stephsnextread's Reviews (390)


Margot Noble is exhausted from running the family winery with her brother and needs to let off some steam. She thinks a one-night stand with Luke, who she just met in her friend’s bar, will be just what she needs. Little does she know, her brother has hired Luke as the newest winery employee!

I love the way Jasmine Guillory writes female friendships! Margot and Sydney have such a supportive friendship and I loved their scenes together. However, I felt that the romance between Margot and Luke was missing something. They clearly have a physical chemistry, but I was missing how they went from lust to love. I wish there had been more emotional connection before love was declared. The book was still highly entertaining and I’d recommend it!

Read if you like:
💕 Mid-30s FMC (she’s 35)
💕 Wineries
💕 Dual POV
💕 One-night stand to lovers
💕 Workplace romance

This was the holiday novelette of my dreams! It’s a quick read (I read it in about an hour) and full of holiday spirit, banter, and spice. Short stories sometimes fall short for me (ha 😂) but not this one! It had a complete story arc and a great ending (although I would happily have read 300 more pages!)

Claire and Connor had such obvious chemistry that started out purely physical but quickly developed into an emotional connection. As a bonus, I loved the mentions of Theo Spencer (from You, With a View). I adored this short and sweet book and it will probably be one that I re-read each Christmas season!

Read if you like:
💕 Holiday novellas
💕 One night stand romances
💕 Winter storms
💕 Golden retriever MMC



I’m not usually a mystery kind of person, but I was so entertained—it was like a game of Clue where a romance develops between two of the suspects. I loved the cozy, snowy setting and the quirky cast of characters, and the mystery kept me guessing the whole time. The romance between Maggie and Ethan was full of banter and chemistry, with a hint of “it’s always been you”. I highly recommend this book if you’re looking for a mystery rom-com!

Read if you like:
🎄 Christmas romance
🎄 Closed door romance
🎄 The board game Clue
🎄 Books about authors
🎄 Rivals to lovers

I devoured this book! I loved the whole concept from the very beginning. Sawyer is a best-selling romance author who is jaded about real-life love. Mason is a famous actor who is a hopeless romantic. Their meet-cute in an elevator leads to what should be a one-night stand, but their lives keep crossing, and they end up making a deal. By acting out (and ruining) each romance trope, Sawyer will get over her writer’s block and Mason will be protected from his hopeless romantic tendencies that always end up with him heartbroken.

I adored the characters so much! Sawyer is hilarious and witty; she had me laughing out loud many times. Mason is the sweetest book boyfriend who just can’t help but let feelings sneak in. One of my favorite parts of the book was the romance definitions at the beginning of each chapter that gave a preview of what was going to happen. I was swept up in the romance and loved every minute of this book. 

Thank you to Erin Connor, Forever, and NetGalley for this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review. 

Read if you like:
💕 Cinnamon roll MMC
💕 Opposites attract 
💕 Celebrity romance
💕 Books about authors 



This book was so sweet and cozy, and the cover is absolutely beautiful! It is set in March at a ski resort, so it has very wintery vibes. Alix is an entertainment writer who used to cover boy band True North (which seems very similar to One Direction), and she was one of the last people to interview member Jett Beckett before he disappeared. Now she is ghost writing a memoir for another member the band, and he sets her up with a penthouse suite at the resort so she can focus on her writing. She meets a handsome ski instructor named Tyler, who happens to live in the other penthouse suite on her floor. 

Tyler is so sweet and takes Alix on the most thoughtful dates around the ski lodge. Their relationship developed so easily and naturally. I also really loved the boy band mystery woven throughout the story, as well as the media clips in between chapters. I highly recommend this book if you’re looking for a cozy and fun wintery romance!

Thank you to Kayla Olson, Atria, and NetGalley for this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review. 

Read if you like:
❄️ Cozy snowy settings
❄️ Books about writers
❄️ Low spice 
❄️ Hint of mystery
❄️ Boy bands

This book 😍 I’ve always said I don’t like the surprise pregnancy trope, but look at me giving one 5⭐️s! And the rating is not despite the trope, but rather BECAUSE of it. It really made the whole story.

I loved everything about this book, starting with their meet-cute where they both dress as pirates for a costume party. It was adorable (and spicy!) and set the scene for the rest of the book. I loved the disability rep and the way their limb differences were discussed. But more than anything, I absolutely adored their love story!

Bo and Win are so easy and natural with each other, helping each other get past their insecurities. They each have such a great sense of humor and an easy joking banter. It was a slow progression from thinking it would be a one night stand to realizing they were now connected for the next 18 years and then falling in love. I loved every minute of this sweet romance!

Read if you like:
💕 Forced proximity
💕 Golden retriever MMC
💕 Disability rep
💕Accidental pregnancy (but try it even if you think you don’t like it!)

This is the 2nd book in Ashley Herring Blake’s Bright Falls series of sapphic interconnected standalones. This one stars Delilah Green’s stepsister, Astrid Parker, who we met in the first book.

I adored the characters in the first book, so I was excited to see them again. Astrid Parker seemed like a mean girl in the first book, and I was curious how she would seem once inside her POV. I found myself completely understanding her perfectionist tendencies and the way she reacted to challenges (including her blowup in the beginning of the book when coffee is spilled on her favorite dress by the woman who turns out to be the lead carpenter on Astrid’s next interior design project, and also turns out to be the eventual love interest).

I will say the romance felt a little rushed, where they went from hate to love pretty suddenly, but I enjoyed the book anyway. I loved the side characters and I’m excited to read Iris’s book next!

Read if you like:
💕 Workplace romance
💕 Small town romance
💕 Rivals to lovers
💕 HGTV

This was my first Hanukkah romance book and I adored it!! I learned about so many Hanukkah traditions while watching a sweet love story unfold. The story really emphasized the importance of community and belonging. I loved both Seth and Abby as characters, as well as their character growth throughout the story. There’s fake dating, a small town, a Hanukkah festival, and a cinnamon roll MMC. So cozy and so perfect for this time of year!

Read if you like:
💕 Fake dating
💕 Holiday traditions
💕 Quick banter
💕 Reverse grumpy x sunshine

This book is a sweet sapphic Christmas romance. Five years ago, Brighton left Charlotte at the altar. This Christmas, Charlotte gets invited to a band mate’s family holiday. When she gets there, she finds out that her band mate’s sister also brought a friend and it turns out to be Brighton.

I adored the large cast of characters and their supportive friendships, and the group’s holiday activities really brought the Christmas spirit. Initially, I had a hard time forgiving Brighton for leaving Charlotte at the altar and wasn’t sure I wanted them to get back together, but I came around and was rooting for them in the end. The book felt a little long for me, but I still enjoyed it as a whole. I’d recommend this book if you’re looking for a festive second chance romance!

Read if you like:
💕 Second chance romance
💕 Christmas romance
💕 Forced proximity
💕 Found family
💕 Musician main characters