Briefly trapped in an elevator, Sawyer and Mason experience the meet-cute neither of them wanted. After a one night stand with each other, this cynical romance writer and heart-eyed television actor decide they can help each other. Sawyer needs inspiration for her long overdue novel and Mason needs to learn not to fall immediately, madly in love with every woman he goes on a date with. Together they complete a list of the most romantic trope heavy dates to ruin romance for Mason once and for all. Will they be able to avoid the most clichéd trope of all - accidentally falling for each other!

Unromance from Erin Connor started with quite the bang: stuck in an elevator followed by a one night stand! What followed was a solid debut novel packed with witty banter and perfectly placed pop culture references. Following along with Sawyer and Mason as they complete their list and slowly get to know each other was fun. The characters felt well rounded, and the pacing and writing were very well done. Unromance by Erin Connor is the perfect for rom-com fans!

Thanks to the publisher, Forever, and NetGalley for sending an eARC copy for review. All opinions are my own.

#Unromance #NetGalley

Fun debut from Erin Connor, I enjoyed the "meta" romance elements and am looking forward to seeing what this author does next.

A charming and witty debut with a fun Hollywood spin. I'm excited to see what Erin Connor writes next!

I'm just loving contemporary romance these days, so this book just hit the spot for me. I mean, this was just so much fun, and it was hard not to fall for the two main characters.
I mean, you have Sawyer, a romance writer who doesn't believe in love and Mason, the hopeless romantic actor who can't help falling in love. And they meet with a classic meet-cute of getting stuck on the elevator together, then walked away from each other only to meet up again at a bar and go on to have one night stand... These two together created such fun and chaotic back and forth, and their banter and tension was just too good to put this book down.
Honestly, it was just the kind of book I needed, a fun romance, with both characters kind of challenging the classics tropes and situations in a cute an fun way. I'm already looking forward to read what Erin Connor will right next, because this was definitely a great read!

This book is what happens when you have a meet cute between a hopeless romantic actor and a jaded “sworn off love forever” romance writer and I loved every second of it! Mason, our MMC, was the perfect golden retriever cinnamon roll hero that we all deserve - I was rooting for him from page one and he did not let me down. Sawyer was so much fun immediately. She was crass and chaotic and absolutely incredible. The tension and the longing kept me on the edge of my seat throughout the whole book; I could not get enough. Watching their romance blossom in real life, even though they weren’t supposed to fall in love, was pure bliss. The author did a phenomenal job of making their story not only believable but something to make you absolutely giddy.

Unromance was quite a fun book to read this early on in the year! I'm really surprised that no one (at least that I have seen) has written a book like this before now!

Sawyer Greene is an accomplished romance author, but unfortunately she's suffering from writer's block following her breakup with her girlfriend, Sadie. She has a deadline that is quickly approaching and if she doesn't find her mojo soon, she's going to be in trouble.

Mason West has certainly made name for himself in the acting world, but in his personal life, he has not managed to find a relationship that doesn't ultimately end up in the tabloids. Having just broken up with his latest girlfriend, he needs to spend some time alone without a romance that will find its way to the headlines.

Sawyer and Mason end up having a meet-cute they would rather forget, but when they run into one another a second time, is that fate? Could they end up helping one another considering they never thought they would see one another again? Sawyer needs Mason to help her find her muse again and Mason needs Sawyer to ruin romance for him. Will it really be that easy? Or are these two in for a ride they are least expecting?

I really thought this storyline was inspired. As I said above, I've never seen it done before and it was both funny and romantic to see Sawyer and Mason work their way through their own version of a rom-com! This is definitely worth picking up!

**I voluntarily read an early copy of this title courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review**

This is not a holiday romance but I would recommend this one to my audience during the holidays. This romance was layered and had just about every thing that I need when I read one. I’ve posted about this one multiple times on my socials and the hype is real!

I can’t believe this was a debut! I really enjoyed the story and the writing. There was such good banter between the characters and the chemistry was off the charts. I loved the cinnamon roll hero and the added bookish element with the female main character being a romance author. Can’t wait to see what this author writes next!

What a solid debut from Erin Conner!!! Unromance is witty, cute and even got a little steamy. It is the absolute perfect rom-com that had me laughing out loud all while having a very heartfelt and real feel to it. Sawyer and Mason felt extremely relatable to me and I had the best time reading this!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Mason is the perfect book boyfriend. No notes. I loved everything about this book - cute, fun, little steamy, some laugh out loud moments but also moments with more/emotional moments.

Recommended!

