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lgbtqreads · 5 months

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Fave Five: Bi Adult M/F Romances

These are M/F Romances where half the couple is bi. For books where both halves are, click here and here. Thank You for Sharing by Rachel Runya Katz You, Again by Kate Goldbeck The Intimacy Experiment by Rosie Danan A Gentleman in the Street by Alisha Rai With Love, From Cold World by Alicia Thompson Bonus: Coming in February, The Friendship Study by Ruby Barrett

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#A Gentleman in the Street #Alicia Thompson #Alisha Rai #Kate Goldbeck #Rachel Runya Katz #Rosie Danan #Ruby Barrett #Thank You for Sharing #The Friendship Study #The Intimacy Experiment #With Love From Cold World #You Again

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triviareads · 1 year

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do you have diverse modern romance recs?

Yep! I've (mostly) organized it by author:

Naima Simone: I'm obsessed with literally everything this woman writes, both Harlequin and not Harlequin. Naima writes a lot of fabulous Black heroines (and she writes great body diversity as well) and a decent amount of POC heroes as well. My favorites include . Black Tie Billionaire (Black heroine, Asian hero), Secrets Of A One Night Stand (Black heroine, Pacific Islander hero), and Trust Fund Fiancé (both the hero and heroine are Black). The best thing about Naima's books is just the uniformity in how she writes every body type as attractive and desirable and the sex is very hot. Would absolutely recommend.

Katrina Jackson: I haven't talked about Katrina enough, when she's out here doing the most for mafia romances and spy romances with diverse characters. I could happily read her novella Beautiful & Dirty over and over, but it's a prequel to the mafia series which ends with my favorite, The Don, which has a Black heroine. Katrina also wrote a spy series (The Spies Who Loved Me!) and the first in that series, Pink Slip, has a Black heroine who's lusting over her married bosses (the wife, Monica, is Latina I believe) and surprise, they're both into her too.

Angelina M. Lopez: Angelina writes excellent Latino rep. Her fictional town Freedom, Kansas, which is the setting in multiple stories, has an amazing Mexican-American community she builds on. I'd recommend After Hours on Milagro Street, which has a Mexican-American heroine, as well as her upcoming Full Moon Over Freedom, which is next in the series. The way she melds culture, magic, and romance is gorgeous. Also! Lush Money, which is set within this universe, has a Latina heroine and is very fun and worth reading.

Tara Pammi: If you want to read about Indians in India or Bollywood-centric romances, Tara is the author. I liked Claiming His Bollywood Cinderella and The Secret She Kept in Bollywood (that man is suuuch a DILF he's great).

Jadesola James: I've talked about her before (see here) but Jadesola has written a couple Harlequin Presents stories set in Africa. I'd recommend The Royal Baby He Must Claim and The Princess He Must Marry, which are about sisters who are Nigerian princesses.

Talia Hibbert: The Brown Sisters books are bangers, sexy and emotionally comforting at the same time. I'd recommend all of them: Get a Life, Chloe Brown, Take a Hint, Dani Brown, and Act Your Age, Eve Brown. I also love her novella Guarding Temptation, which has both a Black hero and heroine and Wanna Bet? which has a Black heroine and a British-Indian hero (thanks for reminding me @viscountessevie).

Wrong to Need You by Alisha Rai: The hero and heroine are in-laws (well, her husband, his brother, is dead) so the romance was very emotional and slow-burn, but the pay-off was absolutely worth it. The heroine Sadia is Pakistani-American, and the hero Jackson is of Japanese and Hawaiian ancestry. Alisha also delves pretty deep into South Asian family dynamics which hit a liiiittle too close to home, but I can't deny the accuracy.

Reel by Kennedy Ryan: This a romance between an actress and her director (both are Black) and I particularly appreciate the amount of research Kennedy Ryan put into the Harlem Renaissance, Black artists of that era (she created a fictional artist to base the movie off of), as well as their contributions to the Civil Rights movement which I think isn't discussed enough.

Sink or Swim by Tessa Bailey: See here.

From what I recall, Katee Robert did a pretty good job of body diversity without super explicitly mentioning race in her Fairytale Villains Who Fuck Wicked Villains series.

