I unapologetically LOVE an unlikeable heroine, and Heavy Hitter gave us that, plus an unlikeable hero, too! To me, that makes the characters feel so real. (When did romance readers decide that every character needs to be likeable? We don't expect that in any other genre...) I also LOVED the spare, direct prose. But I think my favourite thing about this book--the thing I keep thinking about even a few weeks later--is the ending scene. It was SO literary (not to mention, so refreshing to not see an epilogue with babies and marriage).
I did think it would have been nice for the two mains to spend more time together on the page but I also felt that wasn't really the point--this was such an intimate portrait of the interiority of starting a new relationship.
I felt the best comps for this book were probably American Wife by Curtis Sittenfeld (not even a romance!) and actually also Romantic Comedy by CS, too.
Thanks for the great recommendation on this one--for me it was the best romance I've read since I picked up A Lady Awakened last year.
I could not agree more about the spare, direct prose or about the unlikeable heroine. I hate the current trend of making even flaws into cute little traits. Let us read about real humans please!!!
And yes to the ending - I also l loved how the ending was as much about their own growth arcs (Lacey nutting up and doing something in public despite the pressure, and Jimmy owning his desire for the Series and to end his career on a high note) as it was about the romance. Because, in real life, love doesn’t solve every problem!
I hadn’t thought about the American wife comp but I can see it. As for Romantic Comedy - I love sittenfeld’s writing style but I felt the characters in that novel had some real holes that irked the hell out of me. I keep meaning to write about it and getting sidetracked 😂. Thanks for reading and commenting! I hope my next recc lands for you as well as this one did (the prose is less spare but also really well done).
It was so good that now I am making my way through everything Katie Cotugno has published.
I like when the main characters carry their baggage with them, and find graceful ways to deal with it. I'd have loved more about Lacey's relationships with the people around her--there was more room for healing there than I felt happened on-page, and side characters and interesting jobs are probably my favorite part of romance. But on the whole, it felt like a rich and satisfying read.
YESSS - no zealot like a convert. I'm so happy to hear that - she deserves all the accolades and love.
I agree re more about Lacey's relationships with the people around her. I think that was my main complaint with the whole book, I just wanted more of the world Katie drew us into so well. I wanted more about Jimmy's relationship with his mom, I could have read three more scenes of him and his teammates (that dynamic was so fascinating and well written!), I wanted more of Lacey and HER mom, more of her mom + Jimmy etc etc.
Thank you for being such a consistent part of this community, Brigid - I so appreciate your voice here!
OH that's so good to hear! I couldn't find a lot of chatter about it but I was so impressed by the story! He is writing a new one now which I'm also excited about. Stay tuned, if there's enough interest, I may reach out to the author for a Q&A in comments or even a Zoom discussion! Thank you for commenting!
Yeah it’s criminally underhyped. I’ve recommended it to a ton of people and everyone has loved it. So glad to see it here!! Hoping it gets more attention as time goes on. It’s deserves it!
TBR has grown by at least 6 books because of this post!
I was trying to think why Katie Cotugno was familiar and that’s because I read her book Meet The Bernadetto’s which is a Pride and Prejudice retelling where the Bennett’s are basically the Kardashians- such a fun concept and seriously underrated book!
Yesss. She is perpetually underrated which makes me so mad! I’m not sure if you saw the Heavy Hitter column I wrote but it’s basically a love letter to that book, which also did not get the critical acclaim it deserved! I’m so glad I could help stock your TBR and thanks for being here!
This is such a brilliant idea! There’s something so comforting—and rebellious, honestly to gather to talk about stories that center our desires, flaws, dreams, and messes. A book club built around smart romance feels like the perfect antidote to the noise out there. Count me in—I’m excited to read, swoon, and think out loud with this crew.
I also loved Under Your Spell. There's some terrific dialogue in the romance part, but for me, the sisters (and the set-up with 3 moms choosing to live together) made the book. Great romance dialogue, yes, -- but great sister and family dialogue also. There's a totally implausible scene at the end with a surprise array of guys showing up more or less simultaneously, but if you just view it as symbolic of the heroine's growth (and throw plausibility happily out of the window), it's a fun scene.
