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Nerd Girl Loves Books

Book recommendations and short reviews just for you!

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Romance

Flameborne: Chosen (Emberquell Academy, #1) by Aimee Lynn

Rating: 4 out of 5.

This is a very good first book in a new dragon romantasy series featuring the first female dragon rider cadet at the Emberquell Academy. Bren starts the book out as a lowborn country girl dating a newly raised Furyknight, the famous dragon riders that serve and protect the kingdom. She sneaks out of her house to say goodbye to him before he leaves on a mission, but discovers his betrayal. Embarassed and ashamed she throws herself off a mountain but is saved and bonded with a young dragon. Everyone that bonds with a dragon must go through the dragonfury Trials and if successful, will become a Furyknight.

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Skate It Till You Make it by Rufaro Faith Mazarura

Rating: 3 out of 5.

This is a fun Olympic romance that features Ari, a hockey player on the Great Britain’s hockey team, and Drew, an American that dropped out of graduate school, broke up with his girlfriend, and needs a fresh start. They bump into each other at a New Year’s Eve party and have instant chemistry, but neither is looking for a relationship. A couple months later they run into each other at the Olympics, where Drew has secured a position as a sports photographer. The combination of complicated exes, over-involved families, and stress-inducing teammates convinces them to fake date their way through the Games.

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Penalty Play (Boston Rebels, #5) by Julia Connors

Rating: 4 out of 5.

I love this hockey romance series, and Aiden and Morgan’s story is another great addition to this funny, flirty, and steamy series. What started out as a one-night fling in Bermuda gets complicated when the duo discover they are new step-siblings. Thinking they will never see each other again, but secretly hoping they would, both are shocked when they walk into their jobs and find the other there. Despite their vow to be professional, they can’t deny the attraction and decide to have a secret friends-with-benefits arrangement. No feelings, no commitment. Like that ever works.

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Embers of You (Amity #1) by Madi Danielle

Rating: 4 out of 5.

This is a very sweet, heartwarming contemporary small town romance between dog groomer Sutton and firefighter Jameson. Sutton fled L.A. because of some messed-up family drama and landed in small town Amity, WA. She is hired by a small grooming business which overlooks the town fire department and the hot men that work there, including Jameson. Sutton has no desire to get involved with anyone, but Jameson is intent on wearing her down.

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Peaches and Pucks by M.A. Wardell

Rating: 4 out of 5.

This is a sweet and spicy novella romance between Harry and Darius, two teachers at the same school. Harry agrees to chaperone the boy’s hockey team on a road trip even though he knows nothing about hockey and the gym teacher, Darius, has teased him relentlessly for the last 4 years. But, road trips have a way of lessening inhibitions and when the only room left at the hotel for Darius and Harry has one bed, Harry discovers that not only is Darius not straight (much to Harry’s dismay), but he’s attracted to Harry. The couple connect, but of course, real life gets in the way once they get home.

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Run for Your Life, Callie Kingman by Alli Frank and Asha Youmans

Rating: 3 out of 5.

Callie gave up her career on the east coast to follow her husband’s job to Sacramento, CA for just a “couple years”. Twenty years later her husband dumps her for a new woman with a baby on the way. She’s an empty nester with no job prospects, a mother showing signs of dementia, and is facing a health scare. After taking to her bed and binging on junk food and booze, she realizes she needs to get back to the strong, smart, ambitious woman she started out being at the beginning of her marriage.

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On Borrowed Time (Blossom Peak #2) by Harlow James

Rating: 4 out of 5.

This is book 2 of the Blossom Peak series but can be read as a stand-alone. Henley is surprised by a one-night stand when she drops off a baby in his lap and walks away. It’s currently available on Kindle Unlimited.

This book has great tropes:

🤱surprise baby
👨‍🍼single dad & nanny
✨boss/employee
❤️mutual pining
✨grumpy/sunshine
❤️close proximity
✨small town

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Cross Your Heart and Hope He Dies by Jenny Elder Moke

Rating: 3 out of 5.

Release date Jan. 20, 2026

This is a cute, cozy mystery with a sprinkle of romance. It has most of the same characters in the author’s previous book She Doesn’t Have a Clue but is it’s own standalone mystery. This book centers on ambitious Juliette Winters who is determined to save her struggling publishing company single-handedly by publishing a tell-all memoir from ruthless business magnate Warren Ellingham. Trouble is, he keeps putting off her request for pages from his book, and she’s losing patience.

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Most Eligible by Isabelle Engel

Rating: 4 out of 5.

3. 5 stars rounded up. Release date 1-13-2026

This is a cute, contemporary romance that takes place on set of a Bachelor-type dating show. Georgia Rose applied and was accepted to be on the reality dating show to write an exposé on the producers, who she suspects of doing horrible things for ratings. What she didn’t expect was to run into her unforgettable one-night stand from the year before, country singer Rhett Auburn, who was the Bachelor in the show the previous year. He’s the season’s new host, and if the producers find out she knows him, all her plans are out the window.

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