🦇 Unromance Book Review 🦇

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

❓ #QOTD What's your favorite rom-com adaptation, & did you prefer the book or movie?

💜 SA-WOON! Take every iconic rom-com that's ever stolen your heart, roll your eyes at the silly cliches (that somehow still never get old) and fall in love anyway. THAT'S what you get with Erin Connor's Unromance; a stunning, heart-warming, smirk-worthy debut that's filled with vulnerability, heart, and hope. Erin Connor, thank you SO MUCH for this book. Let's break it down:

✨ Characters: Even if you're not a rom-com writer or TV heartthrob who looks YUM in scrubs, you can easily connect with Sawyer and Mason. Sawyer is coming out of a heartbreak, unable to rejoice over love, while Mason is a heart-eyed romantic who can't take off his rose-colored glasses. Their contrasting mentalities make them the perfect pair. Everything about them is well-balanced, and not only from the romantic side of things. Mason is surrounded by friends and family but works in a cut-throat industry where it's difficult to trust and easy to get hurt, but he still keeps his heart open. Sawyer has isolated herself but longs for that connection, even though she holds herself back. They want and need different things, not only from each other, but in their lives. You root for them at every turn as they grow into people who not only need, but deserve each other.
✨ Plot and Pacing: Most rom-com stories have at LEAST a little slow burn to them, and that's often excruciating, causing the pacing to drag. Unromance defies this problem by having the characters sleep together from the start, THEN initiating a fun, sexy slow burn as they deny their feelings for one another. The plot is a fun twist on rom-com cliches, too. Instead of feeling like a carbon copy of the romances before it, this book takes what we know and love with a refreshing twist. There wasn't a single time I had to put this book down due to bad pacing.
✨ Romance: I MEAN. Where do I even start with the CHEMISTRY between these two? About 80% of my love for this book is dedicated to the wit, the sass, the BANTER. It's fun, even sometimes unexpected, and honestly one of the first books to make me laugh aloud all year. As expected, Mason falls first, and HARD, and it's SO freaking cute. You will gasp, you will giggle, you will grin and kick your feet. Mason says that reading Sawyer's book is like watching a rom-com come to life, scenes playing vividly in his head. That's EXACTLY how I felt reading this book. As you can see from the list below, there are a LOT of romance micro-tropes thrown in. It never feels exhausting or superfluous. Even with the intentional list the characters create in an effort to defy romance cliches, a few unexpected ones pop in between them. I will say, however, that the smut at the start of the book is a bit...eh. The word choice made it obvious that this book is a debut (though the rest of the book does NOT in its flawless execution), but the writing grows stronger with every page. AND, AND, AND. The third act big gesture? UGH. To paraphrase Mason, this book has ruined romance for me in all the best ways.
✨ Mystery/Suspense: I was concerned with how Mason would reveal his little secret, because it screamed third act break-up potential. The execution worked well, though, and the third act surprisingly did NOT make me want to toss my Kindle across the room.
✨ Tone/Prose: The writing is fun, engaging, captivating...but I do wish there was a bit more show, don't tell. There are a few scenes that would have benefited from more descriptive language, but again: every scene plays out like it would in a movie. I LOVED the "juggling glass" analogy for choosing which responsibilities matter, though, and annotated such well-penned PARAGRAPHS of this book far more than I normally do for a debut. Erin Connor, I can't WAIT to see what you write next!

🦇 This may very well be my favorite contemporary romance of the year. Recommended for fans of Will They or Won't They, You Again, You've Got Mail, Plot Twist, Emily Henry romances, or Tessa Bailey romances.

✨ The Vibes ✨
🎞 Writer/Actor
❤ Contemporary Romance
🎞 Friends to Lovers
❤ Dual POV
🎞 Holiday Romance
❤ Fun Banter
🎞 Debut Novel
❤ Elevator Meet-Cute
🎞 One-Night Stand to Friends
❤ Bisexual/Queer Rep
🎞 Grumpy/Sunshine
❤ Romance Tropes/Grand Gestures

🦇 Major thanks to the author @erinsterlingbooks and publisher @readforeverpub for providing an ARC of this book via Netgalley. 🥰 This does not affect my opinion regarding the book. #Unromance