Unromance by Erin Connor
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What do you get when a romance writer (Sawyer) and an actor (Mason) make a pact to each other”fix” the other? All of the romance tropes, unintentionally.
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What I liked:
-I loved the “meet cute” and how from the very first sight of each other they were bantering.
-I adored Mason.
-I loved when they really talked and got to know each other.
-I could tell I really got into the book when that third act break up made me so mad.
-There was a surprising amount of emotion in this book because it kept making me cry!
-It was really interesting reading about Sawyer’s writing process and how it really consumed her when inspiration hit.
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4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Sawyer is an author with writer's block, until she gets stuck in an elevator with a handsome stranger. She and Mason agree to go on movie-inspired romantic dates to help cure Sawyer's writer's block and break Mason's hopeless romantic streak.

If you're a romcom fan, this is the book for you! It's chock full of banter and fun moments as they try to ruin all the romance tropes. There's a lot of tension and a bit of steam as our leads try not to catch feelings, and Mason is a swoony celebrity lead with a soft heart.

It's a fun read and I recommend picking it up!

Thanks Forever and NetGalley for the advance copy.

Unromance was so much fun! This book was a love letter to every rom com you've ever read or watched and I thought that the chemistry between Sawyer and Mason absolutely sizzled from the jump. I loved the journeys they had to go on individually to come together successfully and in a mature way that felt as true to life as falling in love with a tv star you get stuck in an elevator with ever does. The humor was sharp and the sense of place - Chicago in holiday winter was palpable. I also appreciated the very casual and well-integrated representation of Sawyer as bi or pan, having an ex-partner who is a woman, and other queer couples showing up in the world, which added to the verisimilitude! A perfect read to start the year!

Sawyer Greene should know a lot about romance. Being a best-selling author with a movie adaptation under your belt kinda makes you an authority. However, Sawyer lost the romance faith when her last relationship failed. She has been unable to write since and the deadlines have long passed. When she has the perfect meet-cute of getting stuck in an elevator with a handsome stranger, she's less impressed and more irritated. Turns out the handsome stranger is none other than famous actor Mason West.

Mason has lived in Chicago for the past few years while filming a successful television show where he plays a sexy doctor. With life somewhat imitating art, Mason and his costar begin dating in real life, much to the delight of fans everywhere. But just like Mason's previous relationships, it ends, and now the press cannot help remarking on his long list of failed relationships, which has the potential to upend an upcoming new career venture for Mason. Besides that, Mason just doesn't understand why he cannot find love he's always been the romantic. Regardless, Mason decides to keep a low profile for the next few months, hopefully pulling the tabloids off his scent.

When Mason and Sawyer run into each other again, They decide to have a low-stakes one night stand. Then, as fate would have it, they continue to run into each other. Instead of lean into their attraction for one another, they decide to help each other out. Sawyer, for her part, will ruin romance for Mason. Hoping this will curb his overtly romantic tendencies. In doing so the goal is for Sawyer to get some much-needed inspiration to finish her book. Of course nothing goes to plan, and they both have to decide if sticking to their goals is important enough to give up the connection between them.

The premise really hooked me with the idea of trying to subvert the various standard rom-com tropes. Although the premise, while cute, was never really going to work, but I'm wondering if that was more of a conscious choice as opposed to weak plotting. Honestly, it's because while Sawyer may be gun-shy of giving her heart to someone again, I don't believe for a second that she doesn't want love.

Erin Connor did a spectacular job in building up Sawyer and Mason's relationship. There is a spark each and every time they're on page together and throughout the inevitable ups and downs, the downs are deftly felt when they are apart.

I also appreciated the role reversal in making Mason the hopeless romantic. Typically, these types of story have the male protagonist being the one who just doesn't believe in love then the female swoops in and changes his perspective. I love how much Mason holds on to his love of romance and his belief in soulmates and how he looks at each relationship with an almost wide-eyed naiveté. In holding onto that belief, Mason can be the one to swoop in and help Sawyer move out of the comfort zone she's created in order to protect her heart.

This has been one of the best romances I've read lately. I feel like it's often difficult to move outside of the already setup romance tropes in this genre because, well, they're tried and true for one reason or another. Trying to "ruin" or subvert these tropes only causes Sawyer and Mason to lean more into said tropes which was delightful. I think this is a wonderful debut for Erin Connor and I'm excited to see where she goes next.

Unromance by Erin Connor is a spicy romcom that will make you feel like you're watching a movie.
The story follows Sawyer, a writer who has hit the wall and is desperate to write a book and Mason, an actor on a popular medical soap who wants more from his life, especially because the set is toxic, his ex (who just broke up with him) is also his costar.

And one elevator meet-cute is destined to change it all.

I really enjoyed this book. It explains the characters and their backgrounds, sets up the story and wastes no time diving right into it.

I really enjoyed the build up of Sawyer and Mason after their one night stand. It didn't feel rushed or like an insta love. Characters stand on their own, have their own "thing" and make sense without each other. But they also are a really good team, which makes this book work perfectly. It was nice to see two people who develop a real friendship and then feelings beyond lust.

