Hi there,

I recently put together some quick and easy romance reader tarot cards for myself using my favourite genres and tropes. Then I thought I might share them with my bookish friends as a free download!

So here they are in all their glory, I have them as a pdf as well if you want to email me for a copy of them at the.romantic.reader@gmail.com

Before and after ✨reading room transformation✨ from gross grey to cozy cream!

There is a time and a place for everything. My beautiful little book cabinet was lovingly pulled out of the trash at Bathurst and St. Clair in August of 2019 and it served me well in my book collection journey. This little glass cabinet was my favourite piece of furniture in my one-bedroom apartment. It turned my mini piles of books into a little home library. However, I’d outgrown my little book cabinet months (if not years) ago as my book collection really began to grow. Even after changing my reading habits over to a Kindle and only purchasing books I’d already read and enjoyed, I still ran out of space and the doors on my cute cabinet wouldn’t even close.

Which brought me to the decision to order a few bookshelves, and turn the guest room in our first home into a cozy reading room/library. I really wanted a cozy reading spot in the house with a comfy chair, a lamp and all my books on display. It was also the perfect opportunity to purge my closet and cut my wardrobe in half from two dressers (six drawers) of clothes to just one dresser. I tossed a ten year old stash of make-up (aka bottles of dream matte mousse from high school) and the feeling was incredible.

After the massive clean-up I painted the walls, bought new curtains a rug and foot stool and installed the two new Billy Bookshelves from Ikea. 15 hours and a lot of sore muscles later she’s ready.

I’m going to miss my little cabinet. I sold it on Facebook marketplace to a lovely lady and her daughter, that I am hoping will treasure it as much as I have over the last couple years. But it’s someone elses turn to have the magic cabinet.

I’m so happy with the results and the fact that I did it all by myself. And so much room for new books buahaha!!!

I am reading yet another series totally out of order! I started Alexa Martin’s The Playbook Series with Intercepted (book 1), and then picked up Snapped (book 4) next, whoops. I really wanted to read a modern romance by a black female author during Black History Month.

‘Snapped’ takes place in 2020 and follows the story of Denver Mustangs quarterback Quinton Howard Jr., and PR Manager Elliot Reed. The story tackles workplace discrimination, income disparity, anti-black racism and the NFL “taking a knee” player protests. This read was as charming as it was enlightening, and the lady mustangs were as awesome as ever! I’m giving it a 7.5/10

As @Sloane_Reads described so well in her post the other day, it shouldn’t be celebrated that I am reading a black story by a black author, it should be commonplace. Unfortunately, it is still mainly white authors that fill the top reading lists, so we need to actively diversify our reading choices. I am trying to make this a priority in my reading this month and every month. I’ll do my own search as well, but please feel free to share your romance genre BIPOC author recommendations in the comments below!

#blackhistorymonth#BIPOCauthors#bookreviews#alexamartin#theplaybookseries#readingromance

I don’t do well with endings!! Even endings that perfectly wrap up an incredible series. I’m just not ready to say goodbye to Jonah and Calla ♥️

I adore these characters and this series that is all the things; funny, steamy and emotional. It always seems to have me shedding a tear (or ten) and I can’t get enough of the incredible Alaskan setting.

I’m giving Forever Wild and the whole Wild collection a 9.5/10

#foreverwild #wildatheart #katucker #torontoreader #romancestagram #romancereader #jonahandcallaforever #thesimplewild

Crazy Stupid Bromance is the third book in the Bromance Book Club series and catches up with Noah and Alexis, who we met in the previous book following Alexis’ exposure of her boss’ sexual abuse. Noah is the hacker who helped bring these crimes to light and in the 18 months since then, the two have become good friends who nerd out together. But is there something more? Is it worth the risk to step out of the friend zone?

‘Mack snorted and looked at Malcolm. “What would you say is your pet peeve about poorly crafted romance novels?” Malcolm crossed his arms. “That would be when two adult characters avoid having a grown-up conversation that could change the course of the story”.’

I love how meta these books are! Romance novels that are about romance novels, commenting on standard romance formulas while using these same tropes. It’s a refreshing, funny and heartfelt series I can’t get enough of.

Alexis and Noah’s story was different than the rest of the series, with the friends to lovers trope, and had a painfully emotional family element. I couldn’t put it down. 8/10

Now, what would you say is your pet peeve with romance novels?

Cozying up with Wild at Heart ♥️

Calla and Jonah’s Alaskan love story continues right where we left off in The Simple Wild. I love all the house hunting antics, and growing pains of their decision to buy an Alaskan cabin together. I like that after the “happily ever after” of the first book, we get a glimpse into “reality” of a young couple moving in together, the sacrifices they make and the best parts of learning about your partner.