💬 Quotes
❝ "Happy endings are my favorite brand of fantasy.” ❞
❝ “Do not keep making sex jokes, or I will fall in love with you.” ❞
❝ “I’m gonna woo you so fucking hard, you’ll be writing a trilogy before you know what hit you.” ❞
❝ “Why be pragmatic when you can be romantic?” ❞
❝ Everyone had layers, like an onion, but Sawyer was like the coconuts she always smelled of. You had to be fucking determined if you wanted to get to the heart of her. ❞
❝ In the Venn diagram of “knowing Sawyer” and “loving Sawyer,” for Mason, it was a circle. ❞
❝ For someone who wrote thousands of words for a living, she was not very good at them in real life. With books, she had multiple chances to get it right, to reword it, to express it all wrong, and then edit it until what was left accurately conveyed what was in her head and in her heart. It didn’t work like that with people. You weren’t guaranteed a do-over, and they were already on their second chance. ❞
❝ "I think you might be my favorite person." ❞
❝ With the right person, the most ordinary moments became grand. ❞
❝ I get it now, why our mission was always doomed to fail. All those big movie moments, they would all fall flat if the person didn’t mean it. If they hadn’t fought to get there. It’s not about racing across town to find each other on New Year’s, or interrupting a wedding, it’s the vulnerability— not the act itself. It’s about showing up and risking it all with no guarantee you’ll get what you want. It’s about trying. ❞

Rating / Recommend: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 🌶️🌶️🌶️ Yes

My Thoughts:
This was such a great read and well done. The characters genuinely made me smile and be frustrated at them at the same time! So many good moments. Their banter was so funny. I love how slightly unhinged they are together. It was a super easy binge read which I’ve been needing. This is her debut novel and I think she did so great.

If you love romcoms, funny banter, spice, and a HEA ending… this is for you!

If you hate the miscommunication trope, you may not like this, but it’s still such a good read!

Content Warning: Multiple open-door scenes. Adult language and innuendos.

Oh my gosh, this book was every iconic romcom wrapped up in the perfect package with the cutest bow on top and I ate.it.up. I was a little worried about the sheer number of tropes jam packed into one story, but Erin made it work, really really well.

I absolutely loved that Sawyer and Mason’s roles were flip flopped from what we normally see and expect in a stereotypical romcom. Sawyer is a romance author who absolutely LOATHES romance in real life. She’s also a fucking riot - she’s witty, quirky, can pull innuendos out of you know where, and just lets her personality shine. Mason, on the other hand, is the hopeless romantic, swoon worthy TV doctor who’s super in touch with his emotions (green flags all around, honestly 💚). Give them an elevator meet-cute and the rest is history.

Unromance is filled with humor, vulnerability, love, friendship, and hope. When it releases on January 14, get your paws on this baby as fast as you can. I promise it will warm your romance-loving heart 💕

This is going to be one of the best books of the year I can just feel it. I absolutely loved everything about this. This is one of those books where I am in awe of every part and I wish I could just the way I feel into words but I’ll never be really be able too. Mason and Sawyer are two people who want and need different things out of love and romance. They themselves are opposites in many ways, and they find themselves falling in love along the way even though desperately wanted to do anything but. Mason and Sawyer are absolutely everything good in a romance book and I LOVED watching them fall in love.

Both Mason and Sawyer were so complex. Where Mason was so open and loose with his feelings and his love, Sawyer was so guarded and scared. They both just wanted someone to see them for who they were though. And watching them realize that they really could be that for each other and get that from each other was so beautiful.

I loved all the cutesy romance movie/book things they did together. They really were the perfect one night stand to friends to lovers where he falls so hard and first, and she is the jaded romance writer who doesn’t believe in love anymore. They were so soft and sweet and it was all the little things inbetween their Unromance list that really made their relationship feel so special.

Thank you so much to Forever for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

dnf @ 18%

i'm disappointed that i just wasn't feeling the "romance" between the two mc's! it didn't even feel like they had any physical chemistry, let alone emotional chemistry. i wanted so badly to love this because we have a chaotic bisexual woman jaded by love as the lead character, but something about her rubbed me the wrong way. her cynicism mixed with his hopeless romanticism felt super played up. the premise was a little strange, like "ruin romance for me by doing all of these romantic things with me but dw it's definitely not romantic" lol. i'm sure lots of people will eat this up but it unfortunately wasn't for me!

thank you to the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy of this book!

Sawyer Greene and Mason West meet when they’re briefly stuck in an elevator. Their attraction is immediate, but for different reasons, both are wary of love and relationships. They are, however, willing to take a chance on a one-night stand, fully expecting to never see each other again.

When they unexpectedly run into one another at a Christmas market, Mason believes it’s meant to be. He is an actor, and a hopeless romantic whose relationships always end in heartbreak and headlines splashed all over the tabloids. Sawyer on the other hand may be a romance writer, but she is also a certified romance skeptic.

They agree that romance is not in the cards for them, but decide that they can instead help “cure” each other. Mason will help Sawyer with her writer’s block and in return Sawyer will help Mason avoid all the trapping of love. The rules are simple: no (more) sex and absolutely not falling in love.

