Hi Librarygoer!
Happy 2026! I hope the year is treating you like a dream so far! For me the year is a dream (because I’m taking nighttime meds in the daytime) and also a nightmare because the news cycle keeps saying ‘hold my beer’.
I’m continuously saying, “Will this be it? but in the meantime … there are books!
A dozen or so have landed in my home since the holidays thanks to a mix of the Barnes & Noble sale, gifts from enabling friends (the best kind!), and happy mail from publishers. So I have book-shaped silver linings to escape into and hope the very same for you!
Then there’s my book featuring the estranged heiress and the broody romance book loving single-dad she had to leave behind. I’m happy to say I’m almost done with revisions in draft number ∞. I’m so much more in love with my story now. I’ve been toying with sharing a tiny sneak peek here. Maybe I’ll work up the nerve soon.
In the meantime, I’m sharing a few recs of books that made me crumble like a cookie, inspired by this post from Christine pairing jam flavors with romance novels. Her post was inspired by whatsemileereading on IG who paired her anticipated reads with ice cream flavors! I appreciate their inspo!
Happy Reading!
-Aleia
Why this pairing works together?: Small Town Midwest charm featuring a sugary sweet FMC and an MMC with an ooey gooey center.
Read the Tropes
Small Town
Grumpy/Sunshine
Fish Out of Water
Why this pairing works together?: A witch trying to regain her magic and the scholar who she irritates with her incredibly whimsy home find the perfect bite in this nutty, decadent pastry.
Read the Tropes
Cozy Witchy Shenanigans
Caregivers in Love
Magical House
Read My Full Review
Why this pairing works together?: A romance unexpected by the MCs (but completely expected by their families) born from the need for a green card reveals a deeply ingrained love which is perfect for a delicious treat that’s more delicious than anticipated..
Read the Tropes
Marriage of Convenience
Gay Awakening
Friends-to-Lovers
Why this pairing works together?: A bi4bi forbidden workplace romance featuring two Afro-Latine Caribbean MCs that starts with a sex club meet cute needs a luxurious, intoxicating partner.
Read the Tropes
Virgin + A Billionaire
Instalove
Generative AI as a Villian
Why this pairing works together?: Sugar and the right amount of spice in the form of a high-powered Korean FMC and the community fix-it man that crushed on her in childhood.
Read the Tropes
Dating Coach
Family Expectations
RomCom
Why this pairing works together?: An Argentinian-NBA widow hires a sunshine-y nanny (with a past) and tries hard not to fall for her and the two are brought together by the sweetness of strawberries—also known as his 4-year old baby girl.
Read the Tropes
Widow/Nanny
Grumpy/Sunshine
He Falls First
Why this pairing works together?: A sweet and salty cookie goes perfectly with a chance encounter turned ‘no-strings’ situationship that’s complicated when the couple finds them on opposite sides of the aisle in a Puerto Rican wedding.
Read the Tropes
ONS to Secret Romance
Love After Divorce
Teacher + Millionaire Hotelier
Read my Full Review
I don’t typically do my hard goal setting until my birthday month (February) because December is generally a whirlwind and I like to take January to commit to working towards my goals.
So this month I’m finalizing revisions (I feel like I’ll be saying that forever … though hopefully for another book eventually) in preparation for the Smoochpit showcase in March. I’ll also pop in here with reviews from time to time (there are so many great books coming out early this year) when I’m not planning out the AMAZING content Christine and I have planned for Black History Month.
Sweet Little Hearts by Shanora Williams
Magic & Mischief at the Wayside Hotel by Eliza Everett
Salty, Spiced, and a Little Bit Nice by Cynthia Timoti
Only Friends by Lydia San Andres
Playing for Keeps by Alexandria Bellefleur
Who is on your romance book buying list this season?
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