YES - the idea of them all getting pregnant by the same man and setting up house together is, of course, wildly unlikely, but what a dream way to grow up! Usually I like my romances more realistic, but the vague witchiness sort of pitched the whole book into a territory of quasi magical realism and so it was easier to just roll along with some of the sheer implausibility (including that scene at the end, which you are completely correct about!)
I can never decide if Elin Hilderbrand’s novels are romantic or relationship fiction, but I’ve just started The Academy (on Netgalley) which is the one she’s co-written with her daughter, Shelby Cunningham. All good so far, although I’m wasting time trying to work out their co-writing method!
>...also the idea of a straight man writing romance—curious whether his approach would feel different.
This is something I've been thinking about lately (as some currently writing a romantic comedy). In cinema, we have Nora Ephron and Nancy Meyers, but also Richard Curtis and Marc Lawrence; in books, however, it's been coded as an almost exclusively female thing.
My plan was for everyone to read it in full and then to have discussion based on the entirety of the book? I’m open to suggestions though! I feel like romance readers often read quickly and voraciously so a book within a month’s timeframe seemed about right?
Oh I'm so glad you enjoyed Under Your Spell! We are book twins indeed! I remember Colton's novel coming out but couldn't get access to an ARC so excited to read and discuss! If you loved it, I will too 🥰
Yes! Honestly I should have given you credit too - now that I’m seeing your comment I’m remembering that your review was the reason I downloaded it in the first place. Keris’s comment to me this week was just the nudge I needed to finally read it!
I’m so excited for you to try the Colton Gentry book - it is different than some romances I’ve read (less lighthearted maybe?) but so moving and joyful. I also love the picture of masculine friendship the author offers, something I think is really missing in a lot of contemporary novels!
I loved Colton Gentry. I think my favorite thing about it was its strong sense of place. It’s a love letter to the south as well as a stellar romance novel. Very excited to discuss it with everyone!
Yay! I'm so glad to hear that the people who have read it liked it so much. I was really struck how good it was and how little I had heard about it. I completely agree with the assessment that it has a strong sense of place, which I think a lot of contemporary novels use setting a mere window dressing and this novel definitely did not.
Thanks for being such a valuable voice in this community, I'm excited to hear your thoughts during bookclub in a month!
Hi Rena! Thanks for picking me! Re: Colton Gentry. I have been curious - I have read some romance with alternating M/F points of view which worked. Pick-Up by Nora Dahlia worked for me. (enemies to lovers, tropical location, people with actual careers).
I loved the Pick-up by Nora Dahlia! She has a new one coming out soon too I think, I just requested an ARC. I really liked the Colton Gentry book - it was objectively just a good romance novel that hit all the beats and had some truly standout writing. But I also think it's interesting because he definitely wrote the woman in a position of power, which I wasn't expecting? I think it will be an enjoyable read that hopefully produces a lot of rich discussion also.
As for picking you - of course! You're such a wonderful part of the comments section on every post, it's truly a delight! Sending you a note now about details!
I used to love watching "The Bachelor" and "The Bachelorette" back when the contestants and I were in the same age bracket, LOL. I haven't watched in years, but for some reason, I'm still really into the whole reality TV romance subgenre! Kate Stayman-London’s "One To Watch" and Alison Cochrun's "The Charm Offensive" are probably the two I enjoyed the most. I'm definitely going to check out "Fan Favorite."
LOL to the same age bracket, because SAME. I really loved Fan Favorite, I thought her first pages were some of the strongest I'd seen in awhile. She has some skewering observations about dating that made me glad to NOT be in that season of my life right now.
I have read One to Watch but I'll have to add the Charm Offensive to my list. Thanks for commenting, Sue - I always love seeing what you have to add to the discussion here!
HEAVY HITTER. Anyone with thoughts - sound off below!
I unapologetically LOVE an unlikeable heroine, and Heavy Hitter gave us that, plus an unlikeable hero, too! To me, that makes the characters feel so real. (When did romance readers decide that every character needs to be likeable? We don't expect that in any other genre...) I also LOVED the spare, direct prose. But I think my favourite thing about this book--the thing I keep thinking about even a few weeks later--is the ending scene. It was SO literary (not to mention, so refreshing to not see an epilogue with babies and marriage).
