Friends, when a duck like me digs a narrative voice, he quacks about it for days. We love the music of words, and where do they tickle our beak-holes more than in romance novels? So, for those of you who are done with cold-fish narrative voices, here are three SUPER-DUCKING AWESOME romance reads that sound every bit as compelling as their storylines:
Settle the Score by Kris Ripper—HUGE DUCKING FAN of Kris Ripper’s voice. Seriously. Voice-driven readers like me and Star will LOVE to bury their beaks in Settle The Score. The story: Back when Des Cleary was a young reporter, he made the duck-shaped mistake of outing soccer superstar Orion Broderick, thereby ruining Orion’s career. At the time, Des naively believed this decision would make the world a better place. This led Des to “Guilt City.” (Where, notoriously, there are ZERO ducks.) Now, years later, the marketing agency where Des works is sending him to recruit Orion Broderick for a Pride campaign. Super-ducking awkward! Anyway, add in a fierce snowstorm, some forced proximity, and an enemies-to-lovers vibe, and you’ve got yourself a super-ducking compelling yarn told in a RIVETING voice. Settle The Score also contains a host of voicey, vibrant dialogue, chemistry galore, moving emotional deep dives, characters who feel real, and a small, disabled dog who will melt your duck-shaped heart. Ripper is FUNNY but also goes DEEP. We LOVE that. And if you’re a soccer fan, look no further. Your ball’s in Ripper’s lily pad.
Pre-order/buy Settle The Score from: Amazon, B&N, Audible.
Out of Office by A.H. Cunningham—This lushly gorgeous novel set between Panama and Florida, U.S. explores the importance of taking time away from ducking work to follow your flippers. No wait, your heart. In Out of Office, the romance between Genevieve and Adrián is spellbinding and steamy, (note: fortunately, no ducks were steamed) and their connection conjures a new way of life for them both—in spite of the hurdles they must paddle through. A.H. Cunningham’s narrative voice is RICHER and more VOLUPTUOUS than a pondweed gateau, especially in terms of dialogue, which A.H. Cunningham QUACKS at. No wait—ROCKS at. BEAUTIFUL voiceyness. Seriously. Plus the descriptions of Panama are beyond vivid. My beak-holes gleamed as we absorbed these luscious vibes.
This rapturous quacker-prayer to putting your heart ahead of your career also has strong Black characters—including Adrián, who is bisexual. Frankly, the protagonists in Out of Office are so real that they leap from the page like supersonic goldfish. Tender, romantic, flawed, and deeply vulnerable, Genevieve and Adrián make a certain Floridian apartment as captivating as the vibrant Panama. Culturally rich, politically thoughtful—Gen’s discussions around fighting gentrification especially smoked my kipper—and deeply celebratory of Black lives and heritage, Out of Office will rock your flippers off. Also, we’re giving HUGE duck-shaped praise of a bisexual hero who is treated with sensitivity and respect. More like Out of Office, please, world!
Also, we SUPER-DUCKING LOVED the audiobook, so HUGE KUDOS to super-talented audio readers Marissa Hampton and Jesus E. Martinez. VOICEY AS ALL DUCK.
Buy Out of Office at Harlequin, Amazon, B&N, Audible.
Dragged to the Wedding by Andrew Grey—Police officer James Petika is off to his sister’s wedding, but none of his family knows he’s gay, and he’s duck-termined they’ll NEVER find out. In short, he needs a high-femme, female date. Who better than Daniel Bonafonte aka Chicago drag queen Lala Traviata?
Well, duck me, is Lala captivating! If you’re looking for a fun-and-fruity romance with a PLAYFUL, WITTY voice and fun-as-duck high stakes, Dragged to the Wedding is your book. The novel, which is drenched in both humor and suspense, does a super-ducking awesome job of giving homophobia The Flipper. It also quacks smartly about the politics of drag. That said, author Andrew Grey only really fights for gay and drag rights here—not that there’s anything wrong with that, but if you’re looking for broader LGBTQIA+ representation and inclusion, you’ll be disappointed. That said, the humor made me quacker-laugh at every turn, and Lala tickles my beak-holes in the best of ways. This authorial voice in Dragged To The Wedding glides me along with a spring in my flippers and a song in my beak-holes. A lovely, voicey riot of a book.
Buy Dragged To The Wedding by Andrew Grey here: Harlequin, Amazon, Audible, B&N.
So what are you waiting for, my friends? Go wrap your flippers around these novels today! And take care of yourselves, won’t you? You deserve that calm, shimmering water—yes, you.
—Duck and Star
Featured image credit: Designed by Star Tavares in Canva, using screenshots of the three books (via Amazon).
Romancey Pants 