I am pleased to bring you the first 2018 round up for Erotica, Romance and Romantic Suspense. The holiday period and the warm summer nights have helped our romance readers achieve some great early goals for our first month of the challenge. In January, we had 29 reviews submitted for romance, of 27 books from 24 authors. Helen Sibbritt is our star reviewer this month, contributing 8 romance reviews to the challenge, with Eleni Konstantine following closely behind! A special thank you goes out to all those participants of the challenge, both old and new, who have added their reviews this month to the challenge.

The beginning of the month and the start of a new year saw a number of great romance reads hitting our shelves for readers to devour. The most popular book reviewed this month was the much anticipated new release by Loretta Hill titled, The Secret Vineyard.  Theresa Smith had this to say:

This novel, The Secret Vineyard, would have to be one of the most delightful reads I’ve had in a long time. For me, everything worked. I both laughed out loud and had the occasional tear; I couldn’t wait to get back to it each time I had to put it down.

Over at my own blog, Mrs B’s Book Reviews, I awarded The Secret Vineyard my first five star rating of the year.

Rural romance continued to dominate the new releases this month. Six Ways to Sunday by Karly Lane was again enjoyed by two readers this month, Helen Jackson and Veronica Joy. Nicole Hurley-Moore released her fourth rural romance novel, White Gum Creek, which was reviewed favourably by Theresa Smith. 

Top reviewer this month Helen Sibbritt awarded Annie Seaton’s latest and the third edition of the Prickle Creek series, His Outback Nanny, five stars.If you like your romance with a touch of the erotic, novelist Kylie Scott is a recommended author. I personally have enjoyed her Stage Dive Series. This month two of Kylie Scott’s books, What trouble Is: A Short Story and Skin, which also branches into paranormal territory, received rave reviews via Eleni Konstantine.

Another author that collected two glowing reviews this month was Monique McDonell, a self published author who writes delightful romantic comedies. Laura Boon gave her full seal of approval to both titles she reviewed by Monique McDonell, Something of a Spark and Something to Sing About. Laura Boon says:

The tension creates a page-turning romance written with Monique McDonell’s trademark humor. This is rom-com at its best.

I’m going to close off the round up this month with a very different romance read that caught my eye. Liesmith (Book 1 of the Wyrd) by Alis Franklin is a book that combines a queer romance, with urban fantasy and has touches of mythology. Ju Transcendancing had this to say:

I honestly can’t gush about this book enough, this was such refreshing and original urban fantasy that effectively delivered on a lot of what is my favourite parts of the genre – romance, but it’s delightfully queer – and as a queer reader it reads authentically to me, I could imagine having coffee with Sigmund and Lain as a couple.

That’s a wrap for the first month of year. I am looking forward to seeing what the month of February brings, hopefully some romantic Valentine’s Day reads!


About me: I am a mum of two young boys, an early childhood teacher, dressaholic, second hand book stall owner, book reviewer and self confessed book geek. In 2016, I turned my passion for reading into my own blog, Mrs B’s Book Reviews. I blog daily and love nothing more than to showcase books by our talented crop of Australian women writers, especially rural romance, along with a number of other genres. Check my reviews out at the following sites, Mrs B’s Book Reviews, Facebook, Goodreads, Instagram and Twitter.