As always, the secondary characters in this story are such a delight. We’re introduced to a crotchety old man who is their new neighbor who surely has a reason for being so mean, and a pushy motherly type who is equal parts awesome and controlling. Throw in Bandit their lovable raccoon, a crazy fainting goat and some wolves and a moose for good measure!

I never want this series to end! Jonah and Calla’s love story is a classic.

🎄It’s getting cheery up in here 🎄

I don’t know why it took me so long to discover I can listen to audiobooks on my commute to work, but now it’s like a whole new level of bookishness has been unlocked.

It snowed this weekend! ❄️ Which for us means long walks/snowball fights, some gift wrapping and baking 🍪

It can be an overwhelming time even in the easiest of winters, but for those about to go into lockdown tomorrow in Ontario and for anyone experiencing an especially difficult season of life, I hope you’re looking after yourself and that your loved ones are safe and healthy. ❤️

If you’re looking for something light and heartwarming I would absolutely recommend In A Holidaze by Christina Lauren. The perfect holiday escape, it’s a Groundhog Day theme where Maelyn relives the week leading up to Christmas over and over until she learns what will make her happy. There were some slower/repetitive parts and the audiobook reader butchers Benny’s Australian accent at times, but overall this was such a romantic read in a beautiful setting with all the holiday feels. 8/10🎄❤️❄️

Reading about super fun sexy times usually helps..right? I don’t know about you, but I needed the distraction this past week, and the absolute steeeam in this one did not disappoint! 🔥

🇬🇧Beautiful Secret by @christinalauren is part of the Beautiful series, and was giving me all the modern day Mr. Darcy vibes. Niall Stella is a recent divorcee and even though he’s a posh, British dreamboat that everyone in the office ogles, he’s awkward as heck and terrible with women. Cue Ruby and her crazy crush she’s been harbouring for months.

The two go on a work trip to NYC for a month in neighbouring hotel rooms and man oh man the SCANDAL these two get up to, and yet somehow they still take things slow?? There’s quite the build up for these two and the tension is the best kind of torture. 8/10

A Rogue of One’s Own by @evietheauthor 8.5/10

2020 may suck, but it’s also been my year of Historical Romance! 💕 I can’t believe it took me so long to get on board with this genre, but now that I have, I’m never sleeping on it again. Evie Dunmore was my intro to the genre in 2019, with Bringing Down the Duke (the first of the League or Extraordinary Women series) and she showed me what a modern historical romance could do! These characters are bold females in the height of the suffragist movement, making moves and taking names.

In A Rogue of One’s Own, we catch up with the petite and feisty Lucie, who we were introduced to in the first book as the leader of these extraordinary women. Bold and courageous, but rarely taking time for herself, she’s tired and in no mood for Tristan Ballentine, her childhood nemesis.

Tristan is a lanky yet beautiful lord, known for his confidence, charming every lady in town, writing romantic poetry, and getting under Lucie’s skin. While Lucie wants nothing to do with him, he has always wanted everything to do with her.

I love a good enemies to lovers story 💕 A Rogue of One’s Own was such a sweet read, and the tension between these two was intense! Just like its prequel, Bringing Down the Duke, I genuinely enjoyed this story and this time period.

It’s 1 part history lesson, 1 part incredible setting and descriptions and a million parts simmering tension between our leads. Spoiler alert: I liked that Lucie’s lesson learned was that finding love doesn’t take away from her freedoms or her cause. Tristan loving her for who she only made her stronger! Tristan and Lucie aren’t two halves of a whole, they are each individuals who bring out the best in each other 💕

Engagement & Espionage (Solving for Pie Mysteries book #1) by @reidromance

🐓 So many chicken puns so little time! 🐓

I’m following up my recent reread of Beard Science and picked up the first in the spin-off series ‘Solving for Pie: Cletus and Jenn mysteries’, with Engagement and Espionage!

The dedication says “for all the Cletus and Jenn stans, this book is most definitely 100% for you”, which means this book is dedicated to me. I am part of the stan and I’m so here for this. When I first saw it was a “mystery series” my little romance reading heart got nervous, but the writing is classic Penny Reid and I was sucked in immediately.

Cletus & Jenn foreva!

This book was everything I hoped for and more!! Essentially a continuation from where Beard Science left off, we rejoin Cletus and Jenn and delve into the world of sinister bakers, moonshiners and chicken chokers! Plus some good old fashioned steamy romance 💕

Cletus is up to his usual plotting and hilarious antics. My favourite was his explanation of his freezer labels; “emergency lasagna” versus “lasagna emergency” (one is in case you really need lasagna, and one causes a bodily emergency if eaten). I absolutely loved this book and the fact that this series and especially these characters are going to continue on makes my heart so happy. 8.5/10 🥧 🐓 I cant wait for the next one!