Well this was a TREAT! What happens when you trap a romance writer who doesn’t believe in love with a TV hearth throb who is a hopeless romantic together in an elevator? And instead of just having a one-night stand they keep running into each other in the most meet-cute of ways? You get a hilarious and heartwarming romance about finding love when you are trying to do the opposite.

Sawyer is having the worst writer’s block after breaking up with her girlfriend and needs inspiration to tell a good story. Mason keeps having his heart broken and is in the tabloids AGAIN after another romance gone wrong. They come up with a plan to help each other by creating romantic scenarios and ruining them, thus curing Mason of his romanticism and giving Sawyer that spark she needs. But the plan to not fall in love? That fails miserably.

I listened to this one on audio and had the BEST time with it. The narrators did such a good job with the characters and kept me so engaged. I loved that the book was set in Chicago and it was so fun to see their hijinks happening all around town! It inspired me to go out and do some of the same!

Mason is such a cinnamon roll and he is SUCH a hopeless romantic. I just wanted to wrap him up he was so cute. And Sawyer is jaded and edgy, just how I like my FMCs. She is unapologetically herself, and we need more of these women in our lives. I loved their banter and tension so much. They were just SO GOOD.

The plot one hundred percent follows the typical path of a romance, with conflict in a third act break up. While I usually don’t enjoy that, it makes sense for this book due to how much it was a caricature of the romcom genre.

Overall it was a lot of fun and I really enjoyed myself!

Thank you NetGalley and LibroFM for the copies of this book!

Thank you Forever & NetGalley for the ARC copy in exchange for an honest review!

I struggled with this one. I found it really hard to connect to the FMC but found the MMC *very* sweet and cute. Their relationship also felt disconnected and perhaps not quite believable? At any rate, the premise is cute, it feels like a fun holiday season read, and I loved the "trope" usage for the chapter titles. Also, the end was super duper sweet!

Definitely worth a read to decide for yourself. Just think it wasn't for me :)

This book was the perfect blend of laugh out loud rom-com and a love letter to romance books.

Sawyer is a romance writer that no longer believes in romance. Mason is a hopeless romantic TV star that keeps getting burned in love. Their two worlds collide thanks to a faulty elevator and they devise a plan to help each other out. Sawyer is going to ruin romance for Mason, and Mason is going to help Sawyer overcome her writers block by taking her on romantic dates.

Erin did such a great way at exploring popular romance book tropes and showing the reader what makes them so great. She highlights how cliché they can be, while also displaying how well they work. The humor and banter was so well done, and it just made me fall in love with these characters. The way there were all of these little romance book Easter eggs sprinkled throughout the book just made this such an enjoyable read.

I loved watching Sawyer and Mason grow through the course of this story both in their friendship, but also as individuals.

If you like romance or rom-coms, you need to pick up this book!

Thank you to Forever and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced read copy

An elevator meet-cute has never been so passionate! After a technical malfunction, struggling romance writer (and full time cynic) Sawyer ends up in close quarters with hopeless romantic television actor Mason. The two end up having an earth-shattering one-night stand but it’s only when they run into each other again, do they decide to help each other out in a different way. Sawyer needs to untangle her writers block and deliver her editors a swoon worthy new novel, while Mason wants to ruin romance after a public breakup left him questing his romantic pursuits. The two compile a list of classic romance tropes to engage in, in attempts to spark Sawyer’s creativity and swear Mason off foolish love for good. Too bad, their chemistry is electric and their vow to keep things professional gets murkier and murkier with every trope they check off.

I am shocked that this is a debut! In Unromance, Erin Connor deftly displays an understanding of romance tropes while crafting a completely unique and tender story between a hopeless romantic and scorned skeptic. Mason and Sawyer were THE PERFECT leads. Sawyer, my chaotic bi queen, was imbued with charm and wit that endeared her to me instantly. In other hands, Sawyer could have become a caricature of a curmudgeon, but Connor breathes honesty and vulnerability into her character. Mason’s depth is similarly handled and his outlook on love and desire for connection proved that he was more than just a handsome face. These two are pure magic together and you could feel the tension radiating off the page with every shared glance or volley of banter.

