Tag: book review

new release, Review

✍🏻 Professor Romance’s Reviews: Kandi Steiner’s Save Your Breath, book 4 of her Kings of the Ice series ✍🏻

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Overall Grade: A-

Tropes: childhood friends to lovers; opposites attract; fake relationship/engagement; forced proximity; pro hockey romance; miscommunication trope; athlete & pop star; slow burn

Two elements elevate romance novels to greatness: a hero who can tenderly braid the heroine’s hair and characters whose painful pasts prevent them from finding happiness until their love interest truly sees them. Kandi Steiner masterfully incorporates both in Save Your Breath, the fourth installment in her Kings of the Ice series, creating an emotional journey that devastated me in the best possible way.

I anticipated that Aleks Suter and Mia Love’s story would pack the most potent emotional punch in this series. While I remain a devoted “Daddy P” fan, Aleks now rivals him as my favorite Steiner book boyfriend. Unlike Daddy P’s brooding grumpiness, Aleks embodies the team’s “bad boy” persona—yet his anger-fueled actions mask the deep wounds of a man abandoned to foster care. Steiner’s character development for Aleks stands as the novel’s greatest achievement. His journey toward self-acceptance through Mia’s unconditional love brought me to tears, and Steiner makes readers work for this payoff through an exquisitely crafted slow-burn romance.

Mia serves as Aleks’s perfect counterbalance. Beyond the “good girl/bad boy” dynamic, Steiner portrays her as someone who complements and challenges Aleks. Through Mia, we witness the struggle to maintain cultural relevance while staying true to artistic integrity. Aleks becomes her biggest supporter, encouraging her to create authentic music even as they navigate their arranged engagement. This mutual admiration adds profound vulnerability to their supposedly fake relationship—they’re each other’s greatest champions, fostering a love that captivates readers.

The Tampa Bay Ospreys’ found family dynamic enhances the emotional resonance. Aleks’s gradual connections with teammates parallel his growing closeness with Mia, creating a powerful emotional compound effect when he finally accepts that he deserves love. While these interactions often inject humor into tense moments, they underscore Aleks’s deep-seated need for acceptance. His relationships with Mia’s parents and his elderly neighbor further highlight his character growth, adding emotional complexity to the story.

My one criticism lies in the miscommunication between the protagonists. While Steiner establishes their ability to see each other fully, their failure to recognize each other’s feelings sometimes lacks credibility. The narrative doesn’t sufficiently explore why these otherwise perceptive characters remain blind to their mutual attraction.

Nevertheless, this flaw doesn’t diminish the overall emotional impact of Save Your Breath. Readers should prepare for a slow burn that demands patience—Steiner doesn’t rush Aleks and Mia’s journey. The beautiful, tear-inducing conclusion justifies the wait. The Kings of the Ice series continues to deliver exceptional hockey romance, and I eagerly anticipate the next two installments.

In love and romance,

Professor A

new release, Review

✍🏻 Professor Romance’s Reviews: Helena Hunting’s If You Love Me, book 4 of her Toronto Terrors series ✍🏻

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Overall Grade: A-

Tropes: second chance; forbidden romance; close proximity; sports romance; workplace romance; age gap; hockey romance; found family

Helena Hunting’s latest Toronto Terrors installment, If You Love Me, delivers a refreshing take on hockey romance that will delight fans of the series. Roman emerges as a surprising and complex male lead. Readers who met him as the protective father in If You Need Me will be delighted by his transformation into an unexpectedly dominant romantic partner. Hunting skillfully reveals new dimensions to his character while maintaining the protective nature established in previous books.

What distinguishes this romance is Roman’s nurturing personality. Despite workplace complications creating the primary tension, his devotion to Lexi and her sisters forms the emotional core of the narrative. Rather than following the conventional third-act breakup formula, Hunting focuses on the challenges of navigating professional boundaries.

Lexi stands out as a particularly well-crafted character. As a female coach in men’s hockey, she brings distinctly feminine qualities of empathy and connection to her coaching style. Hunting avoids the common pitfall of masculinizing female characters in male-dominated settings, instead showing how traditionally feminine attributes can be strengths in professional environments. This approach demonstrates how female perspectives can enrich traditionally masculine spaces.

