to her vagina and butt as her nether throats ☠️☠️☠️

[nerdynatreads]

☆☆YouTube | Tumblr | Instagram | Storygraph ☆☆

book review || For You & No One Else by Roni Loren

video review ||  Poor Association – Recent Reads 003 || April & May Reads!

Oof, I’m bummed this was a bit of a letdown after the first two books in this series were five stars. Even more so, because Beckham is described in such a way that he’s just like my SO, to a scary degree, minus the religious trauma.

I really enjoyed the setup of the story and from the start, I thought these two were really cute as friends. Almost immediately, there was great sexual tension between them, but as the book continued, it felt like too much of their relationship was focused on sex. Then, the friends-with-benefits trope just wasn’t done in a satisfying way for me.

Both characters were still well done, with solid backgrounds, and personalities that jumped off the page. I liked that we were able to see how each of their experiences affected their outlook on relationships and dating— but god, the back and forth around this from Eliza. Not to mention, I understood where he was coming from, but Beck’s “I don’t believe in monogamous relationships,” was so cliched.

The final conflict could be seen from a mile away and then the epilogue showing that Beck had her name tattooed on his heart was just too fucking cringey. I also wish that Beck’s religious trauma was dived into more throughout the book rather than all at once in the final act.

3.5 / 5 stars

[bookstamel]

Recensie: Zij die ontkomen van Roni Loren.

Hey, lieve lezer van Mel’s Day, nou het was me hier het weekje wel. Het waren nogal heftige persoonlijke omstandigheden. Ik ben normaal een open boek, maar dan heeft het met mezelf te maken. Dus hier zal ik verder niet over uitweiden, omdat het niet met mij persoonlijk te maken heeft. Morgen word ik geopereerd. En eerlijk daar ben ik best heel erg zenuwachtig voor. Maar ik vertrouw erop dat alles…

[the-book-queen]

Hide your wallets, it's that time again! Your daily thread of romance deals is ready, FREE to $1.99!

FREE ✦ Caught Up with the Captain by Kait Nolan

Second chance, MCs are ~50. He's a retired naval commander who returns to his hometown and tries to woo his first love again.

Contemporary Romance (MF) | https://amzn.to/478cH1i

$0.99 ✦ Cinderella and the Duke by Lydia Drake

To escape her horrid stepmother, she needs to find a husband ASAP, and the roguish Duke she shares a scandalous kiss with will do.

KU Title

Historical Romance (MF) | https://amzn.to/47dVmE7

$0.99 ✦ Love Is All Around by Darcy Burke

3 books, including:

~ Childhood friends + holiday party

~ Second chance, grumpy Duke + widow

Historical Romance (MF) | https://amzn.to/3RVIn5H

$1.99 ✦ Christmas Wolf Surprise by Terry Spear

He's a wolf shifter who runs a reindeer ranch. He shifts to save her from the lake, not knowing that he bit her leg -- oh, and she's the sister of werewolf hunters.

Paranormal Romance (MF) | https://amzn.to/3GU3Khw

$1.99 ✦ Caught Up in You by Roni Loren

She works at a bakery by day and a private BDSM resort by night. He's an executive who needs a fake girlfriend for a business retreat.

Contemporary Romance (MF) | https://amzn.to/41JBXd9

Putting these lists together takes time. If you appreciate this content, please consider buying me a Ko-Fi. http://ko-fi.com/danielletbq

[storyxonline]

Yes & I Love You is now available! — Roni Loren

It’s finally here! It’s been a while since I’ve had a new book out in the world, but I hope you’ll find this new series worth the wait. 🙂 I’ve had a number of people ask me what they should expect from this series as compared to my others. This is definitely a romance series (happy endings promised!), there are neurodiverse characters (Hollyn has Tourette’s and social anxiety, Jasper has ADHD),…

[greenconverses]

Recently read: I had zero motivation to read throughout October. Am I going to be crawling across the finish line to the 90 book goal instead of sailing over it like last year? Tune in next month to find out!

For You & No One Else by Roni Loren was fine. I liked seeing an older woman/younger male romance and overall, the characters were fun. But the final third of the book seemed underbaked and the drama was resolved fairly easily. I think the second book in this trilogy of hers remains my favorite. (★★★)

I wished I had liked Hell’s Half-Acre: The Untold Story of the Benders, America’s First Serial Killer Family more. The historical context surrounding the Bender family’s move to Kansas was super interesting, the author’s creative narrative additions around the Benders less so. True crime historicals can’t all be winners! (★★★)

Ugh, I think I may have hit my limit with the Ice Planet Barbarians, thank god. Whatever hold this dumb series has had on me is lessening with each book that focuses on pregnancies and the baaaaabies. Barbarian Mine was better than the last book, simply because there was no miracle infertility fix, but it got boring real fast once the heroine was pregnant. I clearly do not have a breeding fetish, just a giant monster fucker one. (★★)

[rosepetals1984]

Review: "Yours All Along" (Loving on the Edge #7.5) by Roni Loren

CW for novella: homophobia Quick review for a quick read. 2, maybe 2.5 star read overall, I don’t think I could give it higher than that since I had qualms with it. I’m working through a backlog of reviews on books that I received as galleys from NetGalley over the course of quite a number of years, and this is one that I knew I still had by Roni Loren, among a few books I’ve picked up from the…

[clinchcoverenthusiast]

I had good intentions to do some serious reading but many books were DNF’d in March, as usual no regrets.  Favorites were the extremely kinky Pacts & Predicaments, and The Road Home.  I purchased Possession and Good Girl Fail, The Road Home and Pacts & Predicaments were on KU, and everything else was from either Hoopla or Libby.  

Eight Billion Genies #7 - Charles Soule and Ryan Browne**

The Road Home (Lost in Austin #2) - Christina Berry* **

Good Girl Fail - Roni Loren

Possession (Kink Camp #2) - Adriana Anders

Pacts & Predicaments (Masters of the Manor #3) - Jo Henny Wolf

The Unfortunates - J.K. Chukwu* **

Bidding for the Bachelor (Fong Brothers #2) - Jackie Lau* **

* = author(s) of color

** = main character(s) of color