Unromance by Erin Connor (Jan 14, 2025) This one was an immediate pre-order for me. I couldn’t wait to dive into such a tongue-in-cheek, self-aware romance novel!
Sawyer Greene is a romance author battling debilitating writer’s block and a looming deadline, all while being deeply cynical about love. Enter Mason West, a famous actor who falls in love way too easily. Their story kicks off with the ultimate cliché “broken elevator” meet-cute, which quickly escalates into an uncharacteristic one-night stand. Weeks later, they cross paths again and make a pact: together, they’ll ruin every romance trope to break her writer’s block and his love of love.
Each chapter is dedicated to dismantling a classic romance trope, but instead of driving them apart, their experiments bring them closer. As they turn from strangers into best friends—and eventually fall deeply in love—they face a tough question: can they reconcile their distinct professional goals and make room for each other in their lives and can a couple make it out of IKEA without breaking up?
This book is hilarious, heartfelt, and brimming with banter. The clever nods to romance tropes through chapter titles and definitions had me laughing out loud—especially during the “Just Once” and “Miscommunication” chapters. I adored the Chicago setting (we need more romances set in this amazing city!) and loved the role reversal: he’s the one who falls too quickly, while she’s boxed her heart away. It perfectly set up one of my favorite tropes—he falls first.
Watching him communicate his needs so candidly was refreshing, and her emotional growth felt authentic. The side characters (friends and family) were absolutely fantastic—I’ll be so disappointed if they don’t show up in Connor’s future works!
🎧 About the Audiobook 🎧 The audiobook features dual narration by Mia Hutchinson Shaw and Lee Osorio. While Shaw’s performance was spot-on, I felt a slight disconnect with Osorio’s portrayal of Mason. The voice described in the text didn’t fully align with his narration, and I often preferred when Shaw was voicing him in the story.
Book: 🌟🌟🌟🌟💫
Audiobook: 🌟🌟🌟💫
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Book Smart Kate 