This was sooo good and such a wonderful debut novel by Erin Connor. A rom-com featuring a hopeless romantic MMC and a romance writing FMC who has sworn off love? Perfection!!!!!

Mason and Sawyer were so enjoyable as characters- their chemistry instant and butterfly inducing!! Their inner thoughts were so relatable and without giving too much away, these two end up being made for each other. And while this was told in third person, I enjoyed the dual POV of it all.

Unromance is a fresh and flirty take on the rom-com genre, packed with steamy banter, undeniable chemistry, and plenty of holiday vibes to make it the perfect cozy-yet-spicy read. Erin Conner delivers a witty, trope-filled ride that doesn’t take itself too seriously—until suddenly, it does in the best way possible.

Sawyer and Mason’s dynamic is electric from the start. Their one-night stand is supposed to be just that, but their hilarious attempts to "ruin romance" together only make their connection stronger. Mason’s dramatic, heart-on-his-sleeve energy is the perfect counter to Sawyer’s cynical, no-nonsense attitude, and their banter? Absolute gold. Plus, the bi-sexual rep is seamlessly woven in, adding depth without feeling forced.

While the book leans into rom-com chaos in the best way, the emotional payoff could have hit harder. Still, the chemistry, humor, and playful deconstruction of romance tropes make this a highly enjoyable read. If you love books that are self-aware, sexy, and just the right amount of ridiculous, Unromance is a must-read!

Thank you to @netgalley and @readforeverpub for the e-ARC.

Unromance is the story of two people who have built their careers around romance, through writing and acting, and are rediscovering its power in their personal lives. This was a great read, and while it attempted to break down romance tropes, it acknowledged all of the enjoyable aspects of romantic stories and films. I liked how Sawyer and Mason tried not to fall in love with one another until falling deeply for one another. I was hooked from the very first chapter.

Unromance by Erin Connor follows Sawyer, a romance author and Mason a TV actor.
I really liked Mason as an mmc, he was really sweet and charismatic. He falls first trope is my favorite. The characters were very likable, and the chemistry between characters was so good.
Overall, such a cute read, I really enjoyed it. Such a solid debut novel. Highly recommended.
Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for providing an e-arc of this book.

Unromance was such a cute and fun book. I enjoyed how Sawyer and Mason went through their checklist, and how despite everything Mason was falling for Sawyer. You could see their connection as they bonded over trying to "fix" what's broken about them. The side characters added a lot to the story, especially mason's family.

Romance author Sawyer Greene is in a writing slump after being dumped and tv actor Mason West finds himself over-romanticizing every relationship he’s in. To get her out of her writing slump and help his future romantic prospects, they decide to ruin all the cliche romance tropes together.

As much as I loved the winter Chicago setting and the chemistry, Unromance fell flat. The main aspect that didn’t click with me was the whole concept of ruining all romance tropes. Each of these cliche dates felt forced and I found myself dreading when Sawyer and Mason wanted to check an item off their list. The organic moments between the two were by far better and I wish the author didn’t lean on the gimme to build a romance around.

For those looking for a quick winter/holiday romance, this will scratch that itch but I wouldn’t put it at the top of your list.

I really enjoyed this book. I loved all of the winks & nods to bookstagram & romance readers. I loved that Sawyer was the one to do the grand gesture in the end & not Mason since it's usually the guy doing the grand gesture. It was fun to see the couple put in "romance trope" situations. I liked the mutual pining & how their friendship grew so it was even more satisfying when they end up together.

UnRomance offers a delightful premise, following romance author Sawyer and famous actor Mason West as they navigate a fake dating arrangement during the holiday season in Chicago. The book starts strong, with fantastic chemistry between the leads and a fun, fresh take on the romance genre. Sawyer’s bisexual representation is a highlight, adding depth to her character, and the wintery setting enhances the charm.

However, while the first half is engaging and filled with witty banter, the second half loses momentum. The central conflict feels predictable and slightly exaggerated, making the resolution less satisfying. Despite these flaws, UnRomance is a cozy, entertaining read with lovable characters. If you enjoy writer-focused romances with holiday vibes, this one is worth picking up!

3 Reasons to Read This Book:
🎭 Fun Premise – A romance writer and a Hollywood actor fake date while trying to “ruin romance”? It’s a unique and playful setup!

