Romance – Jill's Book Blog

Review: Joy to the Girls (She Gets the Girl #1.5)

Title: Joy to the Girls (She Gets the Girl #1.5)
Author: Rachael Lippincott, Alyson Derrick
Genre: Romance, Contemporary, LGBTQ
Publisher: Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers
Source: Publisher
Format: Paperback arc
Release Date: September 30, 2025
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

For Alex and Molly, the last three years have felt like Christmas every day. So what better way to celebrate their final winter break of college than a romantic holiday getaway in a town right out of a Christmas-card?

Aside from sampling all the holiday cheer Barnwich has to offer, Alex and Molly have an important mission this weekend: to help their friend, Cora, get her crush to fall for her. But in between ice skating, snowball fights, and matchmaking schemes, it becomes obvious that both of them have another mission this weekend: to not reveal the huge secrets they’re each keeping from the other. Secrets about their post-college plans that just might threaten to tear them apart.

Will these two be able to help Cora get the girl and keep theirs—or will this be the last Christmas of Alex and Molly’s love story?

Review:

This is a cute holiday novella. It’s a companion novella to the novel She Gets the Girl, however it can be read as a stand-alone. There was a fun cameo appearance of the characters from Make My Wish Come True. There was romance and lots of tension because both of the main characters were keeping secrets from each other.

Joy to the Girls is a fun holiday novella!

Thank you Simon and Schuster Canada for sending me a copy of this book.

Other books in the series:

She Gets the Girl (She Gets the Girl #1)

Have you read Joy to the Girls? What did you think of it?

Review: A Heart for Christmas

Title: A Heart for Christmas
Author: Sophie Jomain
Genre: Young Adult, Romance, Contemporary
Publisher: Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers
Source: Publisher
Format: Paperback
Release Date: September 30, 2025
Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

A teen reclaims her independence and opens her heart to Christmas with the help of a handsome ski instructor in this swoon-worthy young adult holiday romance told in a groundbreaking advent calendar format, with chapter-a-day reading making it a true slow-burn!

When eighteen-year-old April heads to the foothills of Mont Blanc in the Alps to spend her first Christmas at her father’s chalet, she’s hoping for a change. Ever since her heart operation two years ago, she’s lived as carefully as possible. Supervised exercise, green tea, rice cakes, focusing only on her studies. But now, she’s healthy and there’s a world out there that she’s missing.

When April’s ski instructor turns out to be her best friend’s older brother, Augustin, it feels like a sign. As Augustin encourages April to build up her strength, April feels drawn to him in ways she wasn’t expecting. Augustin is daring and gorgeous, and April doesn’t want to let her life pass her by any longer. But is her just-healed heart ready for a Christmas miracle?

With this book’s unique advent calendar format, each of the twenty-four chapters is sealed by its own perforated enclosure that readers can gently tear open—by hand or with the help of a ruler—to read a chapter a day in the weeks leading to Christmas!

Review:

This is an advent story, with 24 chapters. Each chapter is sealed so they can be opened and read in the 24 days leading up to Christmas. Each chapter ended in a way that made me want to keep reading. April had a heart transplant 3 years earlier so she had to protect her heart both literally and figuratively. This YA romance had a heartwarming holiday romance.

This is a great advent YA romance!

Thank you Simon and Schuster for providing a copy of this book.

Content warnings: heart transplant, hospital scenes, attempted suicide (mention), bullying (mentions)

Have you read A Heart for Christmas? What did you think of it?

Review: The Heart of Valor

Title: The Heart of Valor
Author: Connie Y Harris
Genre: Fiction, Romance
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Source: Publisher
Format: Ebook
Release Date: September 8, 2025
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

After an early retirement from the Marine Corps, Kacie O’Shea finds herself at a crossroads, feeling adrift. When an opportunity arises with Valor Security Systems, she’s determined to prove herself. Her first assignment is successful, but unravels a sinister revenge plot targeting her client.
Trevor Marlowe is a single parent whose sole focus is protecting his young daughter, Emma. Impressed by Kacie’s credentials, he hires her as a bodyguard, but their professional relationship takes an unexpected romantic twist.
Faced with a crisis of conscience, Kacie requests a replacement, ends the affair and returns home.
Then, the unthinkable happens—Emma is kidnapped. Kacie vows to get her back, knowing the mission will push her to her limits as she returns to the treacherous streets of Mali, where her Marine career ended abruptly.