I did think it would have been nice for the two mains to spend more time together on the page but I also felt that wasn't really the point--this was such an intimate portrait of the interiority of starting a new relationship.
I felt the best comps for this book were probably American Wife by Curtis Sittenfeld (not even a romance!) and actually also Romantic Comedy by CS, too.
Thanks for the great recommendation on this one--for me it was the best romance I've read since I picked up A Lady Awakened last year.
I could not agree more about the spare, direct prose or about the unlikeable heroine. I hate the current trend of making even flaws into cute little traits. Let us read about real humans please!!!
And yes to the ending - I also l loved how the ending was as much about their own growth arcs (Lacey nutting up and doing something in public despite the pressure, and Jimmy owning his desire for the Series and to end his career on a high note) as it was about the romance. Because, in real life, love doesn’t solve every problem!
I hadn’t thought about the American wife comp but I can see it. As for Romantic Comedy - I love sittenfeld’s writing style but I felt the characters in that novel had some real holes that irked the hell out of me. I keep meaning to write about it and getting sidetracked 😂. Thanks for reading and commenting! I hope my next recc lands for you as well as this one did (the prose is less spare but also really well done).
It was so good that now I am making my way through everything Katie Cotugno has published.
I like when the main characters carry their baggage with them, and find graceful ways to deal with it. I'd have loved more about Lacey's relationships with the people around her--there was more room for healing there than I felt happened on-page, and side characters and interesting jobs are probably my favorite part of romance. But on the whole, it felt like a rich and satisfying read.
YESSS - no zealot like a convert. I'm so happy to hear that - she deserves all the accolades and love.
I agree re more about Lacey's relationships with the people around her. I think that was my main complaint with the whole book, I just wanted more of the world Katie drew us into so well. I wanted more about Jimmy's relationship with his mom, I could have read three more scenes of him and his teammates (that dynamic was so fascinating and well written!), I wanted more of Lacey and HER mom, more of her mom + Jimmy etc etc.
Thank you for being such a consistent part of this community, Brigid - I so appreciate your voice here!
That means so much. Thank you.
Great pick - I’ve already read it but Colton Gentry’s Third Act was one of my highlights of 2025. Easy 5 stars from me. Everyone enjoy!!!
OH that's so good to hear! I couldn't find a lot of chatter about it but I was so impressed by the story! He is writing a new one now which I'm also excited about. Stay tuned, if there's enough interest, I may reach out to the author for a Q&A in comments or even a Zoom discussion! Thank you for commenting!
Yeah it’s criminally underhyped. I’ve recommended it to a ton of people and everyone has loved it. So glad to see it here!! Hoping it gets more attention as time goes on. It’s deserves it!
Seconded! It was SO good.
TBR has grown by at least 6 books because of this post!
I was trying to think why Katie Cotugno was familiar and that’s because I read her book Meet The Bernadetto’s which is a Pride and Prejudice retelling where the Bennett’s are basically the Kardashians- such a fun concept and seriously underrated book!
Yesss. She is perpetually underrated which makes me so mad! I’m not sure if you saw the Heavy Hitter column I wrote but it’s basically a love letter to that book, which also did not get the critical acclaim it deserved! I’m so glad I could help stock your TBR and thanks for being here!
This is such a brilliant idea! There’s something so comforting—and rebellious, honestly to gather to talk about stories that center our desires, flaws, dreams, and messes. A book club built around smart romance feels like the perfect antidote to the noise out there. Count me in—I’m excited to read, swoon, and think out loud with this crew.
Ahh! I'm so glad you loved Under Your Spell.
It was SO good … it’s also why my column was late today 😂😂😂.
Thank you for the recc! I need to read her next one immediately!
Her YA historical romances are delicious too.
I also loved Under Your Spell. There's some terrific dialogue in the romance part, but for me, the sisters (and the set-up with 3 moms choosing to live together) made the book. Great romance dialogue, yes, -- but great sister and family dialogue also. There's a totally implausible scene at the end with a surprise array of guys showing up more or less simultaneously, but if you just view it as symbolic of the heroine's growth (and throw plausibility happily out of the window), it's a fun scene.