📖 Great Character Chemistry – Sawyer and Mason’s connection is strong from the start, making their journey enjoyable to follow.

❄️ Perfect for the Holiday Season – Set in Chicago during winter, this book is ideal for curling up with a warm drink and getting lost in a snowy romance!

A great comfort read that had fantastic witty charm and banter between the characters. It was well written with great flow and dialogue. I am happy to have found a new author and look forward to read more from them in the future.

I enjoyed this book very much, all the fun cliches had me laughing. I can't wait to get our copies in.

Unromance is about a romance writer named Sawyer Greene who doesn't believe in love anymore and Mason West, a famous actor and hopeless romantic. Sawyer and Mason meet in an elevator and end up having a one night stand. A one night stand turns into a friendship when the two decide to teach each other their philosophies about love and relationships. Sawyer will teach Mason to have fun without getting attached and Mason will give Sawyer inspiration for the romance book she was supposed to have finished writing a while ago.

Something about Unromance called to me. I thought I was going to absolutely love it, but it ended up just being an okay read. The book is a homage to the rom com genre and its tropes, which I can totally get behind.

I struggled with the writing and the characters in this book. The writing was really good and funny at times, but some of the dialogue felt strange and unnatural. The character work seemed so great and deep at first, but as the story went on, I found their motivations to be weak and their decisions to be kind of annoying. An example of this was Sawyer's belief that no one could love her because of her job. This does get resolved, but while Mason cheers her on and gives her space to write her book, Sawyer still believes he's going to get upset with her for going quiet will she writes. It was small things like this that disconnected me from the story because it didn't totally make sense to me. I also thought the pacing of this book was a little off. This book felt SO long. Towards the end of the book, the author references that the two characters have only known each other and I was astonished that it had only been around two months.

I don't want to be too negative because I did not in any way hate this book. I loved the Chicago setting. I also usually dislike reading about ~famous~ characters, but I felt like the author was so successful at establishing Mason as a famous actor without going over the top and being annoying trying to prove his fame in this story. I also really loved the inclusion of so many different holidays and celebrations. Mason's family and friends were so fun to read about.

I would recommend this if:
-you love the rom com genre
-you like reading about writers
-you like holiday romance

The perfect read to kick off the month of love: Unromance.

Sawyer is a bestselling romance author but after her ex left she’s been stuck in a season of writers block. However, when dropping off books to a friend, she gets stuck in an elevator with Mason. She takes the opportunity not as a meet cute but for a fun one night stand. But Sawyer keeps running into Mason. Mason sees these run ins as a chance to cure one another from him being a hopeless romantic and to help her writers block by unromancing romance cliches- the Christmas tree farm date, ice skating, etc. they just have two rules - no more sex and no falling in love.

This was such a fun read and while trying to break down romance cliches it also appreciated all the fun parts of romance books and films. I did find it seems to move quickly for the first two thirds of the book and then we encountered a lot of the two MCs having conflict. Overall though I loved seeing mason and Sawyer navigate IKEA dates and family dinners trying not to catch feelings.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Thank you to @netgalley and @readforeverpub for the ALC and ARC as I enjoyed moving back and forth between the audio and digital copies.

#books #bookreview #earc #netgalley #netgalleyreview #novelsandneedlework #netgalleyarc #romancebooks #romancereader

Unromance is a contemporary novel that attempts to subvert traditional romantic tropes, offering a more nuanced take on relationships and personal growth. While the book had some engaging moments, it ultimately felt just okay for me due to issues with character development and pacing.

What I Liked
The concept of Unromance is intriguing. The author does a good job of challenging conventional romantic storytelling, providing a fresh perspective on love and human connection. The writing style is accessible and fluid, making it an easy read. Additionally, the book’s themes of self-discovery and independence were well-handled and added some depth to the narrative.
There were moments of sharp, witty dialogue that stood out, and some of the interactions between characters felt genuinely heartfelt. The protagonist's journey had potential, and there were flashes of strong character insight throughout the book.

What I Didn’t Like
Despite its strengths, Unromance didn’t fully resonate with me. The pacing felt uneven, with certain sections dragging on while others rushed through key emotional beats. The story lacked a strong central conflict, making it difficult to stay invested at times.
Additionally, while the book aims to deconstruct romance, some of the character relationships felt underdeveloped. Certain side characters blended together, and their interactions with the protagonist often felt superficial rather than meaningful. The emotional impact of the book could have been stronger with more depth and nuance in these relationships.