The familial relationships, particularly Lexi’s commitment to her sisters, add meaningful depth to the story. These bonds, along with the hockey team’s found-family dynamic, create a rich emotional landscape that extends beyond the central romance.

The novel’s departure from the typical romance structure creates both strengths and weaknesses. While the absence of a third-act breakup feels refreshing, it does affect the narrative tension in the latter portion of the book. Even potential professional conflicts lose their edge against Roman’s steadfast support. The story transitions from compelling drama to sweet affirmation, which may satisfy readers seeking comfort but slightly diminishes the narrative momentum established early on.

If You Love Me showcases Hunting’s talent for creating multifaceted characters and sweet yet spicy romances. The novel skillfully balances workplace drama, family dynamics, and romantic development, even if the pacing slows toward the conclusion. With tantalizing hints of future pairings, this new story reinforces why Helena Hunting remains a master of romantic comedy, leaving readers eagerly anticipating the next Toronto Terrors story.

In love and romance,

Professor A

new release, Review

✍🏻 Professor Romance’s Reviews: Rebecca Jenshak’s Comeback, book 3 of her Holland Brothers series ✍🏻

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Overall Grade: A-

Tropes: best friend’s sister; brother’s best friend; forced proximity/roommates; sports romance; pro football; cinnamon roll MMC; dancer, sunshiney FMC

“He cares deeply for the people in his life and he makes sure they know it.”

Rebecca Jenshak’s Comeback stands as the pinnacle of her Holland Brothers series. Having tracked Archer’s character development from his peripheral appearances in both this series and Jenshak’s Campus Wallflowers series (notably in Tempting the Player), I found his emergence as a protagonist particularly compelling. Archer’s character distinction lies not only in his hearing impairment but in how this aspect of his identity interweaves with the series’ broader themes of familial loss and resilience.

The Holland brothers’ shared trauma – their mother’s death and father’s absence – creates a profound foundation for their relationships. While Archer’s disability could have dominated the narrative, Jenshak masterfully positions it as both integral to his character and seamlessly integrated into the larger story. Her nuanced portrayal reveals how Archer has learned to minimize himself to accommodate others, a pattern that makes his relationship with Sabrina particularly transformative.

Notable strengths:

* Jenshak subverts traditional romance tensions by focusing on individual growth rather than relationship conflict. The narrative tension emerges organically from Archer’s professional challenges and Sabrina’s complex relationship with her brother, Brogan, rather than artificial obstacles between the protagonists. This structural choice allows for a refreshingly authentic romance arc.

* The fraternal dynamics continue to illuminate why this series resonates with readers. Their group communications and collective support of their youngest member’s MLB career provide both emotional depth and moments of levity that enrich the narrative.

* The pacing demonstrates remarkable precision, maintaining momentum without sacrificing character development or emotional resonance.

In Comeback, Jenshak demonstrates her mastery of contemporary romance, crafting a narrative that balances emotional depth with compelling characterization. Through her deft handling of disability representation, family dynamics, and personal growth, she elevates what could have been a conventional sports romance into a nuanced exploration of self-acceptance and unconditional love. The result is an emotional addition to the genre that both satisfies series fans and stands confidently on its own merits.

In love and romance,

Professor A

new release, Review

✍🏻 Professor Romance’s Reviews: Vi Keeland’s Indiscretion ✍🏻

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Overall Grade: A-

Tropes: hate to love; cinnamon roll MMC; grump/sunshine; forced proximity; workplace romance

Vi Keeland’s Indiscretion delivers a captivating romance that elevates the beloved enemies-to-lovers trope through exceptional character development and emotional depth. At its heart, this spicy contemporary romance succeeds by focusing on the compelling evolution of its main characters, Dawson and Naomi, whose journey from antagonism to love feels both authentic and deeply satisfying.

The story’s greatest strength lies in Dawson’s character arc. Keeland crafts a masterful transformation of a man initially closed off to love, peeling back his layers with deliberate care. His journey from emotional unavailability to vulnerability isn’t just convincing—it’s impossible not to invest in. The author takes her time developing his character, ensuring that each step toward opening his heart feels earned rather than rushed.