Review:

This was a short, sweet, and steamy military romance. Kacie and Trevor made a really cute couple. I liked the way that Trevor’s daughter, Emma, loved Kacie. There were fairly low stakes in their romance which made it a light and quick read. There were a few fun steamy scenes too.

The Heart of Valor is a short and steamy military romance!

Thank you The Wild Rose Press for providing a copy of this book as part of a sponsored campaign.

Content warnings: death, kidnapping, robbery (mentions)

Have you read The Heart of Valor? What did you think of it?

Review: Stones River

Title: Stones River
Author: M.F. Jones
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Publisher: Fieldwood Books
Source: iRead Book Tours
Format: Ebook
Release Date: September 26, 2025
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

When Jessie Gibbs meets Lemuel Sanders, she thinks she has finally found her ideal man—until she discovers that he is the ghost of a Civil War soldier. For 144 years, Lem has kept vigil at his unmarked battlefield grave, seeking someone to complete a personal mission so he can go to his final rest. As love grows between them, Jessie is torn. If she succeeds in fulfilling Lem’s wish, she’ll lose him when he passes into the afterlife. But if she fails and he remains in the world, she’ll never be free to find intimacy with a living man. A riveting story of faith, passion, and selfless devotion, Stones River shows the power of love to overcome all obstacles—even death itself.

Review:

This is a beautiful story about love and loss. Jess falls in love with her perfect man, but he turns out to be the ghost of a soldier from the Civil War. I liked this supernatural romance. I was rooting for Jess and Lem, even though it seemed impossible for them to have a future. This story was fast paced and exciting!

Stones River is a beautiful story.

Thank you iRead Book Tours for providing a copy of this book as part of a sponsored campaign.

Content warnings: war, death, cancer

Have you read Stones River? What did you think of it?

Review: Freaking Romance, Vol. 1

Title: Freaking Romance, Vol. 1
Author: Snailords
Genre: Graphic Novel, Romance, Fantasy
Publisher: Webtoon Unscrolled
Source: Purchased
Format: Paperback
Release Date: September 26, 2023
Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Every relationship has its bumps. For this couple, it’s interstellar.

From the creator of Snailogy and Rescheduled comes a sexy supernatural story about being out on your own, finding your dream apartment and discovering that your new place is haunted by a handsome spectral stranger from another dimension. Sure, he can’t see you and you can’t touch him, but who said every relationship starts out perfectly?

Freaking Romance is for fans of Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me , This One Summer and Bloom .

This volume collects episodes 1–21 of the supernatural hit WEBTOON comic.

Review:

This is such a fun and original supernatural graphic novel! Zylith moved into a haunted apartment, but it turns out the “ghost” is actually pop star Zelan. They both live in the same apartment but in different worlds, so they can’t physically touch each other without making the other vanish. They took turns playing hard to get by pretending they couldn’t see the other, which was funny. I’m excited to read the rest of the series!

Freaking Romance is a fun graphic novel!

Content warnings: depression, abuse, sick parent

Other books in the series:

Freaking Romance, Vol. 2
Freaking Romance, Vol. 3

Have you read Freaking Romance, Vol. 1? What did you think of it?

Review: The Bali Bucket List

Title: The Bali Bucket List
Author: Ava Wilde
Genre: Romance, Contemporary
Publisher: Independent
Source: Bookinfluencers.com
Format: Paperback
Release Date: July 21, 2025
Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

After HR’s favorite good girl, Jasmine, gets dumped three months before her wedding, she escapes solo to Bali with a bucket list of everything she’s been too scared to try.

Caught between three irresistible men and a hostel crew of beautiful disasters, she starts writing her way through heartbreak, lust, and self-destruction—one filthy blog post at a time.