What i really enjoyed is Sawyer and her relationship with her books, with the movie adaptation. I was thinking a lot why she hates it and the revelation made so much sense.
Speaking of Sawyer, I was imagining Sabrina Carpenter while reading the book which made it even more fun. I think you'd benefit from listening to Fruitcake while reading this book, it's a perfect soundtrack.

I found some of the dialogue/text to be a little cringe but cringe is life.

Overall, this is a really great story and I would recommend this book if you:
- love characters who have goals
- "we need to do stuff on a list to reach a goal" trope
- enjoy spice 🌶
- writer x actor
- love 3D characters
- want to find a new book boyfriend aka Mason

Thank you Netgalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

🖤 hopeless romantic actor mmc
📖 cynical romance author fmc
🖤 forced proximity
📖 ons
🖤 he’s down bad
📖 love letter to romcoms
🖤 queer rep
📖 banter

This is such a delightful debut from Erin Connor! What a stellar way to kick off what this new fan hopes will be a long, novel-filled career!

The story is funny, witty, and heartfelt, the characters feel like real people with electric chemistry, and the prose flows like rain. Erin clearly loves romance and romcoms because she’s crafted the perfect love letter to the genre and manages to make many of the well-trod tropes feel fresh.

We love an FMC who’s lost her faith in love and a hopeless romantic MMC who changes that. You need this book on your 2025 tbr!

She's a romance author who doesn't believe in love after a terrible breakup and is facing a writer's block for her fourth book and he's a famous actor and an incurable romantic who has a reputation as a playboy who wants nothing more than to learn to stop falling in love so easily, yet what started off as a one night stand turns into something more as they keep running into each other and when they agree to help each other... they just might be perfect for each other. Sawyer Greene is a romance author, she's a best selling author but ever since her big breakup with her ex, she's now dealing with a broken heart and writer's block because she just can't think of anything to write about. Mason West is a famous actor who is an incurable romantic but has had a bad reputation from the press as being a playboy, and after his recent breakup he's determined to stop falling for people so easily and find a way to just find "the one". When Sawyer and Mason meet on an elevator and have a one night stand the last thing they expect is to keep running into each other. They come up with a plan: Mason will help Sawyer come up with romance scenarios for her book and let her see through his rose tinted glasses while Sawyer will help Mason temper down his tendencies to fall in love easily and prove to him that love isn't all that it's cracked up to be. Yet the more time they spend together, the more their feelings for each other are beginning to grow... but can they really separate their pact from their feelings and can Sawyer finally get over her fear of opening her heart after what happened with her ex and open herself up to Mason? This was just a sweet and charming read. The romance was cute and Mason was an adorable love interest for Sawyer. I had a fun time reading it and it was definitely a quick and easy book to read. It's cute, it's funny, and the romance is really adorable. I would absolutely recommend it!

Release Date: January 14,2025

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) | Forever for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

Unromance is the ultimate quirky, emotional, witty love letter to romance novels. Sawyer is a jaded best-selling romance author who doesn't believe in love after her ex-girlfriend shattered her heart, leaving her with writer's block. Mason West is a TV heart-throb whose heart is also a hopeless romantic. He's tired of falling in love and, after an amazing one-night stand, enlists Sawyer to ruin romance for him, one trope at a time. These characters were so authentic and full of raw emotion. This was one of the first times I read a book in which everything felt natural. It didn't feel like the author was trying to force any unnatural scenarios or responses and reactions on the characters to drag the story along. This book should definitely be on any romance readers TBR. My favorite part of the book was the trope descriptions at the beginning of every chapter they had me cracking up. It's hard to believe it's Erin Connor's debut novel, but I'm so excited to see what else she brings to the table.

I am so grateful to the author, publisher, and netgalley for the opportunity to ARC Review this book. All opinions are my own.

This is a fabulous debut and I definitely recommend it!

Unromance is laugh out loud funny and both characters are witty and interesting. The story also has depth; I enjoyed Sawyer and Mason’s journeys separately and with each other. They felt very real to me and I could relate to both of them. This book reminded me of When Harry Met Sally, it just had that vibe for me. I can't wait to read more of Erin's work!

3.5 Stars Out of 5!

Rounded to 3

Thank you to Netgalley and Grand Central Publishing for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a really solid debut and I’m interested to read more from Erin Connor.

The romance and chemistry were cute, it was cringy but not in the way where it really makes me roll my eyes, and it was nice to see characters that were self-aware. Sawyer wasn’t the most relatable character, but I don’t see that as a fault. I personally enjoyed seeing a flawed FMC who had real troubles with intimacy and trust instead of caving in the first time they have sex. She was also very sex positive and knew what she wanted!

I love grand gestures and ending stories there, but do wish I had gotten to see more of them as a couple. Also, it happened after a third act breakup that was pretty unnecessary.

Overall, still an enjoyable read and wish Erin well on her debut book!