kindle unlimited romances that live rent free in my mind
i’m really trying to utilize kindle unlimited more - for the sole fact that i am just running out of space to keep my books. i own no more shelf space and have resorted to stacking books on the floor in my office & calling it art. ku has had some surprisingly good romances that i still think about to this day.
near miss by haley warren
rating: 4.5/5
synopsis: beckett davis is the nfl’s golden boy when it comes to kickers, except when he misses a record-breaking, game-winning kick. fans are loyal to a fault and they turn quickly on him. to help with his image, his pr team advises that he visit the local hospital and volunteer. while at said hospital he meets dr. greer roberts who’s tough on residents but easy on the eyes. it’s not love at first sight, more of a quiet, take your time thing - but they both have demons from the past. that they’re struggling with and don’t know what to make of this new “friendship.”
my thoughts: swept me off my feet!!! i’m a sucker for a slow burn, but a no bullshit adult relationship really pulls at my heartstrings. they’re flawed and they know it but work past it to be together and boy does my heart soar for them. beckett is measured & calculated & hot. greer is precise & regimented & soft deep down. together, they make the most wholesome pair. I read in one day!
drive me crazy by carly robyn
rating: 5/5
synopsis: in the world of F1, the drivers are in the spotlight for their on track performances and their off track lives. blake hollis knows this all too well because his image isn’t exactly pristine. in fact, he’s got to turn it around by writing a tell-all biography. but the catch? the team brings in a sports journalist to interview & write the novel. ella gold is just looking for a new start, and she’s good at what she does. the more she gets to know him, the more the media’s image doesn’t exactly capture his true character.
my thoughts: i was intrigued by the plot — a writer & her assignment? and auto-racing? it’s about time i picked one up!! the chemistry was really palpable and exciting - i couldn’t put the book down. for such a short book, the character growth was really incredible to see on the page. my favorite quote is still: I want so many strings to be attached we’ll look like marionettes.”
in the likely event by rebecca yarros
rating: 5/5
synopsis: they say that trauma bonds & there’s no better depiction than izzy and nate who meet when their plane crashes. he saves her life and for the next ten years they fall together and apart and begin to wonder what life really has planned for them. she works her way into politics and he joins the army and serves overseas in afghanistan and again, but a strange stroke of fate, they find each other over there. he still will do anything to protect her. but she’s not his, is she?
my thoughts: i like rebecca’s contemporary romances more than her romantasy. there i said it. i so clearly saw this book as a movie in my head and really wanted to hit replay as soon as i finished it. there is just something about the way they can’t live their lives without one another that had me really rooting for them.
funny feelings by tarah dewitt
rating: 5/5
synopsis: farley jones is an up and coming comedian who harbors secret feelings for her manager, meyer. he’s a former standup himself but he left the spotlight to raise his daughter. when a huge opportunity arises for farley, it forces her to fake date meyer to circulate buzz. she’s excited and nervous and giddy and all these funny feelings come to the surface to their fake relationship that actually doesn’t feel fake at all.
my thoughts: i had no clue what this was about when i downloaded it on KU and it ended up being the more pleasant surprise. from the very beginning i knew i’d love it with the well timed wit and banter. the jokes are actually laugh out loud funny—and delivered so well on audiobook too! i listened/read this in one day because i couldn’t put it down. i really loved these characters.
windy city series by liz tomforde
rating: 5/5
synopsis: the windy city series follows a few famous athletes from chicago’s nhl, nba and mlb teams. mile high is about a hockey player who is everyone’s least liked player because of how much he spends in the penalty box and the flight attendant who doesn’t put up with his bullshit. the right move is about the closed off basketball star who begrudgingly lets his sister’s best friend move in (we know where this one goes and we love it!) caught up follows a single dad whose mlb gig has him hiring his manager’s daughter, a high end pastry chef, as a nanny. and finally, my personal favorite, play along is about the playboy shortstop whose nonstop flirting with the team doc finally wears her down enough to give him a chance.
my thoughts: with each of these book you get really lovable and relatable characters that you just want to root for. there are some steamy scenes that i would love to see played out in a tv series (anyone?) and the relationships are very, very well-written. there’s one more in the series that i can’t wait to get my hands on when it comes out may 2025.
kindred’s curse series by penn cole
rating: 5/5
synopsis: similar to that of acotar and the serpent and the wings of night, kindred’s curse starts with spark of the everflame, a dramatic fantasy world filled with mortals and the descendeds (god’s offspring who rule the realms). diem bellator is on a mission to figure out why her mother disappeared and the one who may have answers is nearly untouchable, he’s a descended prince. but diem is no wallflower and she’ll do whatever’s needed for answers.
my thoughts: i’m very picky when it comes to fantasies and this one just nails it. very quickly, i became engrossed in emarion and the dynamic between the mortals and god-like royalty. diem is such a badass! not only does she want answers about her mother’s disappearance, she wants peace between the realms and between the mortals and descendeds. diem and henri also reminded me of feyre and tamlin and i ate it up!!