The themes of this novel are quite beautiful as well. There is a lot to be said about trusting someone again after intense heartbreak. Watching Sawyer and Mason overcome their past hurts and open themselves up to a different kind of intimacy had me overcome with emotion. They took time to understand the other’s needs and it resulted in a healthy and mature partnership. There are many stunning quotes about love and relationships peppered throughout the writing and I found myself constantly highlighting gorgeous passages that made my heart flutter.

The idea of “ruining romance” made for a delightful premise and I loved how each chapter was headed with a different trope and descriptor. It added such a fun levity to the story and prepared readers for the exciting adventures Sawyer and Mason were going to have. I am so happy I started the year off with such a strong book because Unromance is exactly the type of five-star love story I have been waiting for!

Thank you Forever and NetGalley for providing me with this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

This book was such a delight. I loved how the author used common romance novel “tropes” as headers and loose guidelines for each chapter. Mason and Sawyer’s journey from one night stands to friends to lovers was so fun to read, I loved their character development and that Mason was the romantic and Sawyer was the cynic.
It was my second book of 2025 and my first five star!

a solid debut! i was immediately drawn to the premise of unromance — a jaded romance author who teams up with a TV heartthrob for a mutually beneficial friendship and swear to not fall in love? sign me up.

sawyer and mason are sweet together. connor really nails their banter and chemistry and it’s because of the friendship that builds between the two characters throughout the novel. it’s like witnessing two of your best friends who are obviously in love with each other interact and neither of them realize it. the writing is well done (great spice) and mason is the biggest sweetheart who’s obsessed with his sawyer.

it’s a bit of a slow burner at the start, but once i hit the 35% mark, it really started to pick up.

thank you forever pub for the e-ARC!

Recently dumped TV heartthrob Mason West enlists jaded romance novelist Sawyer Greene to ruin romance for him one romcom trope at a time. It's a foolproof plant-until Mason and Sawyer find that once set in motion some plots can't be stopped.

Erin Conner's debut is a love letter to all things romcom. Each title chapter even explains the most common tropes! And, of course, the MCs also find themselves in romcom situations beginning with their meet cute. Mason is an actor playing a hot TV doctor, but Sawyer had no idea who he was-which of course is also a trope! LOL From the beginning, Mason was totally smitten-love that he falls first! Sawyer was also attracted to him but convinced herself that she's not a relationship kind of woman. I enjoyed the romcom cliche situations they were trying to "ruin," but ultimately it had the opposite effect.


>> One night stand
>> Celebrity romance
>> Grumpy x Sunshine
>> Complicated/toxic family

Sawyer Greene is a romance author who has sworn off love, but can't seem to shake her writing slump. Mason West is an actor, and hopeless romantic, who desperately needs to stop believing in love at first sight. After their Hallmark meetcute of getting stuck in an elevator together, the two make a mutually beneficial deal with no feelings or sex involved- because that always works as planned, right?

Unromance was cheesy and cliché, but in the best way! I loved that both the characters and the writing structure played up every common romance trope. It poked fun at the repetitve plot lines and swoon-worthy grand gestures that you see in romance movies, but not in a way that takes away from the genre.

Sawyer was so relatable, and as much as I can't stand certain romance tropes, they were necessary and made Sawyer (and Mason) more real.

The premise is outstanding: one hopeless romantic and one jaded unromantic agree to rub off on each other. Erm, not like that. Well, kind of like that. And did I mention they had an explosive one night stand first? The premise set high expectations that were absolutely met. Sawyer and Mason are dedicated to ruining romance, but they can’t help the sparks that fly every time they’re together. Pretty soon they realize it’s more than just physical chemistry between them, too. I loved the genuine connection and mutual respect that was present between them the entire book. This isn’t instalove; it’s two mature adults working through their baggage and forging a lasting connection. Loved it and can’t wait to read whatever comes next from this author.

Thank you to Forever and NetGalley for the advance reader copy. These opinions are my own.