When her anonymous sex blog goes viral and threatens to expose her, Jasmine has no choice but to confront the woman she’s become. Because sometimes, finding yourself is the only way to find the love you’ve been searching for.

Review:

This is a very spicy romance about discovering your true self. Jasmine travels to Bali after an unexpected break up with her fiancé of eight years. She decides to document her wild sexual experiences in an online blog. However, there are some consequences to her actions and her posts online. This was probably the spiciest book I’ve ever read. Check the content warnings before reading.

The Bali Bucket List is a spicy romance!

Thank you Bookinfluencers.com for sending me a copy of this book for a sponsored campaign.

Content warnings: break up, BDSM, polyamory

Have you read The Bali Bucket List? What did you think of it?

Review: A Bedtime Story (Beauty Meets the Beast) (Fairy Tales From the Underworld #1)

Title: A Bedtime Story (Beauty Meets the Beast) (Fairy Tales From the Underworld #1)
Author: L.C. Moon
Genre: Romance
Publisher: BookBaby
Source: Bookinfluencers.com
Format: Paperback
Release Date: February 10, 2025
Rating: ★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

A traumance. A tragedy. A love story.

Fairy tales weren’t always about finding true love with Prince Charming. Once upon a time, they were dark stories about innocence lost, seeking through veiled attempts to make sense of life’s unfathomable hardships. Unfit parents turned to evil stepmothers, kindly neighbors became fairy godmothers, while alluring but dangerous men were presented under the guise of the Big Bad Wolf. Through their trials, the heroes were forever changed. For better or worse.

It is a tale as old as time. Good girl meets bad boy; the pure faces the corrupt. Loosely inspired by classic tropes, Fairy Tales From the Underworld breathes new life into age-old motifs, casting them against the backdrop of modern times. Beasts and monsters no longer lurk in shadows but now inhabit our protagonists, who are plagued by the ceaseless whispers of their inner demons.

A Bedtime Story is not a romance, but a raw erotic tale chronicling the twisted love affair between two profoundly broken souls: the child of the moon and the child of the underworld. Their paths were never meant to cross… And yet, by a twist of fate, Beauty meets the Beast, plunging into a world of lies, deceit and debauchery, where her only salvation lies in the hands of her captor.

As Part I of the Fairy Tales From the Underworld saga, this first installment delves deeply into the psyche of its characters, offering a poignant exploration of the relentless pull between torment and passion in the aftermath of trauma.

(Please note, this book contains graphic sexual content and deals with heavy subject matter, suitable for readers 18+.)

Review:

This story is a dark romance. It loosely followed the Beauty and the Beast fairytale, but it had dark themes such as abuse and human trafficking. Kayne, the “beast,” didn’t have redeeming qualities like the Beast does in the usual fairytale. The ending deviated from the traditional ending as well. There were quite a few dark scenes, so check the content warnings before reading.

A Bedtime Story is a dark twist on Beauty and the Beast.

Thank you Bookinfluencers.com for providing a copy of this book as part of a sponsored campaign!

Content warnings: child abuse, human trafficking, murder, gun violence, rape, drug use, overdose

Have you read A Bedtime Story (Beauty Meets the Beast)? What did you think of it?

Review: Divided Heart

Title: Divided Heart
Author: K.M. Daughters
Genre: Romance, Contemporary
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Source: Publisher
Format: Ebook
Release Date: July 30, 2025
Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Cassidy Finnegan, a widow, returns to her hometown Redbird, Illinois after inheriting a book store from her mother. Ty Martin, a celebrated gallery artist and a member of the fantastical Sisters of the Legend Binder family, has moved to a home a straight shot from Cassidy’s across Redbird Lake.
Cass meets Ty at his book signing at her store the same day that she is visited by the ghost of her dead husband, Sawyer, whom she met at Cozy Nook Books, too. It was love at first sight with Sawyer…and maybe with Ty.
When Sawyer visits Cassidy, their perfect love is rekindled. When she is with Ty, all she wants is the new love blossoming between them.
Ty learns he is the unwitting third in Cassidy’s spectral love-triangle. He has no problem competing with flesh and blood men. But the heaven-perfected spirit of her loving husband? Nothing in Ty’s realm of experience prepares him for that contest.
Cassie is forced to choose in order to mend her divided heart.