#naima simone #angelina m lopez #talia hibbert #tara pammi #jadesola james #kennedy ryan #alisha rai #tessa bailey #katee robert #contemporary romance #book recs #ask

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bookcub · 1 year

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@princessofbookaholics is doing another romance readathon and im gonna try another line up like i did last year (and im gonna start now cause um why not lol)

here are the prompts and the book i plan to read to fill them (some fit more than one category!!

read a romance with your favorite trope:

queen move by kennedy ryan (i forgot this was on my list but i am a sucker for friends to lovers so this is a good addition)

read a romance you weren't able to get to last year:

accidental pinup by danielle jackson (this looks to be filled with body positivity which i love, so this one should be fun)

read a romance by a bipoc author: american royalty by tracey livesay (this is inspired by meghan marckle and prince harry and im curious to read a fictional interpretation rather than the real life gossip)

read a romance that's part of a series (it doesn't have to follow the same couple, companion novels/novellas will do!):

by the book by jasmine guillory (this is part of a series by different authors turning disney movies into romance novels. super fun and silly and the audiobook of this is better than without imo) (technically i finished this the last week of january)

read a romance that doesn't have an illustrated cover (challenging, I know!): hate to want you by alisha rai (this will be a reread and i might do the rest of the series as well depending on my enjoyment level)

read a romance with lgbtq+ rep:

sorry, bro by taleen voskuni (i am sooooo hyped about this book. my great great grandparents were from armenia and i have encountered zero books with armenian characters) (and the main character is BI!!) (i am ecstatic)

read a romance with any pastel color on the cover:

set on you by amy lea (peach background, its a very cute cover and i oddly like romance novels set in gyms!!)

#rr2023 #kennedy ryan #danielle jackson #tracey livesay #jasmine guillory #alisha rai #amy lea #taleen voskuni

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betterbooksandthings · 2 years

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“It’s no secret Colleen Hoover has made it to the best sellers list again and again over the last decade. Many pick up her books and cannot stop until they finish them all. When they do, they go searching for other authors like her. If this sounds like you, you might be wondering what exactly you should pick up next. Well, here are 10 authors like Colleen Hoover you can pick up immediately and devour.

Now, if you are looking for authors like Colleen Hoover, you might also be looking for a range of genres since she writes in a few. You might like her YA and New Adult romance, psychological thrillers, and, to borrow a phrase from Book Riot’s When in Romance podcast, domestic fiction. Her books have always done well, but it is impossible to deny the effect TikTok has had on boosting the sales of Hoover’s backlist. Her fans, affectionately dubbed the CoHorts, love her books, even if they make them cry, and it shows in her sales.“

#10 AUTHORS LIKE COLLEEN HOOVER #Colleen Hoover #romance books #ya books #new adult books #domestic fiction #book list #book post #COURTNEY MILAN #KRIS RIPPER #ANDIE J. CHRISTOPHER #ALYSSA COLE #ALISHA RAI #HELEN HOANG #ALEXA MARTIN #COLE MCCADE #CASEY MCQUISTON

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highsummonertemptress · 2 years

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We're reading romance books all summer 📚💜

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nerdynatreads · 2 years

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book review || Girl Gone Viral by Alisha Rai

video review || In Relation to Their Relationship -- 72 Hours in the Smut Den Readathon Vlog

Wasn’t expecting to read this, but at least I finally continued the series! I didn’t love this as much as The Right Swipe, mostly because this felt SO slow-moving. I mean, slow burn is one thing, but god damn, it felt like they barely even spoke about anything substantial until more than halfway into the book.

Rai, once again, did a great job of casual diversity in her story, highlighting underrepresented identities and treating them as fully fleshed-out authentic characters. Both Kat and Jas were interesting individuals, working through previous traumas. I enjoyed the mutual pining, but I could have done with more communication. It’s not that there is miscommunication, just a lack of it. So much of their relationship is based on their history together. I think it’s impressive that Rai showcases how well these two know each other in little touches, observations, and respecting boundaries, but I wanted to actually see more of it in their interactions.