The rules they are determined to follow soon start to become blurry as they grow closer. Mason is having a difficult time keeping his feelings platonic and Sawyer is stubbornly refusing to believe she feels anything other than crazy physical attraction. I can’t say their behavior did not frustrate me at times, but they were both so charming that I never lost hope and cheered for them the entire time.

Unromance was a great debut by Erin Connor and I look forward to reading more of her work in the future.

This was a great, sexy, swoony read. I didn’t really connect with or relate to Sawyer, but I think that’s just me and other readers will. Erin Connor is a great writer, and I’m excited to see where she goes next!

This book was definitely fun, but it should have been marketed as a holiday romance. The connection between the characters was great. There was good tension and the plot flowed for the most part. The entire story took place over Christmas and New Year’s Eve, so if you’re a mood reader, save it for next Christmas. Otherwise, it’s cute! Go for it.

Sawyer Greene is a romance author who doesn’t believe in romance and Mason West is a cable TV star who is a hopeless romantic. In Unromance by Erin Connor (expected publication January 2025), Mason and Sawyer decide to address common romance tropes and ruin them together.

I loved the way the chapters were laid out as romance tropes and that the subtitle was always a witty and accurate interpretation of what that trope really means. Although this book takes place in the winter months, it isn’t really a holiday romance, and therefore it is good for any time of the year. Sawyer and Mason’s banter captured me from the very beginning and hooked me into the story.

I found this book to be medium-paced, although it was attention-grabbing throughout. I found it to be unique, in that the chapter introductions told you exactly what to expect, and it was a rom-com so you didn’t even really need that guide, and yet it still surprised me and blew me away. The book deals with both tough and lighthearted concepts that have shaped both Mason and Sawyer’s personality as adults, including true love, biphobia, heartbreak, and more. One character I wish we had gotten more of was Lily, she was such a great best friend and I could have handled so much more of her!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I am very grateful to the Forever Rep who sent it straight to my inbox, and to NetGalley for hosting the copy. This review is nothing but honest, and I hope you enjoy this book as much as I did.

I love Sawyer and Mason, individually and as a couple. I think they complement each other and they have amazing dialogue and dynamics. The idea that Mason is romantic but serially in relationships that end badly is a fun contradiction. Sawyer may not believe in romance, but she isn’t cynical about it and it makes her character likable and relatable. The tropes that they complete are not the ones that are overdone, which is very refreshing.

This was such a fun holiday romance! Sawyer is a jaded romance writer with horrible writers block. That is, until she meets tv star Mason West and gets trapped in an elevator with him, the perfect meet cute. Except, she no longer believes in love. When the two of them keep running into each other, they decide they were fated to meet, to cure each other. Mason of his romantic notions, Sawyer of her writers block. So the two of them enter a pack with rules to help each other through a hard time, and go through all the romance tropes. I loved the main, and side characters, the character development, and the plot of this book. It was the feel good escape I needed this week! I haven’t read any books by this author before, but I’ll definitely be checking them out now! I received an ARC, and this is my honest review.

✯✯✯✯4/5 stars✯✯✯✯
okay this was SUCHHHH a fun read! i think this is actually the first romcom i’ve read, and it def didn’t disappoint. the plot, the writing, the characters and their banter, everything was pure perfection and i’ve never kicked my feet and giggled over a book as much as this one.
ℳ𝒶𝒾𝓃 𝒞𝒽𝒶𝓇𝒶𝒸𝓉ℯ𝓇𝓈：
Mason ~ i am so in LOVE with this man! he’s so funny and such a sunshine character, and he’s also a hopeless romantic (same) so, he’s become one of my new favorite mmc’s <3
Sawyer ~ i wanna be her friend so badddd. this woman is so sassy, funny, witty, total black cat energy. i loved her personality so much and her banter with Mason was everythingggg! they were just too cute and hilarious together. plus the spice?? WHEW!
they ofc had their fair share of problems and had to face their flaws in order to make things work, but it all came together perfectly and made these two even more perfect for each other (i want what they havee). im already thinking about rereading it after having just finished it so, 10/10 recommend.
Thank you NetGalley for this ARC <3

This book was amazing.

As much as I hate certain romance tropes, they fit in this book since this book was about how many romance cliché's you can fit into one story!

Mason and Sawyer were amazing characters with believable growth. They had problems that everyone could relate too (Sawyer at least), and you were really rooting for them.

This was Erin Connor's first novel and I can't wait to see what she comes with next!

The first thing that caught my attention was the title of the book. “Unromance”, strange to say the least but equally appealing that I knew I had to read the book.