This book was such a fun time, especially for someone like me who loves and adores all kinds of romances. Sawyer writes romance novels, and Mason is an actor known far too much for his love life. So he requests her help in not falling in love by "unromancing" all the standard rom-com tropes.

I literally laughed out loud at the start to each chapter with the glossary definitions of romance tropes. And they each foretold what to expect in hilarious ways. Additionally, Sawyer and Mason shared amazing banter that was quick and just as funny. I want to be their friends and join their conversations.

Because of course, Sawyer and Mason are just friends. Of course.

The writing was phenomenal with fabulous metaphors. It's a good thing when I stop to notice just how well written the prose is. And I loved every single reference to romance stories. They ran from 10 Things I Hate About You (the main characters are correct - that is the best ever rom-com) to many of Jane Austen's classics.

The romance was phenomenal with just the right chemistry and pacing. And I also want to should out the beautiful male friendship Mason shares with Luis. I feel like I am regularly saying how much I enjoy the female friendships in romances, and I would love to see more strong male friendships like this. Last but not least, yay for bi rep!

This book was a delight and the perfect read to start my 2025.

This was a fantastic romance. I loved the integration of the tropes and how self-aware the book was and yet the characters can't see what is developing between them. I also think the romance was A+. I will definitely purchase and recommend.

4.5 rounded up to 5 - This was a great debut romance!

I'm a sucker for a cinnamon roll hero and Mason DELIVERED. I also loved the character development of Sawyer - even if I got frustrated with her at times, I feel like Erin Connor did a great job setting things up so it was believable.

I also loved how each chapter was introduced by a typical romance trope - that made it all the more fun to see how that trope would play out in the book.

** I received an e-ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is such a wonderful debut from Erin Connor!
The banter was fun. The spice was spicy. The characters were real, even if they did frustrate me sometimes, but that was ultimately part of their charm.
Cinnamon rolls are my favorite of baked goods, so I know a thing or two about them, and Mason was the sweetest of cinnamon rolls. Something about a hopeless romantic man.
Sawyer and her chaotic bi black cat energy was perfect. The balance between our two mains fit really well which made for hilarious and sexy moments. They both had their flaws, but it’s all in how they work through them to get to the end. I loved their love. 🥹

My only downside is the pacing. A few scenes felt unnecessarily long, but it didn’t ruin the want to finish this book.

✨ARC review✨

Witty, sexy, and cliché in the best way possible—Unromance is packed with all the tropes we romance girlies love. From the moment you meet the two main characters, their chemistry is undeniable. This book is laugh-out-loud funny and had me smiling nonstop, page after page. I gave it five stars because I truly enjoyed every moment (and trust me, the two-minute voice message I sent to my best friend proves it).

While the second-act breakup is usually a miss for me, it fit perfectly here since the story leans into clichés and book tropes in the best way. I especially loved Mason being the ultimate lover boy while Sawyer, a romance author, was ironically skeptical of love after a bad breakup. Beyond the emotional and funny moments, this book is undeniably sexy. The steam? Top tier. (That tights scene? IYKYK—it will live rent-free in my mind forever.)

Thank you, Erin Connor, for giving me the perfect romcom to kick off my year!

Thank you, NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the ARC!

How adorable was this??? 😍😍

Ruining Romance with all our favorite romance tropes?!
YES! ✨

This book is a good time! With plenty of giddy, funny moments and a MMC who is so freakin sweet!!

…and the spicy scenes were ❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥

Absolutely a must read if your looking for a romcom that makes you feel so freakin good 🫶

This book was a perfect representation of a meet-cute when you least expect it. Sawyer was a romantic and successful romance author until her real life doesn't have a happy ending. when she has given up on love and almost her career, she has a textbook meet cute with hopeless romantic, Mason. Sawyer's chaotic energy was so well-balanced by Mason as they are on a mission to prove every romance trope wrong. There was tension and banter and all the amazing things. I loved that Mason started falling for Sawyer first, and helped her through her thoughts to realize her feelings for him. This one is for all the hopeless romantics! Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the free eARC in exchange for a free eARC.