When they finally kiss, I was so relieved, because I thought that meant the story would pick up, but instead, we then spent 5 chapters of them avoiding each other and not discussing the kiss. Only for them to hop into bed once they finally do talk again. The pacing of this book just wasn’t for me, unfortunately.

This was my first bodyguard romance and I did enjoy that element of the story. I liked how protective Jas was of Katrina, while still respecting her boundaries and understanding that she did not need to be coddled.

The main plot was clever and housed a message that’s often forgotten in today’s day with the technology we have, and the side plots revolving around each character’s past and their mental health felt carefully handled and thoughtfully executed. The final conflict was pretty predictable but I greatly enjoyed how it played out.

In the end, sweet, but not the best romance read for me.

3.5 / 5 stars

2 / 5 spice

#book review #studyblr #girl gone viral #girl gone viral by alisha rai #alisha rai #modern love #modern love series #romance books #romance book recs #romance book recommendations #romance book review #bookshelf #bookshelves #bookblr #booklr #book tumblr #booktube #booktuber #book youtube

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booksopandah · 4 months

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The Right Swipe by Alisha Rai (Modern Love #1)

Sometimes books are read not because they are highly esteemed, or well written, or perfectly crafted to appeal to a person, but because someone you love gives you a recommendation. This is mine, by way of my sister.

I don’t generally read romance, it’s just not what interests me. I think some of that is because it is often added to other genres in a lazy way to hopefully grab attention, which leaves a bad taste in the mouth, and some just because human interaction isn’t really my cup of tea.

The Right Swipe is a contemporary romance novel focusing on a very successful programmer/founder for a dating app, and a professional football player falling in love. There are ample complications, notably romantic baggage, conflicting business interests, and modern problems like “how do dating apps work?” and “how much can ghosting be justified?” and most importantly “how should personal rules interact with a messy reality?”

The two leads are fundamentally good people, and from the reader perspective that is really never in doubt. I think some of the tension is lost because of that, but it also means the book is fluffier than otherwise, so your mileage may vary. I had some issues with the fantasy elements (these are two excessively good and reasonable humans. I mean, almost unbelievably so) but there again, as a book for comfort it works very well. There’s also an antagonist, which I wasn’t really expecting, but it was fun, and he added to the story.

If you enjoy romance, and want something that is pretty light to read, with some sex scenes sprinkled in, you’ll probably enjoy this a lot. If that doesn’t sound like your cup of tea, it’s still well done, but maybe read something else. Happy Reading y’all!

#books #romance books #the right swipe #alisha rai

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jeevesreads · 6 months

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15 Contemporary Romance Books with a Side of Suspense

I’m all about the romance, but sometimes I like a little extra intensity in my reads. Danger lurking in the background, a love interest with a mafia connection, a mystery to solve, or a true antihero finding his perfect match. Suspense can come in so many different forms, and not all of them follow the path of a traditional romantic suspense novel. The vibes can be dark and heavy or light and…

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just0nemorepage · 10 months

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While You Were Dreaming || Alisha Rai || 432 pages Top 3 Genres: Young Adult / Romance / Contemporary

Synopsis: If Sonia Patil had her way, she’d be attending her local comic con instead of covering a shift for her boss’s daughter. Since Sonia’s mom was deported and her sister, who never claimed deferred status under DACA, had to forgo college to support them, Sonia’s had her hands full with work, school, and pretending everything is okay at home.

Then Sonia, in homemade superhero cosplay, stumbles into saving her crush James’s life. When a video of the daring rescue goes viral, she—or, rather, a mysterious masked savior—is thrust into the spotlight. Now she’s hiding from TikTok detectives while trying to connect with James. And while she’s drawn to his friendly but oblivious nature, she can’t deny her escalating chemistry with another awkwardly charming boy.

Juggling crushes and a secret identity might just take superpowers. Will Sonia be able to hide in plain sight forever?

Publication Date: March 2023. / Average Rating: 4.08. / Number of Ratings: ~340.

