My Funny Demon Valentine
By Aurora Ascher
Raynee’s Review: 1/14/2026
I’ve really been putting off writing the review for this one. Overall, it was fine. It was a little quirky and funny. The idea for the plot was good. It was an easy read that I got through pretty quickly.
That said, if someone asked me for a good fantasy romance, with little to no context for what they liked, it wouldn’t be the first book I would think of. I’m probably not going to continue with the series simply because my TBR is a mile long, and I wasn’t interested enough to continue with it.
It is pretty spicy, and there really isn’t a lot of build-up to the romance. If you are like me and have a preference for a slow burn, this one isn’t for you. However, if you want something easy that will make you smile, with plenty of spice, this one might be worth reading.
Not Another Love Song
By Julie Soto
Reviewed by Raynee: July 10, 2025
I chose this one on the recommendation that it had great tension. I expected to either really enjoy it or be bored and impatient for the end. My recommender knew what she was talking about. The tension and chemistry were amazing, the writing was well done, and I loved the characters, spice, and the story overall.
The novel opens with Gwen Jackson, a young violinist at the Manhattan Pops. She’s a perfectionist who comes to every rehearsal prepared and plays with a quiet love for the music. Xander Thorne is her opposite. A cellist with the same company, and a rock star, he plays with nothing but emotion. He’s habitually late for every rehearsal and sight reads all of the music.
When Gwen catches the attention of Xander, it appears he holds nothing for her but arrogant hostility and criticism, and when Gwen is granted a position Xander secretly wants, it only intensifies. Yet, underneath it all, neither of them can ignore the chemistry that builds between them which only grows when they are forced to work more closely together. As the tension explodes into romance, so does the brilliance of the music they create together.
It’s rare that I read a contemporary romance where I don’t cringe at least once. I don’t recall a single moment where I rolled my eyes or told myself one moment didn’t ruin the book. This was well written, spicy, and enjoyable from beginning to end.
I would recommend this book to anyone who loves a romance with plenty of tension, chemistry, and least three chili peppers on the spice scale.
Filthy Rich Vampires
By: Geneva Lee
Sometimes, you just need some brain candy. A mindless romance that makes you roll your eyes at its cheesy spots, shake your head at the things that come out of the characters’ mouths, and blush a bit at the smut. Filthy Rich Vampires by Geneva Lee delivered on all counts.
Thea Melbourne is a cellist focused on just graduating college and caring for her ailing mother while holding down two jobs to make ends meet. Her life changes when she literally runs into Julian Rousseaux, a nine-hundred-year-old vampire, at an event she is playing for.
Julian has a few problems of his own. Asleep for the last several decades, he is woken by his family just in time for the social season, where, as the eldest, eligible heir of the family, he will be expected to find a wife. A wife is the last thing Julian wants, and he makes Thea an offer she can’t refuse. Pretend to be his girlfriend for the duration of the social season, and he will pay off her mother’s medical bills.
Thea agrees to the arrangement and finds herself entangled in a dark and dangerous world full of wonders and horrors she never imagined, including the vampire she has bargained with and the draw and desire that grows between them.
This was a spicy and cheesy romance that lived up to what I expected of it. I found the female character a little annoying at times and rolled my eyes at some of the cringy spots, but I overall enjoyed it since I needed a bit of a brain cleanse anyway.
Who I would recommend this book to:
I would recommend this to anyone who needs an easy-to-read romance, appreciates the fake-dating trope, and doesn’t mind spice over plot. There was definitely a good amount of smut in this book, so I would not recommend it to readers under the age of 18.
Raynee 4/22/2025