It's that time of year when I look at my goodreads reading challenge goal and start to freak out a bit because I'm sort of close, but not really close to meeting it. So what does a girl do? Read a bunch of novellas!
Short stories have been a hit or miss for me in the past. Either I really love them, or I'm left struggling with what I just read. Since I have the week off from work right now, my goal is to read as many novellas as possible over the next few days. But I want this reading time to be productive, aka worth my time.
So I went to twitter & asked a few of my trusted bookish friends for some adult romance novella recommendations. After perusing through them, I decided to compile a round-up of the few (or more) ebooks I added to my e-reader thanks to their recs. Hopefully I've also managed to build your own TBR list as well! Side note: I've already finished two of these & now I'm on to the next. Let the romance-novella-readathon continue!
Fit by Rebekah Weatherspoon**I read this in practically one sitting. It's definitely a quick one! For a novella though, the characters were well-written with a considerable amount of depth. We get right to the plot of it, yet I still felt like I understood them. This one contains BDSM, so if that's not your jam, you may want to try another one below.
About the book: Violet Ryan loves the delicious food she gets to eat on the reality shows she produces for The Food Channel. What she hates is her expanding waistline. Determined to drop the pounds, Violet hatches a plan to kick start a fitness regimen. But when her determination isn’t enough to get her through even one intense group class without breaking down into tears, she knows she needs a new approach and possibly a new trainer—one with a lighter touch.
Grant Gibson has always managed to mix business with pleasure, but now this trainer by day, and Dominant by night, is bored. Bored and lonely. Even though he owns one of L.A.’s hottest private gyms, his personal life is sorely lacking. After his last submissive tried to kidnap his dog and the contents of his bank account, he’s in no hurry to take a new lover under his wing. Not until the voluptuous Violet falls into his lap.
She may be wary of his unorthodox approach of using sexual gratification as a reward, but even before her initial weigh-in Violet can’t seem to stay away from the sexy fitness god. She may have to let Grant show her there’s more than one way to get in shape… [goodreads]
Holiday Wishes by Jill Shalvis**It's Jill Shalvis, so of course I want to read it! She is one of the first adult romance authors I read as a blogger & I really enjoy the heart she puts into her stories. Not to mention those oh-so-steamy sexytimes! I love a good holiday romance novella, so I'm really looking forward to this one.
About the book: It’s Christmastime again in Heartbreaker Bay!
When Sean O’Riley shows up at the Hartford Bed & Breakfast for his older brother’s bachelor weekend, he’s just hoping to make it through the weekend. What he’s not expecting is to come face to face with the woman he lost his virginity to a decade ago—a woman he’s never really forgotten.
The last time Lotti Hartford saw Sean, she told him she loved him while he said nothing. Now, ten years later, she’s just looking for a good time. For once, she wants to be the wild and free one, and Sean – the good time guy – is the perfect candidate.
But as the weekend continues, Sean realizes that after a lifetime of being the hook-up king, he’s ready to find happily-ever-after, and he wants it with Lotti. But will she open her heart to him again? As Christmas sweeps through the little B&B, he can only hope love and magic are in the air. [goodreads]
Once Upon a Winter's Eve by Tessa Dare**Tessa Dare has become a new-to-me-author this year, so when I stumbled across a holiday romance novella by her, I immediately added it to my e-reader. She's fun, feisty, and such an addictive storyteller. I'm really excited for this one.
About the book: Some wallflowers bloom at night...
A Spindle Cove Novella
Violet Winterbottom is a quiet girl. She speaks six languages, but seldom raises her voice. She endured bitter heartbreak in perfect silence. The gentlemen aren't beating down her door.
Until the night of the Spindle Cove Christmas ball, when a mysterious stranger crashes into the ballroom and collapses at Violet's feet. His coarse attire and near-criminal good looks would put any sensible young lady on her guard. He's wet, chilled, bleeding, and speaking in an unfamiliar tongue.
Only Violet understands him. And she knows he's not what he seems.
