Guest post by Codename Charming author Lucy Parker
Lucy Parker is an award-winning romance author who lives in New Zealand. A romance reader from a young age, she loves to write about people pursuing their dreams and falling hopelessly in love along the way—often with the last person they would expect! Her previous titles have been featured in Entertainment Weekly, Cosmopolitan, and Oprah Magazine, and were included in NPR’s Book Concierge for four consecutive years.
Now available from bookstores, Codename Charming is a delicious romantic comedy about a fake relationship between a grumpy royal bodyguard and the charming, sunny assistant who melts his cold, hard exterior.
Managed by Kristen Callihan
Kristen Callihan’s Managed became an instant grumpy/sunshine classic from the day it released—and for good reason. On her way to London for a job interview, the incredibly likeable Sophie ends up sitting next to Gabriel “Scottie” Scott, the tightly-buttoned, grouchy manager of one of the world’s most popular rock bands. They’re oil and water, but the reluctant sparks are there from the beginning, and when they end up working and touring together, and chronic insomniac Gabriel discovers that he can relax and sleep for the first time…as long as it’s cuddled up next to Sophie, the path is laid for one of my all-time favourite pairings.
The War Priest by Ann Aguirre
Ann Aguirre excels at opposites-attract pairings (for anyone who enjoys sci-fi romance, I also highly recommend Renegade Love, in which an abducted human heroine is taken yet again, this time by the universe’s most feared bounty hunter, Toth Krag, who’s been trained as the ultimate weapon of destruction and vengeance, taught to follow orders without question—and who falls like a ton of bricks for the strange “Tiny Nightmare” who’s having none of it.)
In her paranormal series “Ars Numina”, however, The War Priest is one of my favourite romances of the past few years; it sees another unlikely pairing in a soul-singing, soft-hearted lynx shifter and the bear-shifter warrior monk she adores. He’s taken vows of celibacy, there’s a war knocking on the door, and every chance that neither of them will survive the coming weeks—and the bond between them is so heartfelt it just resonates off the page.
Written in the Stars by Alexandria Bellefleur
I have a long list of beloved tropes, but grumpy/sunshine and fake dating will always be top-tier for me, and Alexandria Bellefleur’s totally delightful rom-com Written in the Stars hits on both counts—and in every other way. After a terrible blind date, straight-laced, practical Darcy and starry-eyed astrologer Elle are in no doubt whatsoever that they haven’t met their perfect match. However, when Darcy skews the truth to avoid any further family matchmaking, the pair find themselves embroiled in deception, having to pull off the image of romantic bliss until New Year’s Eve. Naturally, sparks begin to fly, and their journey from “absolutely not” to soulmates is witty, sexy, and an instant comfort-read.
Coldest Fire by Juliette Cross
Taking a turn into urban fantasy, an icy archangel set on vengeance is forced to call on a human witch for help, a woman he remembers with bitterness from one of the worst moments of his existence—but as they fight against a common enemy, they both realise that the other isn’t what they assumed. Coldest Fire is another excellent romance from Cross and the epitome of love and light triumphing over evil.
Act Your Age, Eve Brown by Talia Hibbert
Talia Hibbert’s writing is just a pure joy to read—even when it’s packing an absolute emotional punch, it remains a comfort read, because she infuses every paragraph with such warmth and love, for her characters, for their world, and for the story, in a way that draws the reader in and makes them immediately part of the experience. The first in the Brown Sisters trilogy was one of my first Talia Hibbert books, so holds a place in my heart—but I think Eve’s story is my favourite of the trilogy.
On the surface, Eve is the epitome of the sunshine character, but she’s worked to have that positive attitude despite her earlier dreams not turning out as she’d hoped—and when she meets Jacob, the grumpy B&B owner (…and then accidentally runs him over), she can let her guard down for the first time, and the two find strength in each other. Through what they become together, they can more clearly see themselves for who they are as individuals. It’s a beautiful book and an amazing love story.
Hunt the Darkness by Alexandra Ivy
Part of Alexandra Ivy’s paranormal “Guardians of Eternity” series, Hunt the Darkness is the happy-ever-after of vampire clan leader Roke—notorious for his icy, practical nature—and the unintentionally chaotic (and lonely) witch Sally. After Sally accidentally casts a spell that triggers Roke’s “true mate” instinct, the pair find themselves seemingly irrevocably tied together—to their equal horror. It’s a road-trip romance as Sally takes off to find a way to break this seeming curse, with Roke in hot pursuit, as like it or not, she’s his mate and in potential danger. As they transition from enemies to reluctant allies and then lovers—with the well-intentioned but disastrous assistance of a tiny gargoyle named Levet—it’s an excellent mix of adventure and romance.
Grumpy Fake Boyfriend by Jackie Lau
It’s a Jackie Lau romance called “Grumpy Fake Boyfriend”; it couldn’t have been more obvious this would land on my keeper shelf if there were neon signs pointing at it. I adore Lau’s writing—it’s warm and heartfelt, but it’s also frequently laugh-out-loud funny. I loved the banter between sci-fi writer Will and event-planner Naomi, as the introvert and the extrovert pretend to be dating, in order to help Naomi save face in front of an ex. A relatively low-angst, warm hug of a story, like all of Lau’s novels, in which two very different people find common ground and accept and love each other for who they are.