#tbr tuesday #I haven't read this yet!#while you were dreaming #alisha rai #400-499 pages #young adult #romance #contemporary #jomp original

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roesolo · 11 months

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While You Were Dreaming - Alisha Rai does YA!

While You Were Dreaming, by Alisha Rai, (March 2023, Quill Tree Books), $19.99, ISBN: 9780063083967 Ages 13+ Best-selling romance author Alisha Rai released her debut YA novel, While You Were Dreaming, and it is so good! Sonia is a teen living with her undocumented sister, Kareena, after her mother is deported. Sonia lives in constant fear of her family’s circumstances being discovered, and she…

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#Alisha Rai #families #Indian culture #Quill Tree Press #rom-com #undocumented #While You Were Dreaming

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goodbooksandgoodwine · 1 year

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While You Were Dreaming by Alisha Rai | Book Review

I really absolutely enjoy Alisha Rai’s books. While You Were Dreaming is a wonderful addition to her list of titles. I picked this book up when I was feeling the urge to read a young adult contemporary with a few serious themes. It absolutely fit the bill and kept my attention while I was walking on the treadmill as well as at other moments. While You Were Dreaming follows Sonia, a high school…

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#Alisha Rai #Book Review #Contemporary #Harper Teen #multicultural #Young Adult

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triviareads · 5 months

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Tastes Like shakkar sounds so good! What are your top 5 books with brown or desi characters?

I enjoyed Tastes Like Shakkar a lot more than I was expecting, and have relentlessly been shilling it ever since. It's such a solid romance, the sex was good, a lot of the desi family stuff (the concept of being a "family manager") really hit, but it never took away from the main romance. Also, it's always nice to feel "seen" in the books you read even though it's pretty rare for me, but since this was specifically about Indian-Americans in the NY-NJ area, I really felt that.

Here are books with desi rep apart from Tastes Like Shakkar that are in my top 5:

Wrong to Need You by Alisha Rai: I debated putting my other fave by Alisha, Serving Pleasure, on here but Wrong to Need You portrayed a less-troubled desi family dynamic than Serving Pleasure so I'm picking this. Sadia is a widowed single mom grappling with her attraction to her brother-in-law, Jackson who's just returned after a self-imposed exile related to a mysterious fire. The restrained tension between these two is so hot (ok maybe not entirely restrained; she doesn't recognize him when he first returns and nearly has sex with him lol). Also, Sadia, like Jiya below, subverts the passive Asian woman trope on multiple levels, and based on the dynamic between her and Jackson.

I also liked how Sadia's large, close-knit Pakistani-American family was portrayed; they may not see eye-to-eye all the time, but they love one another and are willing to learn and compromise.

Take a Hint, Dani Brown by Talia Hibbert: Zafir Ansari is truly a prince among men; him and Dani go viral for his rescue of her, and they start fake dating so his football charity can get some positive attention and donations. I like how Zafir was the romantic one among the two of them (and is a Bollywood romance fan, predictably), and is also great in the sack so... a winner, basically.

Also, Talia wrote this lovely exploration of grief (Zafir lost his dad and brother) and this really sweet relationship between Zafir and his SIL, and his family as a whole which I appreciated.

Sink or Swim by Tessa Bailey: I know Tessa has gotten a lot of flak for her portrayal of Latinx characters (which, deserved imo), and she's otherwise by and large stuck to writing white characters, but I can't deny she did pretty damn good job of writing Jiya and her family, who are desi, in this book. Here are my full thoughts on this.

The Roommate Risk by Talia Hibbert: Friends to lovers AND probably one of the only unrequited love books I'll ever recommend only because I love Jasmine so much (even while she's STRUGGLING to figure out that yes, Rahul has had feelings for her ever since she deflowered him on the... I wanna say library floor), and Rahul Khan is adorable and a stern, stern man who can absolutely get it. Similar to Zafir above, Rahul's dad also dies during the book (there's a lot of flashbacks) and Talia portrayed Muslim funeral customs and just the general family dynamics thoughtfully and in such an emotional way.