She has one night to draw forth the secrets of this dangerously handsome rogue. Is he a smuggler? A fugitive? An enemy spy? She needs answers by sunrise, but her captive would rather seduce than confess. To learn his secrets, Violet must reveal hers—and open herself to adventure, passion, and the unthinkable... Love.
Warning: The heroine packs a pistol, the hero curses in multiple languages, and together they steam up a cold winter’s night. [goodreads]
His Road Home by Anna Richland**When Angie recommends a book to me, I don't hesitate on that one-click button! I just finished reading this one & oh my, what a story! This is definitely going in my top contemporary romances reads list. Angie, please recommend more!!
About the book: To avoid an Afghan warlord’s matchmaking, Staff Sergeant Rey Cruz invents a fiancée he’ll never meet—until he’s flat on his back in Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, and marine biologist Grace Kim shows up with one question: why did you lie?
Cruz can’t explain his fabrication to her, the news media, their families, or their hometown, because his traumatic brain injury has manifested as aphasia, leaving him with few words to navigate his new world.
Grace offers friendship, a big step for a woman who prefers Orcinus orca to most company. Texting throughout his recovery, they connect in ways neither anticipates. She agrees to help drive his classic muscle car home across-country at Thanksgiving. His hands-on method of teaching her to operate a manual transmission is the beginning of his challenges to her comfort zone. She responds by introducing him to the steamy world of South Dakota ice-fishing shacks, and they both learn to look beyond labels into each other’s hearts. [goodreads]
The Courage of Eli Jackson by Kelly Hunter**Angie had me at "Aussie gamer geek romance" when she recommended this one. This story sounds every bit fun & flirty! Sign me up for its sweetness because I'm looking forward to reading it.
About the book: They were on the honeymoon of a lifetime. Pity it wasn’t theirs.
Eli Jackson has just married the woman of his dreams. Sure, it was part of an online role-playing game and not exactly real, but he totally dominated the wedding battle that followed and his lady wife was very impressed.
Eli never imagined that his brothers would bestow on them a real-world honeymoon package at one of the Gold Coast’s premier hotels. He never figured on costume designer Zoey Daniels being such fun. Together they’re dynamite, but Eli’s not looking for a real relationship and Zoey lives only for the day.
Besides, no one falls in love this fast. Do they? [goodreads]
Thirty Day Boyfriend by Whitney G.**I'm a sucker for fake relationship stories & this one really grabbed by interest when I read the synopsis for it, thanks to a friend of a friend's recommendation. I'm new to this author, but after adding this one to my e-reader, I also bought a full length novel by her that sounded good, too. Yay more reading!
About the book: I should've never agreed to this arrangement...
Thirty days ago, my boss—Mr. Wolf of Wall Street, came to me with an offer I couldn’t refuse: Sign my name on the dotted line and pretend to be his fiancée for one month. If I agreed, he would let me out of my employment contract with a “very generous” severance package.
The rules were pretty simple: No intimate kissing, no actual sex. Just pretend to love each other for the press, even though I’ve secretly wanted to knock that sexy smirk off his face since the first day we met.
I definitely didn’t need to think twice about this. I signed my name and started counting down the seconds to when I would never have to deal with his special brand of ass-holery again.
I only made it to one minute...
We argued the entire four-hour flight to his hometown, failed to make a convincing impression with the welcoming press, and right when I was about to knock that arrogant look off his face in real life? He purposely dropped his bath towel in front of me, distracting me with his nine-inch cock to "show me who the bigger person was" in our relationship. Then he gave me his trademark smirk once again and asked if I wanted to consummate our marriage.
Tragically, this is only day one.
We still have 29 more days to go... [goodreads]
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Did any of these make it to your e-reader, too?! What about your TBR list? Let me know in the comments. And if you have a favorite novella to recommend, I'd love to know about it.
His Road Home sounds EXCELLENT. I am for sure going to have to check that one out.
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you made this list!
ReplyDelete