Plot Trysts

Diving in the way back machine today for Deception by Amanda Quick. We love piracy and academic women, but could have done without the sexual assault. Quick holds up better than most of her time, and this is a fun one.

Meg and Laine talk about believable conflict, period-appropriate dialogue, and sexy debate tactics.

This book has tropes galore and some seriously batshit plots (yes we bring up Cynsters...) but the characters are charming and we love tropes. Pay attention to the content warnings for this one, because some of them are intense.

Independent Doctor and Moral Spy trying to reform a corrupt system from the inside..... yeah Kleypas has our number. Add in some wonderful clothing and an inability to keep hands to themselves and you know we spent this episode raving.

In spite of the title Gabriel really is nothing like his father. You'd think that would make Laine happy, except he really wasn't much of a character at all. Meg tried to pretend the characterization of Pandora in the first two books could be dismissed, but even that didn't make this one our cup of tea.

We've enjoyed the Fitzhugh series so far but this one really turns up the heat. While this one deviates from our usual favorite tropes, Sherry Thomas continues to make us like things we usually don't. Maybe the best amnesia romance ever?

We're dipping back into the Tessa Dare Archives with this one. Trope-tastic, sexy, and more than a little absurd, this book definitely previews the good stuff to come with Dare's books, even if the jacket doesn't live up to her usual standards.

A Civil War vet and a Chinese-born missionary widow team up to solve global communication issues in an equitable and sustainable way. If it sounds like all that characterization and plot would make romance come second, you're right, but this is still a very good book.

There's plenty to love here - from a critical examination of rakishness to some really well developed friendships. Meg liked this more than Laine (who is admittedly a bit over independent and undersexed women who hide their emotions) but both of us thought it was a romp! Very much a romcom in text form, we look forward to the rest of the series.

Martha Waters impressed us both with her debut novel, even if marriage in crisis isn't Meg's favorite. This series really gets us to dive in to whether romance novels in a series can or should be read as standalones.

Meg and Laine disagree about the merits of this book. Laine found it to be almost Cynster-esque while Meg was able to put that aside and buy into the story and some of the social commentary. Lucy might draw Anthony's tool but Laine thought he WAS the tool.

Everything about this book is ridiculous in the best way. Hilarious and sexy, this book put big grins on both our faces. We just wish there'd been only one room at at least one inn!

Spies! Again! Some more! But in this case it's a spy retrieving a much needed code book from an unsuspecting and bored widow. Meg and Laine disagree on how we felt about Amanda, but couldn't deny the chemistry between the leads. Worth a read!

Laine and Meg usually looooovveeee Sherry Thomas, and this book does have some cute moments and was was sexier than expected. But neither of us could really come around on rooting for a woman who was setting herself and her kids up to life as a mistress of an honorable dude.

This book has a lot going for it, it's just not the plot or the conflict or the secondary characters. This book is, however, extremely sexy. So we liked it.

Spies in Venice! Again! This book is FUN and really leans into the fantasy opulence of high society Italy. The main couple plays second fiddle to the plot here, but in a way that really works and gives plenty of opportunity for jewel porn.

Adrian is the grandson of a duke and the heir to a shipping fortune but his black ancestry can prevent him from inheriting if he can't convince parliament to grant him a legal pass. Enter Lisbeth, who decides the best way to marry is to see your groom for the first time on your wedding day. Funny, historically interesting, and sexy so we definitely liked it.

Laine and Meg enjoyed the tropes and the excellent chemistry between the two main characters. We were more than a little confused by the plot and the emotional arc, but overall thought this was an enjoyable read.

This debut novel is about a woman taking her destiny into her own hands and a man haunted by the choices he's made as a archeologist/spy. So yes we loved it and it's super sexy and Indiana Jones gets brought up so sue us. You should probably read this right now.

We're all for a good childhood friends to lovers plot, but we aren't fans of men who lie or meddling mamas without development. We do love women in sports always, however, even if their books let them down.

Laine and Meg don't know what this book was about, who the characters were, or why so much time was spent on subplots. This book is bad, you guys, but it's also kinda bonkers in an almost Cynster way and you know we're reading the rest of the Ravenels regardless.

This book takes on a lot of tropes in an innovative way while being inspired by Georgette Heyer, which we found very charming. We disagreed on the quality of the conflict, but it's definitely worth checking out.

Sherry Thomas continues to make us like narrative structures and plots we wouldn't care for written by anyone else. We're not sure this qualifies as our idea of romance, but it is a worthwhile read.

Meg loves tinges of fantasy in a romance world, and this new release is a great example of the genre. Elinor has a sixth sense for jewels that her new tiny vampire bestie recognizes as magic. Add in a hot and honorable Earl who thinks he knows what's best for her, and you know we're all in for this fun, romance adjacent series.

The third book in the Burlfriends Series has the excellent writing and boundary-pushing characters we've come to expect from Jen Trinh. We're not sure if we're cool enough for this book, but the believable characters and unique situations definitely got us talking.