Hard Way by Katie Porter: lol my problematic fave because there are a few things that are just so weird in terms of rep: For one, the author keeps putting Sunita, the heroine, in "indian inspired" clothes, for example, some kind vaguely described professional suit inspired by a saree? Like, this woman is an attorney who works for a United States congressman. She's probably wearing a regular-ass suit like the rest of the people in that office. Also, her nickname in law school was the "Ice Queen of Bangalore" which was meant to be microaggressive, but the nickname literally makes 0 sense to me since she was raised in AMERICA, and considering half the Indians I know can't make the connection between being Kannadiga and possibly being from Bangalore, the capital of Karnataka, what are the chances these white mfs can, right? And the weird thing is, she narratively sort of "reclaims" her nickname, but it was such a cringe one to begin with and I don't even know why the authors bothered to put it in in the first place.

BUT Sunita is the only Kannadiga heroine I've ever read (I am. kannadiga, to clarify), she's a martial artist, she's struggling to work out her marriage with her husband (I'm a sucker for that shit), she's good with being kidnapped and zip-tied straight from the grocery store by her husband because it's a mutual fantasy, and she attends yakshagana performances (also very personal to me and my family)! Do you know how rare it is to see any of these things as far as brown heroines go? Maybe I have a lower bar for South Asian rep because there are so few romances that have South Asians who don't hate themselves/the culture AND have good sex scenes, but hopefully that will change as time goes on.

#talia hibbert #alisha rai #nisha sharma #katie porter #tessa bailey #book recs #romance novels #ask

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dramaswithasideofkimchi · 1 year

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Kmuse’s Book Review (November 3rd, 2022)

Kmuse shares her favorite book recommendations to help you escape from dreary reality. #PartnersInCrime #TheBannedBookshopofMaggieBanks #OceansEcho #DeadRomantics

In case you were unaware, a lot of tragic events are happening in the world right now. Which made it imperative for me to find some really good escapism books to, well, escape into. If you’re also looking for something positive, take a glance at these recommendations. (more…)

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#Alisha Rai #Ashley Poston #Everina Maxwell #Kmuse&039;s Book Review #Oceans Echo #Partners in Crime #Shauna Robinson #The Banned Bookshop of Maggie Banks #The Dead Romantics

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book-waas · 2 years

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Partners in Crime

Title: Partners in Crime Author: Alisha Rai Date Finished: June 20, 2022 Book Publication Date: October 18, 2022 Goodreads Links: [Book] [Review]

Star Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

[Thank you NetGalley, Alisha Rai and Avon Books for providing this book to me in exchange for an honest review!]

Review:

Before I say anything else, I need to say I love that cover. Animated covers are always amazing but seeing Mira and Naveen in one of the best scenes from the book just hits different (only second to the scene at the club, of course!).

Amira Patel has spent a long time running from her identity as Mira Chaudhary, becoming this 9-to-5 accountant who has her life together, and isn't embroiled in the constant high-stakes of her childhood. But when her aunt dies, leaving her a will that drags her back to her ex, Mira finds herself stuck in those same high-stakes.

Naveen Desai has had a rough couple of years, with the matchmaking service not working out on him, leaving his job, not speaking to his brother and turning away permanently from the bottle. But he's settled now, in his grandfather's little firm, dabbling in family law instead of the high-profile cases that he used to chase.

Mira is, when she shows up, very clearly Naveen's "the one who got away." You can tell off the bat that Mira is someone he's never forgotten no matter how many girls he's been matched up with in the time since them. But while Mira is more stoic about it, Naveen's world carefully implodes when he realizes that the girl he was well on his way to loving had been lying to him the whole time.

Naveen unwittingly gets wrapped up in Mira's family issues, and they're thrown together on a goose chase for a necklace that refuses to be found, and answers to questions Mira and Naveen have been asking themselves for years - Mira about her father and her family, and Naveen about Mira.

I love fast-paced action books so much, particularly ones that require amateur sleuthing and skills. In some scenes, it's clear that neither of them have any idea what they're doing in the world of gambling, cons and scams, but in others, at least one of them has some clue.

I love Mira's take-charge attitude, and I love that Naveen doesn't let her take it too far. He clearly recognizes when she's the one with the better chance, and gives it to her but when he senses Mira running or spiraling, he knows exactly how to bring her back on track.