Recommendations for Improvement
To make Unromance a more compelling read, I would suggest:
1. Tightening the pacing – Balancing the narrative flow so that key moments don’t feel rushed or drawn out.
2. Deepening character relationships – Providing more emotional depth and complexity to the supporting cast.
3. Strengthening the central conflict – Ensuring that the story has a more defined arc to maintain reader engagement.

Conclusion
Unromance has an interesting premise and moments of sharp writing, but it didn’t fully deliver on its potential. While readers looking for a non-traditional take on romance may appreciate its themes, the uneven pacing and underdeveloped characters kept it from being a standout for me. With some refinement, it could be a much stronger and more engaging novel.

Okay why was this so cute. I really enjoyed all the tropes and the cuteness. The chemistry was also off the charts and I really enjoyed this one from Erin Connor. can’t wait to read more from her

5/5

A trope filled journey that pays homage to the romance genre and its readers, Erin Connor's, Unromance deserves its spot on all the romance TBR's. A plan to ruin romance for a beloved actor you had a one night stand with while finding inspiration for the massive writers block currently plaguing you? That’s just the chaotic setup I live for. Erin Connor takes all my favorite components about romance into a blender and what emerges is a fascinating study on the genre, its tropes, and a love story for the ages. Connor delivers that classic romance meet cute but flips the script with two leads focused on anything but falling in love. Tale as old as time, as Sawyer and Mason adhere to their pact (rather loosely) while slowly opening up to trust and communication and falling for one another. Unromance is about two people that have made their careers around romance, through writing and acting, rediscovering its power in their own lives. Erin Connor moves through the tropes and genre conventions as fluidly as water, employing them in a beautiful love story intimately connected in friendship and understanding. In a setup seeming to flip the tropes, Connor instead recognizes their force for good within the overarching narrative. Unromance has humor in spades, shaken cynicism, and enough romantic moments —equal parts hot and sweet — to be your next favorite.

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the arc of this book. All opinions are my own.

I really loved this one! I am not the best at writing reviews sometimes, but sometimes books take you by surprise and this one did just that. I got invested a few chapters in and couldn't put it done. It was so good! I highly recommend this one. Erin knocked it out of the park with this and I truly loved it!

This was a fun ride - I loved the format of having each chapter be dedicated to a trope. Overall, it was a fun story. I do think it was a touch too long and some of the time jumps were jarring

Unromance was a fun premise - a romance author, Sawyer, with writer's block has a meet-cute with an actor, Mason, who falls too easily. It was fun to have Sawyer and Mason going through popular romance tropes in a fresh way. I enjoyed the well done bisexual representation. The dual POV was great so that we could get a picture of how both characters were dealing with the challenges in their lives. I wished for a bit more tension between the main characters and that the fake dating was played up a bit more, but overall this was an enjoyable rom-com binge.
Thank you Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the copy through NetGalley!

*Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an E-Arc in exchange for an honest review!*

This was such a fun story! I loved the dynamic between the two main characters, the easy-to-follow and get-lost-into story. I think this was a great way to see both points of view from two people with different results in love and how trying to help each other out, they just found the right person to receive and give their love <3

A perfect blend of feelings, fun, banter, and spice!

Oh this one is SO FUN! I enjoyed reading Sawyer and Mason’s attempt at not falling for each other — then totally falling for each other. I loved the novel writer dates famous actor vibe, the Chicago setting (as a Chicagoan, it was spot on), and the fun way this book took the classic cliches and spun them into something new. I think it’s so sweet when a romcom has the MMC fall first, and I also appreciated the bisexual rep- it wasn’t something just thrown in, it was realistic and woven in perfectly to who Sawyer was as a FMC.

Sawyer is quirky and funny and I can totally picture her eclectic apartment in Chicago with her mug collection and her bent over her laptop at 3am (been there). Mason is, no surprise, a total hottie with a heart of gold, motivated, kind, and just wants to love and be loved while also doing what he loves for a living. These two, when they finally came together, were magic. Also, shout out to that tights scene!!

It was a less than 24 hours read for me and I enjoyed every second! Thank you to Forever pub and NetGalley for this eARC!