Monthly Book Recs | February 2025
It's the month of slow-burn romances.
Remember that period in the early aughts when two movies with weirdly identical plots would suddenly release around the same time? There was The Prestige and The Illusionist. Then later No Strings Attached and Friends With Benefits. That’s what I was reminded of this month when I discovered two books would be coming out in February that both revolve around a woman starring in an episodic audio show that consists of her going on blind dates — and the whole time the only person she wants to date is not someone she should want to be dating. Both books ended up being very different, but this got me thinking about whether this is going to start happening more frequently as the romance publishing industry grows. For now, though, I’m just glad the good reads this month made up for the lack of them last month.
Deep End by Ali Hazelwood
★★★★☆
February 4
After all the spicy hype around this book, I half-expected it to be erotica, but it’s actually not at all. Yes, there’s some BDSM activity, but it’s on the tamer side and the physical relationship between the characters does not overshadow the main character’s personal journey. What I love about this book is that the heroine starts the story at rock bottom and it’s just a slow upward trajectory from there, rather than a roller coaster ride. She acknowledges she has a problem (a mental block that keeps her from performing her sport); seeks help; opens herself up to building quality relationships with others; and slowly heals. It’s an optimistic character arc that’s satisfying to read. Ali’s signature smitten hero and academic setting are present, but the sport element is new for her, and I think the added dynamic makes it a more well-rounded and nuanced read than her previous works.
The story starts when two college athletes (she’s a diver, he’s a swimmer) start surreptitiously sleeping together after it’s revealed that they both enjoy compatible kinky bedroom activities. With her struggling to recover from an injury, the last thing she needs is a relationship, especially one that could complicate the team dynamic. So she’s happy to keep the mostly physical connection a secret. But as the things in her life slowly start to look up, between her friendships, academics, and athletic performance, she must admit to herself the important role he’s beginning to play in her life and heart. My one gripe: the love interest is her friend’s ex-boyfriend — don’t love that dynamic (and yes, it poses as much of a problem as you’d think it would), but I was able to overlook it.
You Between the Lines by Katie Naymon
★★★★☆
February 18
Fresh concept; beautiful prose — what a fantastic debut! Most of the books in this post are slow burn, but I would say this one is the most traditional representation of the trope out of the bunch. The will-they won’t-they tension is taut between two characters who have 10 years worth of history between them as they navigate being classmates once again. It’s not technically a forbidden romance, but it reads like one, deliciously so — all grazed wrists and pinky touches in the dark. The poetry-as-foreplay makes for some very lyrical banter.
In this academic romance, a poetry writer gets accepted into a prestigious MFA poetry program, much to her surprise. Already feeling massively insecure about her craft, she learns that her cohort will also consist of the guy who rejected her in high school — and again in college — now a highly talented poet himself. As the two begin working side-by-side workshopping each other’s writing and sharing tutoring shifts outside of class, she begins to realize that the connection she thought was severed years ago is still there, simmering under the surface in their interactions and between the lines of each of his poems.
First-Time Caller by B.K. Borison
★★★★☆
February 11
B.K. is such an evocative writer and I really enjoyed this book — even more so than Lovelight Farms, which already sets the bar high. (The first book is my favorite in the Lovelight series.) I found the story set-up in this book to be more complex and nuanced, which I tend to prefer over simpler plots (like Lovelight), and it’s so deeply romantic. B.K. is very adept at drawing out the yearning the characters have for each other on the page, and really makes you feel the bone-deep ache that comes with their intense longing.
The Sleepless in Seattle-inspired plot revolves around an unlucky romantic who’s given up on dating when her daughter calls in to a late-night radio show seeking dating advice for her mom. When the conversation goes viral, the radio station makes her a deal: temporarily co-host the show and they’ll match her up with dates worthy of her time. The only problem is the one man she wants to date is the only man whom she can’t: her radio show co-host. While the emotionality is incredibly well-executed in this story, I did find that to be at the expense of some contextual details that felt underdeveloped. For example, the relationship between the MMC and the MC’s daughter is nonexistent, the MC’s job as a mechanic could have been a fun and interesting plot point but instead is just reduced to being used as a change of scenery for the MC, and the MMC’s issues with his parents never really dives deeper before he needs to resolve it in the third act conflict. Just some minor constructive criticism that didn’t take away from my enjoyment of the story.
The Launch Date by Annabelle Slator
★★★★☆
February 11
Workplace romances aren’t my favorite for the sole reason that they always feature a villain boss. Did this book feature a villain boss? Yes. Did that annoy me endlessly? Yes. But by the end, this book managed to boost its way up from 3.75 stars to 4 stars. For starters, it’s cute and banter-y with a believable premise. It’s slow-burning, almost painstakingly so, but that just makes the character development shine brighter. What really cinched it for me, though, was the last quarter or so of the book. After the villain boss arc is resolved (infuriatingly quickly and easily for how much time that storyline played out on the page), the third act breakup and resolution felt surprisingly refreshing and not at all formulaic — I love when things don’t take the turn I’m expecting them to take. All in all, an enjoyable read with a sweet ending.
The workplace rivals plot starts when two colleagues are asked to pitch themselves for the same promotion. It would be okay if they could work independently, but no, their final presentation requires them to spend time together in order to gather data; time that forces them to address why their previously friendly, even flirty, relationship went off the rails and the undeniable attraction they still harbor for each other.
Back After This by Linda Holmes
★★★★☆
February 25
I haven’t read Linda Holmes since Evvie Drake Starts Over back in 2019 and though I don’t remember it in great detail, I remember really enjoying it and thinking that Linda was a good writer. She fell off my radar a bit but I saw this upcoming release and was excited to reacquaint myself with her work. Even though the plot of this book is definitely romance-centered, its execution reads more like women’s fiction to me, considering the heroine and the love interest engage in, like, two interactions in the first hundred pages. I’ll be honest, it starts out slow. There’s a lot of set-up and workplace politics to get through (and yes, kind of a villain boss ugh). But the writing flows well enough that I stuck with it. Once it starts picking up, I couldn’t put it down, and just as I recalled, Linda’s writing really is sharp and engaging. It’s a quick read with some charming moments and satisfying character growth.
In the book, a podcast producer gets roped into hosting a show in which she looks for love through a series of blind dates organized by a dating guru. Feeling stuck in both her work life and her romantic life, she reluctantly agrees that it’s the kickstart she needs and promises to throw everything she’s got into making the podcast a success. But when she organically meets — and can’t stop running into — an irresistible man not hand-picked for her by the guru, she risks jeopardizing everything she’s working toward.