Funny enough it was a wonderful story. A plan to have a one night stand only to meet again at a Christmas market? Surely nothing could go wrong hahaha…

Well by wrong I mean falling deeply and madly in love😉

This was a perfect holiday read, and as it says in the blurb - it looks like it came straight out of a hallmark movie which is exactly the vibes it gave. Humor, cheesy, swoony, and absolutely romantic. Definitely going to read again later in the month!

Ruining one romance trope at a time 😈
Thank you, Forever Publishing,  for the gifted e-copy of Unromance {partner}

Genre: Romance
Trope: all of them!
Format: 🎧📖
Pub Date:  1.14.2025
Pages: 352
Star Rating: ☆☆☆

"Over the past few years, I've dropped a lot of glass balls thinking they were plastic, sacrificing them for plastic balls that I thought were glass."

I loved the premise for this - a jaded actor who enlists a romance writer to ruin romance tropes one at a time. Why? Because he's hoping it'll keep him from finding the romance in all the "little" moments of a new relationship. 

The book's first third was so much - I enjoyed the character's banter and especially loved Mason. There was just something about him that gave me major romance vibes. However, Sawyer was a bit grating on my nerves. Something about her irked me from the beginning, and as the book wore on, I started to resent the way she acted and treated Mason. His character deserved a lot more than she was willing to bring to the relationship - which is not her fault; she was clear about her intentions from the start. 

My biggest issue with the story is that there is no character chemistry. The only thing Mason and Sawyer are interested in is having sex or thinking about sex. When your two main characters lack the sizzle that makes a romance steamy, it makes it hard to believe in them as characters or see anything appealing about their relationship. 

One thing I loved was the humor that was mixed into the story - I found myself laughing out loud on several occasions. 

Read if you enjoy:
🫶🏼 He Falls First
👏🏼 Opposites Attract
📖 Debut authors
🤭 Fun humor

Now, take this with a grain of salt because this is just my opinion of the characters, but there are a lot of glowing reviews out there, so I recommend checking it out for yourself! I plan on reading whatever Erin Connor writes next 🥳

Unromance by Erin Connor. This was a fun read. Honestly, the cover is what caught my attention the most with this book and the story did not disappoint.

It all started with a meet-cute…

Anti-romance romance author Sawyer gets stuck in an elevator with a handsome stranger, and it is decidedly not a meet-cute. But then she can’t seem to stop running into him, so maybe it’s a sign: he can help her overcome her writer’s block, and she can help cure his hopeless romanticism.

Each chapter is introduced as a trope or microtrope, which was such a clever and well-done element. With 32 chapters, I’m sure you’re thinking “too many tropes!” but the author really does pull it off in a fun way.

I really enjoyed this one. I will say it had more spice than I prefer, so I just did some skipping. But Mason is SUCH a romantic, and I love how it all tied up at the end.

If you liked The Rule Book or How to End a Love Story give this one a try!

Thank you Forever for the gifted copy!

Oh how I adored this book! This novel was just so much FUN, and such a refreshing take on romantic tropes.

Unromance opens with Sawyer, a cynical romance novelist, experiencing the classic stalled elevator meet cute with a hopelessly romantic actor named Mason. After hitting it off while discussing romance cliches, Sawyer and Mason enjoy one night together before deciding that they would be better off entering into the kind of pact that you only find in a romance novel. Sawyer promises to destroy all things romance for the charming actor by breaking down tropes, while Mason wants to push the anti-romance Sawyer out of her comfort zone to end her romance writer's block.

This book was so charming, and I binged it in under a day. The characters had great banter, were both so genuine, and they both had fantastic development throughout the book. The ending and characters were predictable but not blasé, and it was such a joy to read. If you love romance (and mocking the overdone tropes), I can't recommend Connor's novel enough.

This was one of the better rom-coms by a new author I've read recently, and it didn't hurt that it had a lot of elements I'm a fan of anyway (hooking up and then falling in love, queer heroine, celebrity romance). I did find Mason to be just a little unrealistically too much of a cinnamon roll for my taste even allowing for this being a romance novel, and the big misunderstanding/fight at the end was likewise based on a ridiculously unrealistic response on the the part of a character who's supposed to be a bestselling author, but neither of these things were ultimately dealbreakers for me and I would still recommend this one, especially for fans of Emily Henry, Katelyn Doyle, and other similar authors.

I ate this book up!!!! First of all, this cover is so stinking cute and I love it. Second of all, this book??! Hello??? This was a debut!? WOW I can’t wait to see what the future holds for you Erin!
Anyways, if you’re a romcom lover who also loves 90’s rom com movies then you’ll absolutely love this book!!! What can go wrong (or absolutely right😉) when a cynic and a hopeless romantic get stuck in an elevator????