Naomi serves as the perfect catalyst for Dawson’s transformation. Keeland writes her as a force of nature who refuses to accept Dawson’s emotional walls at face value. What makes Naomi particularly compelling is how she challenges Dawson’s preconceptions about love and relationships without losing her own identity in the process. She’s written with a refreshing combination of strength and vulnerability that makes her feel real rather than just a plot device for Dawson’s growth.

The antagonistic chemistry between Dawson and Naomi crackles from their first interaction, but Keeland demonstrates her skill by building tension naturally through their evolving dynamic. The “hate” in this enemies-to-lovers story never feels contrived; instead, it stems from genuine conflict between two strong personalities with opposing views on love and life. This makes their eventual transition to romance all the more satisfying.

The spicy elements of the story are well-integrated, serving to enhance the emotional connection between the characters rather than overshadowing it. Keeland maintains a perfect balance between steamy scenes and character development, ensuring that each intimate moment advances the story and deepens the reader’s understanding of both characters.

What truly sets Indiscretion apart is how Keeland keeps readers invested in the outcome even when the happy ending feels inevitable. The journey to get there is so compelling, and the character growth is so well-executed that readers will find themselves turning pages not just to reach the conclusion but to savor each moment of Dawson and Naomi’s evolution both as individuals and as a couple.

Indiscretion proves that even familiar romance tropes can feel fresh and exciting in skilled hands. Through strong character work, emotional authenticity, and engaging storytelling, Keeland has created a romance that will satisfy readers looking for both heat and heart.

In love and romance,

Professor A

new release, Review

✍🏻 Professor Romance’s Reviews: Jewel E. Ann’s The Apple Tree, book 2 of her Sunday Morning series

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Overall Grade: A-

Tropes: small town; preacher’s kid FMC; age gap; close proximity/neighbors; single dad MMC

Expectations – the heavy suggestions that society lays on you based on some arbitrary set of standards. Many times, it’s impossible to live up to those expectations. When we try, we conscript ourselves to wear an identity far too big or small for our spirit. Some wear the heavy clothing of expectation with a facade of perfection. Don’t look too closely, though. You’ll see the tears in the fabric or the breaks in the musculoskeletal system from carrying that uncomfortable weight. Others will throw off the garment of expectation and make their way, but that way is often lonely and fraught with unease because making one’s own rules about life is a bumpy path away from society’s suggestions. 

You may be curious why I began this review for Jewel E. Ann’s The Apple Tree with this reflection on expectations. Well, her first two stories in her Sunday Morning series underscore this idea of expectations. Yes, she shades around these ideas with the story of a “good girl” hate to love romance with a “bad boy,” her boyfriend’s brother in book 1, Sunday Morning. But the second book, The Apple Tree, provides a bit of the antithesis to the first book. Eve, the younger sister of Sarah, the FMC of Sunday Morning, isn’t afraid to “break the rules” of the household when she falls hard for the new next-door neighbor, single dad MMC, Kyle and his son, Josh. 

Jewel E. Ann uses the idea of expectations to underscore how we might come to her story with a set of expectations mired in societal standards. Should Eve and Kyle have a successful romance if 1) they have a ten-year age difference, 2) she isn’t quite sure what career she wants, and 3) as a teacher and coach, their small community might have certain opinions about them? You can’t help but notice your awareness of their plight as you read their story. Ann deftly moves us through the complications of their burgeoning relationship, forcing readers to encounter and interrogate their expectations for Eve and Kyle. What she leaves you with, though, is a realization that it doesn’t matter. Love is love, after all, and Eve and Kyle have the qualities necessary for working through the difficult moments in a love relationship. 

Everything standard in a Jewel E. Ann romance is found in The Apple Tree. Obviously, the ongoing tension that underpins the angst of her romance both drives the story forward while also slowing the read (some of us have to read the ending to remember the promise of romance’s HEAs). Her prose is some of my favorite in romancelandia. It isn’t like a Kennedy Ryan or Sierra Simone’s almost academic elegant prose, but she writes sentences that grab at you with their candor and reflection. Even more, Eve and Kyle are likable, even when they make choices that pull the happiness out of the story. You understand their choices because they feel like choices the reader would make. Jewel E. Ann’s characters, even when set in unreal plots, are relatable because they live in worlds (most of the time) like our own. 

