Today we have a guest post from Overbooked Mama.
I first saw one of Kuleigh's posts and immediately noticed we had some similar books we love. You know that feeling when you discover someone else's reading list and think, "Yes! Finally, someone who gets it!" That's exactly what happened when I started scrolling through her recommendations.
One thing you'll learn about me: I love connecting with people—in person, online, wherever book conversations can happen. There's something magical about discovering what makes a person excited about reading. When someone's eyes light up talking about a book that changed their perspective or kept them up all night, it gets me excited too! It's like watching someone share a piece of their soul.
That's exactly what I saw in Kuleigh's writing about romance books. Her enthusiasm was infectious, and I knew I had to reach out. So I messaged her and asked if she would share with us some of her favorite romance books—the ones that make her want to stay up way too late reading, the ones she pushes into friends' hands, the ones that make her heart race.
As you'll see at the end, she's already made me add several new titles to my ever-growing TBR pile, and I have a feeling her recommendations are going to do the same for you!
I’m Kuleigh (pronounced Cully), a professional City planner for a small town in South Carolina and mom to two young kids. In my free time, I write about the books we read on my Substack, Overbooked Mama. When I’m not reading, you can find me sipping on an iced latte while I treat myself to a klobasnek at our local bakery, or jamming to punk goes pop covers because being emo isn’t a phase.
When Melissa asked me if I’d be interested in writing a guest newsletter about my five favorite romances, my first thought was “Really? Me?!”. My impostor syndrome was immediately replaced by wondering how I would ever narrow down my favorite romances to just five books. For reference, I read seven romance novels last month alone. The ironic thing is that I didn’t become a self-proclaimed romance reader until March of 2020. I don’t think I need to remind anyone what happened then. I worked from home for about a month during that time with a toddler at home. I was still struggling to assimilate into my role as a mother. Reading romances helped me explore the dualities of womanhood and connect with a side of myself that didn’t feel natural. I read books by Casey McQuiston, the duo Christina Lauren, Jasmine Guillory, Josie Silver, Emily Henry, Denise Williams, Anna Todd, and more that year. Their writing reignited my love for reading and put me on the fast track to reinstate a nightly reading routine. Reading became fun again as I allowed myself to get swept up in the emotional connection I was able to form with fictional characters. I’m constantly in awe of authors who can create characters with so much depth that you want to root for them to overcome life’s challenges as they create their own happily ever after. As much as I enjoy reading playful banter, mutual pining, and let’s be honest, a bit of smut, I gravitate towards strong storytelling. I love that romances have more substance than just women falling in love. They capture what it’s like to be vulnerable, brave, strong, honest, and independent. There’s something to be said about a woman who discovers who she is and allows herself to be loved despite her perceived imperfections.
Hannah Tate, Beyond Repair by Laura Piper Lee
Maybe it’s just the Georgia Peach in me, but this book was absolute perfection. It was the right balance of spicy and sweet, emotionally captivating, and laugh out loud funny. Hannah Tate is a new single mom who is down on her luck. After moving back in with her parents to launch their AirBnB project, she finds her skills as an interior decorator are the perfect match for their sexy, yoga-loving, contractor-by-trade neighbor. Hannah’s struggles as a new mom are incredibly relatable. I found myself rooting for her to carve her own path forward. The characters and storyline were well developed. I loved the growth not only from Hannah but from her Mama and stepdaddy, ex-boyfriend/baby daddy, her friends, and new love interest. You have to check out this heartwarming book! I flew through the physical copy in just a few days. I couldn’t put it down and I didn’t want Hannah and River’s love story to end.
Check it out HERE.
Check & Mate by Ali Hazelwood
Who knew chess could be so sexy?! Check & Mate is the perfect rivals-to-lovers romance. Mallory is navigating being launched into adulthood when she’s faced with taking care of her mom and sisters. After she loses her job, she plays in a charity chess tournament to make a quick buck. Even though she’s sworn off chess, she beats the number one player in the world. And that's where things get complicated.