YES - the idea of them all getting pregnant by the same man and setting up house together is, of course, wildly unlikely, but what a dream way to grow up! Usually I like my romances more realistic, but the vague witchiness sort of pitched the whole book into a territory of quasi magical realism and so it was easier to just roll along with some of the sheer implausibility (including that scene at the end, which you are completely correct about!)
Okay. Those shoes are seriously cute and I'm neither a mule, nor a ruffle girl, but LOVE!
I can never decide if Elin Hilderbrand’s novels are romantic or relationship fiction, but I’ve just started The Academy (on Netgalley) which is the one she’s co-written with her daughter, Shelby Cunningham. All good so far, although I’m wasting time trying to work out their co-writing method!
>...also the idea of a straight man writing romance—curious whether his approach would feel different.
This is something I've been thinking about lately (as some currently writing a romantic comedy). In cinema, we have Nora Ephron and Nancy Meyers, but also Richard Curtis and Marc Lawrence; in books, however, it's been coded as an almost exclusively female thing.
Yes to a book club!! Love all the ways you're building community here 🤍
So glad you’re doing a book club! Can’t wait to discuss with this incredible community. Love all of your insights
Well Gracie Harris Is Under Construction sounds just delightful! Thanks for putting it on my radar 😊
Yes it really was delightful! Come back next week with a fun and interesting Q&A with the author! And thank you for reading!
Will your book club post cover the entirety of the book? Or are you planning on reading in installments?
My plan was for everyone to read it in full and then to have discussion based on the entirety of the book? I’m open to suggestions though! I feel like romance readers often read quickly and voraciously so a book within a month’s timeframe seemed about right?
Yeah I like that!
Lovely! Then come see us in a month 🥰
Oh I'm so glad you enjoyed Under Your Spell! We are book twins indeed! I remember Colton's novel coming out but couldn't get access to an ARC so excited to read and discuss! If you loved it, I will too 🥰
Yes! Honestly I should have given you credit too - now that I’m seeing your comment I’m remembering that your review was the reason I downloaded it in the first place. Keris’s comment to me this week was just the nudge I needed to finally read it!
I’m so excited for you to try the Colton Gentry book - it is different than some romances I’ve read (less lighthearted maybe?) but so moving and joyful. I also love the picture of masculine friendship the author offers, something I think is really missing in a lot of contemporary novels!
I loved Colton Gentry. I think my favorite thing about it was its strong sense of place. It’s a love letter to the south as well as a stellar romance novel. Very excited to discuss it with everyone!
Yay! I'm so glad to hear that the people who have read it liked it so much. I was really struck how good it was and how little I had heard about it. I completely agree with the assessment that it has a strong sense of place, which I think a lot of contemporary novels use setting a mere window dressing and this novel definitely did not.
Thanks for being such a valuable voice in this community, I'm excited to hear your thoughts during bookclub in a month!
Hi Rena! Thanks for picking me! Re: Colton Gentry. I have been curious - I have read some romance with alternating M/F points of view which worked. Pick-Up by Nora Dahlia worked for me. (enemies to lovers, tropical location, people with actual careers).
I loved the Pick-up by Nora Dahlia! She has a new one coming out soon too I think, I just requested an ARC. I really liked the Colton Gentry book - it was objectively just a good romance novel that hit all the beats and had some truly standout writing. But I also think it's interesting because he definitely wrote the woman in a position of power, which I wasn't expecting? I think it will be an enjoyable read that hopefully produces a lot of rich discussion also.
As for picking you - of course! You're such a wonderful part of the comments section on every post, it's truly a delight! Sending you a note now about details!
I used to love watching "The Bachelor" and "The Bachelorette" back when the contestants and I were in the same age bracket, LOL. I haven't watched in years, but for some reason, I'm still really into the whole reality TV romance subgenre! Kate Stayman-London’s "One To Watch" and Alison Cochrun's "The Charm Offensive" are probably the two I enjoyed the most. I'm definitely going to check out "Fan Favorite."
LOL to the same age bracket, because SAME. I really loved Fan Favorite, I thought her first pages were some of the strongest I'd seen in awhile. She has some skewering observations about dating that made me glad to NOT be in that season of my life right now.
I have read One to Watch but I'll have to add the Charm Offensive to my list. Thanks for commenting, Sue - I always love seeing what you have to add to the discussion here!