If I have one criticism of The Apple Tree, it’s the same as I had for Sunday Morning. I don’t understand the need to set it in the ‘80s. Honestly, the ‘80s references are sprinkled throughout the book in such a way that she could have removed them, and we wouldn’t miss out on them. I know it allows her to remove cell phones and technology of the 21st century, but I don’t believe it would have changed the story. Again, this is my curiosity. I’m sure there are ’70s and ’80s babies who love the allusion to one of their favorite time periods.

Jewel E. Ann’s The Apple Tree continues her Sunday Morning series beautifully. I prefer Eve and Kyle’s story to the story of her first book. Kyle and Eve fall hard for each other. Their love for each other, at its core, is never the problem of this book. They find “their person” in the other. It’s the expectations of everyone around them that muddies their love (well, except for Grandma Bonnie – my favorite character in the book). Thankfully, Jewel E. Ann aptly walks us through their story carefully and gifts us with a beautiful happily ever after to revel in.

In love and romance,

Professor A

new release, Review

✍🏻 Professor Romance’s Reviews: Jessica Peterson’s Wyatt, book 2 of the Lucky River Ranch series ✍🏻

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Overall Grade: A-

Tropes: cowboy; he falls first; friends to lovers; fake dating; small town

I’ve been a member of romancelandia long enough to know that friends-to-lovers is a bit of a fraught trope. Some people absolutely love it, while others detest it. That particular group struggles with the shift in feelings for the main characters, and the credibility of their love is called into question. I’ve read some problematic friends-to-lovers stories, but Jessica Peterson’s Wyatt, the second book of her Lucky River Ranch series, is not one of them. 

Peterson has done well in many aspects of this story. 

  • Sally and Wyatt have loved each other from afar for a long time. This is pretend unrequited love: two people avoiding their feelings to protect their friendship. Peterson is strategic in how she maps out their journey. When Wyatt (yes, this is a “he falls first” trope story) recognizes his love for Sally, he decides to keep it to himself so she can succeed in her educational journey. That sacrifice is the heart of this book and one of its pieces that incites her readers’ feelings. In any other book, the intentionality of this choice might have culled feelings of irritation. In Wyatt, it helps you fall in love with Wyatt, the player. The way that Peterson handles their friends-to-lovers relationship is done so well with only a small amount of strife that you leave this book more in love with her characters than you start, and the last ten percent of the book becomes a holiday gift, sown in sweetness. 
  • Wyatt is pure perfection. While he falls first for Sally (but not by much), Peterson still drafts him into pure masculinity, not one that oozes toxicity. Instead, he’s masculine while still able to love Sally hard. When he finally admits his feelings, he becomes the PERFECT book boyfriend, and I imagine there will be fights over him in her fan group because of it. 
  • While Wyatt’s journey is defined by admitting and encouraging his feelings for Sally, Sally’s journey is about self-discovery. As an only child, she’s lived her life people-pleasing, namely her father, a man who, we find, is living vicariously through her. As the story progresses, she recognizes the key to her happiness: being surrounded by a loving community and, in turn, returning love to that community. Quite frankly, Peterson could have mired herself in a plot hole had she allowed Sally to define herself solely in her “boyfriend’s” love, trading her identity as a skillful veterinarian surgeon for one of Wyatt’s girlfriend. However, what is always special about Peterson’s romances is her insistence on her MMC and FMC aligning themselves equitably. When Wyatt asks his brothers if it is okay for him to follow Sally to New York, his brother responds with the idea that Wyatt could be the one to stay home and watch their children. Each person has a place in Peterson’s romances, and it never seems aligned with gender norms. It isn’t that she does this overtly; instead, it is simply the nature of the worlds she creates. 

It is also why I prefer her romances over many. Jessica Peterson’s Wyatt absolutely put a smile on my face. This isn’t high drama like the first book, Cash. Instead, Sally and Wyatt’s journey is one of acceptance: recognizing their love for each other and leaning into it. Honestly, while it does not have holiday overtones, it feels right for this holiday season. It’s a special gift of love wrapped in a shiny bow of sweetness and spice.

In love and romance.