Instagram post to go live on 08Jan25

This was absolutely amazing. The way that Mason and Sawyer both changed each others lives was beautiful. I loved that Sawyer was willing to do it scared and Mason was willing to slow down his timeline for her. I loved Mason's siblings and Lilly, Sawyer's best friend. I would love more by this author!

My sincere thanks to Forever and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read Unromance by Erin Connor. I give my unbiased opinion of this book in the following review.

The story begins with Mason and Sawyer having a rom-com worthy meet cute in an elevator. Unfortunately, neither one is in the right frame of mind for a relationship at that moment. This doesn't stop them from engaging in some also rom-com worthy banter and going back to Mason's place for a no strings never to be repeated one-night stand. When they do meet again, they hatch a plan that is supposed to be for their mutual benefit. Sawyer is a romance writer experiencing a major writing slump since ending a serious relationship. Mason is a well-known actor who has also experienced a recent break-up. He is being kicked around in the tabloids but is still a hopeless romantic. They figure if they go out together and put all the romantic tropes they can think of to the test, Sawyer will get some inspiration for her book and Mason will see how all the romantic scenarios can't possibly be for real and break his belief in romance. Well, I wasn't sure that was going to work, and I was right on when it didn't. Of course, Mason and Sawyer start catching feelings early on. I have to say that Mason was a pretty swoony character. Sawyer was a little prickly, but it wasn't hard to see that deep down she wanted the same things that Mason did. I enjoyed how they were able to build a friendship as well as a romantic relationship. It was fun to see them interact with their best friends while trying to figure out their next steps in their "unromance". All the tropes they tried like going ice skating and chopping down a Christmas tree were well worth the read. Be prepared for some steamy times, but like I said, the friendship building was my favorite part.

Unromance releases on January 14th, 2025

starting the year off STRONG with this one! i was quite literally OBSESSED.

if you’re a romance trope girlie like me, you will absolutely adore this book! sawyer and mason had an elevator meet-cute but neither of them were quite interested in relationships at the moment after both coming off bad-breakups. so what’s the opposite of a meet-cute? a one-night-stand where they’ll never see each other again.

meanwhile, sawyer was an author experiencing writers block and needed to do literally anything to get her book started because she had deadlines to meet. mason on the other hand wanted to be less of a romantic. he believed in true love and all the tropes and desperately needed someone to help him ruin that. alas, sawyer and mason made a pact. she would help him ruin romance and in the midsts of doing romantic things, hopefully she would be inspired to write her romance book.

they completed nearly every trope in the book and i loved every single minute of it. things like going to IKEA (aka every persons worst nightmare) and going ice skating when sawyer didn’t know how to. things that should have been daunting but the two hit it off and had unbelievable chemistry. highly, highly recommend this read especially with valentine’s day around the corner!

A romance debut promising a romp of subverted tropes and elder Millennial references, Erin Connor's Unromance has been high on my list of most anticipated 2025 releases. The story follows Sawyer Greene, a successful romance author struggling to finish a draft while grappling with her own heartbreak and loneliness who finds herself in the midst of a classic elevator meet-cute with a man who turns out to be Mason West, a mildly famous actor known for dating his costars and simping hard. After a (very hot) one-night stand, they decide they can help each other during the holiday season – they can undertake many Hallmark Christmas scenarios together so that he can inspire her to finish a new holiday romance while she can ruin romance for him.

There's much to admire in Erin Connor's debut – I adored the humor and banter, and was often delighted by the amusing "definitions" of classic tropes that accompanied each chapter. But as tongue-in-cheek and witty as this book often was, as much as I liked the main characters, as much as the chemistry and tension sizzled (the tights scene!!!), and as much as I enjoyed that many of the scenarios that felt very grounded and realistic rather than cutesy romantic fluff, things never really came together for me in a way that felt fully satisfying. The character back stories and more emotional beats felt like they were left simmering on the back burner for a little bit too long, making the emotional journeys and resolutions a bit too abrupt for my liking.

Still, I did enjoy the exploration of Sawyer's writing process in how they relate both to her work and relationships, and overall I really liked Erin's voice and sensibilities. Though I didn't ultimately fully love Unromance the way I hoped, I will look forward to more books from her in the future!