Especially funny, swoony, steamy and/or pacy reads.
I'm bisexual and enjoy reading about romantic leads of any gender combination.
What do you recommend?
Romance novels I've enjoyed lately include Nisha Sharma's Dating Dr. Dil, Tastes Like Shakkar* and Marriage and Masti, Ava Wilder's How to Fake It in Hollywood and Will They or Won't They** and Katie Cotugno's Heavy Hitter.
* Bunty has extremely bisexual vibes. Did anyone else pick up on this?
** The audiobook has dual narration. I love Kristen DiMercurio's voice acting, but the male narrator didn't work for me, so I did a library listen/read combination via the Libby app, and it was great! I've been wanting to do this for years, but have only recently been able to get back to reading books (thank you, public libraries, Libby and the OpenDyslexic font!).
books read in 2024: how to fake it in hollywood by ava wilder
✧✧✧
"ethan was like a river: powerful and unpredictable. sometimes she was one with the current, floating peacefully, basking in the sunshine. sometimes she was drowning. the worst part was, she wasn't sure which one she preferred."
read my full review of will they or won’t they by ava wilder here.
On screen, they’re in love. Off screen, they can’t stand each other. Two co-stars with a complex history reunite to film the final season of a beloved paranormal drama in this tension-filled will they won’t they romance from the author of How to Fake It in Hollywood.
Lilah Hunter and Shane McCarthy are madly in love— at least, their characters are. As the stars of the hit paranormal TV show Intangible, they spent years pining for each other on-screen… until Lilah ditched the show at the end of season five in hopes of becoming a film star. With no such luck, she’s back to film the much-hyped ninth and final season, in which their characters will get together at last.
But coming back means facing one of the biggest reasons she left: Shane. Ever since their secret behind-the-scenes fling imploded at the end of the first season, the two of them have despised each other.
Now back on set together for the first time in years, with the world’s eyes on them and their post-show careers on the line, they’ll have to grit their teeth and play nice. But under pressure to give Intangible’s fans the happy ending they’ve been waiting for, Lilah and Shane are forced to get closer than ever. And if they’re not careful, they just might get blindsided by one final twist: a real-life happy ending of their own.
my review:
While I didn’t find this author’s debut to be for me personally, I still really enjoyed her writing and was intrigued by the premise to pick up her sophomore novel. And thank goodness that I did because I fell so hard for this book! With great chemistry and a hell of a slow burn, Will They or Won’t They follows two co-stars who reunite for the final season of their popular show—except they hate each other behind the scenes.
Lilah Hunter and Shane McCarthy are known for playing the lead characters of Intangible, especially for their chemistry. However, ever since their disastrous falling out after season one, they can’t stand each other off-screen. It doesn’t help that Lilah left the show after season five to pursue a film career…and failing, so she ultimately returns to the show for the final season. Both she and Shane fall back into their old habits, but as they are forced to spend more time with each other, they gradually start remembering what they liked about the other person — and realizing that maybe it’s their time after all.
This book is so addictive; I was hooked by the second chapter! I had to force myself to put it down so I could sleep. Lilah and Shane’s chemistry shines off the page, both in their respective narratives and in their conversations. And the tension…truly chef’s kiss! I think this book was the perfect amount of slow burn; the pacing was great too, with just enough flashbacks at the right time to set the context.
“In that moment, it’s clear that no matter how many secrets are dug up about them and plastered on the front page, there’s something perfect and private between them that no one will ever be able to touch.”