Professor A

new release, Review

✍🏻Professor Romance’s Reviews: Jewel E. Ann’s From Air, book 1 of the Wildfire series – a top 5 read of 2024 ✍🏻

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Overall Grade: A

Tropes: close proximity/roommates; smokejumper MMC; travel nurse FMC; angst; second chance; grump/sunshine; age gap

“Sometimes, for something beautiful to take to life and grow, everything around it has to be sacrificed. All we see is the destruction, but if you wait long enough — if you’re patient — magic happens.”

These words, prophetic and beautifully drawn, embody the truth of Jewel E. Ann’s From Air. This newest book, the first book of a new series — The Wildfire Series — is one of my favorite stories in 2024. I began reading Jewel E. Ann with her book, Look the Part. The witty banter between the uptight MMC and the fluidly intriguing and beguiling FMC was the draw in that story. Their immediate chemistry, the hate to love, the emotionally uptight MMC drive that story forward. Until a moment that has often been characterized as the JEA Effect — the moment in the story that comes from nowhere and takes the reader out emotionally. It’s usually shocking and rarely forecasted, so it turns your head deeper into the pages of her book. For me, that moment is where I fall more deeply in love with Ann’s storytelling.

From Air has the same feel, for me, as Look The Part. It isn’t the same story. It inhabits new worlds in the JEA universe: travel nurse and smokejumper. It’s even set in a different space, one that changes due to the FMC’s occupation. However, the witty banter that Ann writes well and the chemistry that feels complicated and messy are the mainstays of From Air. In those spaces, you find Ann’s brilliance as a writer with crisp and quotable prose. There is the JEA moment —- and it comes from nowhere. I’m usually able to see the foreshadowing of plot points, but, once again, she kept me off-balance. As a multi-year reader of romance, I loved it. My heart hurt for the characters, and the only promise I had of surviving this turn of the story was the knowledge that I was reading a romance — the promise of a HEA. And that happily ever after is perfect, more poetry in storytelling motion.

Calvin “Fitz” and Jaymes “Jamie” took me on a complicated journey filled with humor, tension, sadness, and pain. Other beautifully written characters, like their roommates Will and Maren, Fitz’s grandmother, and Jamie’s best friend, Melissa, add dimension to the story and provide hope for the future stories in this series.

As I said at the beginning of this review, From Air is one of my top five romances of 2024. Jewel E. Ann illustrates her dexterity in drawing stories that interrogate social norms, incite intense emotions, and beguile her readers. I can only look forward to the other books in this compelling series.

In love and romance,

Professor A

new release, Review

✍🏻 Professor Romance’s Reviews: L.B. Dunbar’s Grouch-ish, a Holiday HOTTIES novella ✍🏻

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Overall Grade: B

Tropes: forced proximity; insta-attraction; first-responder MMC; silver fox; holiday romance; single dad; boss’s daughter FMC

L.B. Dunbar’s Holiday Hotties stories have engaged readers over the past couple of holiday seasons. This year’s offering, Grouch-ish, offers more of the same holiday spice with a fireman MMC who falls for his boss’s daughter while staying at the boss’s house. Her characters, Brock and Pear, aka Paradise, are shaded nicely in light and dark. Brock struggles with his guilt over the loss of a probie and the ending of his problematic marriage. He has been asked to his boss’s winter camp as a last-ditch effort to work through his issues. Pear has left her life behind, intent on reconnecting with her father over the holidays. Unfortunately, her father has other plans, leaving Pear lonely in his absence. When Brock arrives late and misses the shuttle to the camp, he’s left to earn his penance with Pear. It’s where Brock and Pear begin to fill something emotional and, eventually, physical in each other. 

I enjoyed Pear and Brock’s journey to falling in love. Dunbar has a way of creating highs and lows in her plotting that keeps her reader engaged. However, one of my criticisms of Dunbar’s storytelling lies in her need to draw a heavy-handed allusion through her story. She’s done this in many of her stories, which detracts from the natural storytelling. In Grouch-ish‘s instance, she alludes to the Twelve Days of Christmas. Unfortunately, given the timing of her story, she adds a note at the beginning of her story to make allowances for it. I understand it as a mechanism to attach meaning to a holiday tradition; however, it’s not necessary for us to fall in love with Brock’s grumpiness turned romantic or Pear’s acceptance of her circumstances and future choices. 