Ali Hazelwood seems to write female characters who don’t see themselves as lovable. Nolan really took the time to get to know Mallory and by the end of the book, you could tell he truly saw her. The guy studied her for goodness sake. I think she perfectly captured the first true love/young love dynamic. Mal and Nolan's interactions had me swooning and giggling!
If you’re the eldest daughter, I think you’ll see a lot of yourself in Mal. She’s struggling to support her family and trying to figure out her place in the world, all while refusing to ask for help. As a person who is very much on the Internet, I enjoyed all the pop culture references. One thing to note-- although marketed as a closed-door YA story, some of the language is a bit more adult. Read this if you liked The Queen's Gambit!
Check it out HERE.
The Seven Year Slip by Ashley Poston
“You can plan everything in your life and you'll still be surprised.”
This book was just so tender. Ashley Poston is incredible at writing a contemporary setting with just the right mix of magical realism. I enjoy that she leaves the specific details of the magic up to interpretation. You have to trust that she’s going to give you just enough for it all to work.
As an art history major, I have a soft spot for Van Gogh and immediately connected with Clementine’s birthday tradition at The Met. Iwan was the most charming book boyfriend. He's observant and attentive to Lemon, has that southern charm, he's got tattoos, plus he can cook! I swooned over all of Iwan and Lemon’s interactions in the kitchen of her aunt’s magical apartment.
This is more than your typical romance. Clementine grapples with some tricky close, personal relationships. The exploration of grief following the death of her aunt is particularly well written. There’s a ton of heart and soul in this novel that is so palpable. It made so much more sense how close to home some of the elements of the story were for Poston after reading her author’s note. This whole book felt comforting, and after I read it, it immediately became one of my favorites.
Check it out HERE.
My Oxford Year by Julia Whelan
“Maybe, once you come to realize that there are no answers, you learn to live with the questions.”
This was one of the first books I bought back in 2018 when I first got my Kindle Paperwhite. My biggest regret is that I waited almost five years to read it. With the movie adaptation coming out this summer on Netflix, it’s the perfect time to pick it up if you haven’t already. I went into My Oxford Year expecting a fun, lighthearted women’s lit novel about an academic year abroad. I wasn’t expecting a whirlwind romance or a heartbreaking coming-of-age story. I loved the wit and humor between Ella and Jamie. Gah, their connection and passion was just incredible. It kept me reading through the first quarter of the book as the plot was laid out. Their friend group was lively and supportive. Whelan’s descriptions of England were vivid. A few times I found myself Googling monuments and landmarks to save for future reference. I was so emotional reading the last few chapters that I truly did not want to face the ending. The epilogue was absolutely perfect though…the love story Ella and Jamie deserved.
“When you feel more than you can say, when words fail you, when syntax and grammar and well-constructed expressions are choked from your mind and all that's left is raw feeling, a few broken words come forth. I'd like to believe those words, when everything's stripped away, might be the key to it all.”
P.S. This book piqued my interest in poetry.
Not Another Love Song by Julie Soto
Not Another Love Song is about two musical prodigies (a cellist and a violinist) with a rivals-to-lovers arc. Gwen and Xander connect when she performs at his friend’s wedding. She feels jilted that he doesn’t remember her from the Pops Orchestra, and things get complicated when she’s offered First Chair over him. The writing is addictive. The tension and chemistry between Gwen and Xander is off the charts. There is so much passion in Julie Soto’s writing. The passion between the main characters and their love of their craft is equally palpable. I’m not sure if Julie is a musician, but if she’s not I don’t know how she mastered writing such a convincing story. You can almost feel the music flowing through the pages as you read. The action plays out around New York City, and the setting feels almost as if it is a living and breathing character. I can still picture the bodega where Gwen and Xander pick up tacos.
Thank you so much Kuleigh for sharing your favorites with us!
Not Another Love Song and My Oxford Year are both on my TBR now. :)
Did she share any you love? Or did you see you one want to read? Leave a comment and let’s chat about it!
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Soooo many titles to add to my list! Thanks for the recs, Kuleigh :)
Thanks for letting me gush over books for your readers this week!