Not only did this have the second-chance romance, but it also had a healthy dose of Indian matchmaking. Both Naveen and Mira are older than the protagonists I usually read about, and I think that lends to the depth of the secrets they uncover as they go. The references to South Asian culture were sparse, but very much present - you don't forget them, but you're overwhelmed by them either. By all other accounts, Mira and Naveen weren't props for desi culture, and I loved that.

Another thing that might be a little underrated is that the author didn't make these protagonists to be the size-zero bombshells, or the rough-and-tough-eight-pack-bearing heroes either. Both Mira and Naveen are in their mid thirties, and I loved that they were shown to be sturdy without vanity muscles, if that makes any sense! Especially for Naveen, who's described to be strong and muscular - but that doesn't have to equal cut ridges in his abs, and it shows in the book!

There's not much I didn't like about this book, but one downside to fast-paced action can be that when the secrets start unfolding, they unfold too fast? At the end, I felt like there were too many unknown variables, too many people coming back in from places we thought they were permanently done with. It wrapped up very quick for the drawn out action that came before, and even though Mira's head was spinning with all the revelations, I don't think ours was supposed to spin just as fast!

The other thing that felt lackluster was the romance, ironically enough. We don't get too far into the romance save for a couple spicy scenes, but the second-chance of it all didn't shine through as much as I'd initially assumed. Part of me was wondering why they even got back together at the end, even though I knew it was coming!

This is my first book by Alisha Rai, even though the author's been on my list for years, and I'm probably going to binge the whole backlog as soon as I get time, but as for this book...the summary has it bang-on: Indian Matchmaking meets Date Night!

Highly recommend for fans of fast-paced reads that can be completed in one sitting!

#zee reviews #partners in crime #alisha rai #four stars #arc books #arc book reviews #arc reviews #contemporary romance #rom com #books #book reviews #book lovers #books and libraries #bookworm #readers of tumblr

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highsummonertemptress · 2 years

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Looking for more romance books to read, along the lines of similar authors such as Alisha Rai, Bolu Babalola, Jasmine Guillory, Tia Williams and Gloria Chao. Send them my way!

#books #romance books #jasmine guillory #tia williams #gloria chao #bolu babalola #alisha rai #books recommendations #book recommendations #book recs wanted

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nerdynatreads · 2 years

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book review || First Comes Like by Alisha Rai

video review || Still Riding That Wave -- June Wrap Up || 10 books!

This was pretty cute, but I felt as though it both moved too slowly and too fast. I liked the initial setup of the catfish situation, but once they met, the romance felt very Insta-lovey. Then, we hopped into the fake dating (engagement?) scenario pretty quickly. All ended with a very fast marriage. I think Rai was trying to be respectful of Muslim culture (since most of what we see from Jia is pretty devoted), while still giving her readers the spice we expect from her. A clever twist on a culturally arranged marriage. However, I really had a hard time with how little Jia and Dev really knew one another. The chemistry just didn’t build for me. Katrina (FMC from the second book) makes a comment about knowing how one another communicates, but this only comes up after they are already married.

I thought Jia was very realistic and true to the character previously established. She could be kind of aggravating at times, but it made sense for what we’d seen about her. Dev, initially, was very intriguing to me and I felt as though he was strongly written, but by the end of the book, he felt pretty flat, unfortunately. The two of them together were pretty cute, particularly in the small, intimate, moments between them, like Dev respecting Jia’s job as an influencer. I just wished we had less of their families getting involved and more time for their relationship to develop naturally. The third act drama was both pointless whiles also reinforced my previous points that they clearly need more time to get to know each other. The spice level was pretty tame in comparison to the two previous books in the series.

So… I kind of like this? I’m not really sure about my feelings, honestly. Also, the audiobook was terrible. Do NOT recommend.

3 / 5 stars

2 / 5 chilis

#book review #first comes like #first comes like by alisha rai #alisha rai #modern love #modern love series #romance book #romance book recs #romance book recommendations #bookblr #booklr #book tumblr #booktube #booktuber #book youtube #studyblr

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