Overall, Grouch-ish is an enjoyable holiday romance for this holiday season. Brock and Pear will steal your heart for the holiday season.

In love and romance,

Professor A

new release, Review

✍🏻 Professor Romance’s Reviews: Melanie Harlow’s Slap Shot Surprise, book 5 of her Cherry Tree Harbor series ✍🏻

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Overall Grade: A-/B+

Tropes: ONS to more; accidental pregnancy; professional hockey player; opposites attract; small-town romance

Melanie Harlow’s Slap Shot Surprise is one of my favorite stories of her Cherry Tree Harbor series. Throughout this series, Harlow has written engaging characters fraught with outside issues, and this newest book is more of the same. Joe and Mabel are likable, drawing you into their journey of falling in love after a one-night stand of fun turned accidental pregnancy. Even as Joe struggles between his growing feelings for Mabel and his desire to remain single and free, Harlow held me in the thrall of her characters’ progression. Now, I did struggle with Mabel’s character development in that she readily forgoes her professional aspirations. I don’t want to reveal more of this, but it seemed incongruous with her characterization. I found myself questioning her final choices even though it intensified the romance of this book. 

There is something lovely about Joe and Mabel in Slap Shot Surprise, but it’s balanced well with their chemistry and desire – adding spice to all the right places. I would have also liked more of her brothers in this story, but I believe Harlow had a bit of a balancing act between the Buckleys and the Lupos.

Slap Shot Surprise is such a great book for a relaxing weekend read.

In love and romance,


Professor A

new release, Review

✍🏻 Professor Romance’s Reviews: Jewel E. Ann’s Sunday Morning, book 1 of her Sunday Morning series ✍🏻

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Overall Grade: A-/B+

Tropes: brother’s ex; preacher’s daughter; cheating; small town; 80s vibes

Jewel E. Ann surprises me. Over and over again, she writes stories that challenge the thinking of her readers. Sometimes, I wonder why her books don’t explode on “the charts,” and I’m certain it’s because they are hard to qualify or quantify. I’ve listed tropes above in this review, but honestly, her romances transcend tropes, oftentimes only focusing on a specific trope: cheating. She finds ways to write stories that play with the boundaries of cheating, challenging our views on it, especially for a reader like myself who typically eschews books that handle this topic. However, it’s Jewel E. Ann’s interrogation of this trope that constantly challenges me and helps me determine what I’m willing to accept. Her newest book, Sunday Morning, plays with this trope as her MMC and FMC circle the complications of it as their relationship evolves. 

However, that’s but a small portion of the significance of this newest book to her book list. Ann’s characters are fated with a chemistry clear from the beginning of the story. The MMC, Isaac, falls deeply for the FMC, Sarah, before she can understand or reconcile her feelings. They walk a balancing act of emotion and attachment for much of the book until their attraction becomes undeniable, and the chemistry overflows the page. Then, in true JEA form, someone dies, and their worlds are upended. Co-mingled with the journeys of her characters are themes about God (if God is in control, why does he allow bad things to happen to good people or good things to happen to bad people), the importance of living out your dreams on your terms, people pleasing, the complications of family relationships, etc. As her FMC, Sarah, begins to know herself, she challenges the beliefs of her parents and her small town society, and it’s her character growth that provides the “meat and potatoes” of JEA’s story. 

Throughout Sunday Morning, Jewel E. Ann shows us her capacity for storytelling as she weaves her tale with the gravity of her messaging. You are pummeled from all sides with her challenges. If I have any criticisms of this newest book, there are two. I’m still trying to determine why she decided to set this story in the late 80s other than to provoke nostalgia from her readers (or because she simply wanted to write about a time that is nostalgic for her). Additionally, her prose felt starker than her previous books. Her penchant for crafting reflective, quotable sentences is still in Sunday Morning, but more simple sentences and fewer transitional expressions sometimes cause an almost staccato feel to the story. It made it difficult to get lost in her story. 

Jewel E. Ann is a must-read author for me, no matter the story, no matter her insistence on bleeding the cheating trope on the page. I love that she forces me to unpack my thoughts and feelings about complex topics through the scope of her stories, and Sunday Morning dares us to upend our restrictive, inherited views of God, faith, and love. 

In love and romance,

Professor A