Review:

This is a cute cozy romance! I love books about bookstores. A lot of this book took place in Cassidy’s bookstore, where she met Ty. This book is part of a series but it can be read as a stand-alone. There was a supernatural twist at the end of the story which I wasn’t expecting, but it tied everything together.

Divided Heart is a short and sweet cozy romance!

Thank you The Wild Rose Press for providing a copy of this for a sponsored campaign.

Content warnings: death of spouse, death of parent, cancer

Have you read Divided Heart? What did you think of it?

Review: Eat Dessert First

Title: Eat Dessert First
Author: Michelle Paris
Genre: Romance, Contemporary
Publisher: Apprentice House
Source: Bookinfluencers.com
Format: Paperback
Release Date: May 7, 2024
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Can a plus-sized, big-hearted baker discover the recipe for happiness? Abbey Reilly has heard “you have such a pretty face” enough times to know that it’s code for “if only you’d lose weight.” Giving up her architectural career to care for her ailing mom and working in a bakery to make ends meet, she is convinced no one will ever find her attractive. So she’s stunned when a handsome regular customer not only shows interest but asks her on a date.Devastated when she learns her would-be beau is married, Abbey resigns herself to a lonely future. But the insecure woman can hardly believe her luck when she draws the attention of a dreamy guy at a bachelorette party… until his horrible ex plots revenge. Will Abbey claim the confidence she deserves and find a keeper who recognizes her true beauty?With light humor and loving insight, Michelle Paris weaves a delightful tale of learning to believe in yourself. Juggling elder parent care, tight finances, and hating the image in the mirror, Abbey Reilly will charm any reader fond of rooting for an underdog.Eat Dessert First is a heartwarming work of women’s fiction. If you like relatable heroines, chasing a dream, and finding hope and happiness, then you’ll adore Michelle Paris’ sweet story of fulfillment.

Review:

This is a great romance with a plus-size heroine! I could relate to Abbey’s struggles with her weight and finding a partner who liked her for herself. Abbey was the primary caregiver her mother who had dementia. I helped look after my grandmother who had Alzheimer’s for 9 years, so I could relate to that part of her life too. Abbey was a great baker, so I recommend having some yummy baked goods on hand while reading this book!

Eat Dessert First is a yummy romance!

Thank you Bookinfluencers.com for providing a copy of this book as part of a sponsored campaign!

Content warnings: bullying, dementia, death of parent, hospital scenes, broken bone

Have you read Eat Dessert First? What did you think of it?

Review: Cadence (Lyrical Interludes #3)

Title: Cadence (Lyrical Interludes #3)
Author: Claire Davon
Genre: Romance, Contemporary
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Source: Publisher
Format: Ebook
Release Date: August 28, 2024
Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

From a young age, aspiring musician Jessica Baker has made it a point to never rely on anyone other than herself. After all, in her experience, people, along with success, are both fleeting. However, when Kai Halara joins her tour, all of her preconceived notions are demolished.

Kai is a failure in the eyes of his industry. Intending to use Jessica’s tour as a distraction while he determines his next move, he’s soon at war with himself. His mind tells him to stay away, but his heart—and body—demand the opposite.

Can their happiness survive when misunderstandings collide with electric attraction, and past drama resurges to threaten to destroy all they have created?

Review:

This was a steamy, fast-paced romance! It’s part of a series, but I read it as a standalone and I didn’t have any problems. It’s a short book so it didn’t take me long to read. I felt like the ending was kind of rushed though. The way the romance ended didn’t feel realistic to me.

Cadence is a great music-themed romance!

Thank you The Wild Rose Press for providing a copy of this book as part of a paid campaign!

Content warnings: alcoholism

Other books in the series:

Reprise (Lyrical Interludes #1)
Overture (Lyrical Interludes #2)

Have you read Cadence? What did you think of it?