A campy, on-the-nose meet cute to open a book about a romance writer who definitely believes in love is just about as scrumptious a cold weekend cozy read I could ask for--and on top of that, set in my sweet home Chicago!

"Chicago winters were a bitch, but that's what whiskey was for!"

Too real. Unromance was an absolute delight. Readers who love reading about reading will love it extra. I loved all the characters, especially our main girl Sawyer, and genuinely wanted to share a beer with them. Erin Connor is going on the list of auto-buys for me--a voicey writer who makes me laugh.

The audio book had consistent and perfectly emphatic narration.

Thanks to MacMillan Audio & Forever Pub for the gifted copies.

Unromantic is an adult romance of a bisexual and a soap opera star and their lack of long term relationships

Great book. Couldn't stop listening. Thank you for giving me the chance to read in advance. I was in love with all the characters.

unfortunately this wasn’t for me. I had a hard time connecting to the characters and I know I’m not expected to connect to every character I read about but I had a hard time connecting even to their connection to one another. I thought the audio book was really well done though!

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for providing me with an ALC of this novel.

4/5 ⭐️
1.5/5 🌶️ (was going to go with 1, but gave an extra .5 for the tights scene alone 🫠🥵)

This book focuses on the relationship journey of romance author, Sawyer, and actor, Mason. They meet while being stuck in an elevator together. Sawyer has had trouble writing her next book and Mason was just dumped (twice!) by his actress/costar girlfriend. They team up to help each other. Sawyer hopes she’ll get ideas for her next book and Mason hopes to get over his ex and not get so swept up by every relationship he’s ever been in.

They visit a lot of romance tropes and somewhere, along the way, they fall for each other. Well, it can’t be that easy can it? We’ve gotta have a third act breakup AND a grand gesture to top it all off. I was also happy to see that when we visit the couple a year later: Sawyer HASN’T moved across country to be with him and they’re giving it a go long distance, they aren’t engaged/married or even hinting at it, and best of all NO pregnancy. It lets the reader imagine what they want for the characters. That was refreshing.

I do want to add that I’d never heard these narrators before and they both did a great job!

Wow!! This book was so well written, the best book boyfriend, the clever interspersed references to romance tropes. It’s a love letter to the genre!!

Sawyer broke up with her girlfriend 3 years ago and hasn’t dated since. She’s been a moderately successful romance author, but she has writers block. And it’s set in Chicago!! (Exactly where I listened to it, so it was obviously meant to be).

Mason very recently broke up with his costar girlfriend, he is a hunky TV doctor and the son of a soap star, Mason really loves love.

Then the meet cute; they get stuck in an elevator together. The plot goes from there; a one night stand then inevitably running into each other afterwards. Add in Sawyer telling Mason the tropes as they come to life.

This is really a five star audiobook; easy to follow the plot of audio and well acted. This is multi POV, so the Sawyer narrator and the Mason narrator alternate. I especially enjoyed the Sawyer narrator — it’s always a challenge to do witty banter with one voice, but she does well.

Full disclosure— I am more of a “fade to black” person so I did skip past the smutty parts. I can’t speak to if they are great or not. It’s a personal preference, just not for me. I’m not saying the spicy parts are bad, I just don’t know, I skipped them.

Outstanding pop culture references, laugh out loud banter, realistic inner dialogue that bring the characters to life off the stage. Even though this book is about a male and female, I love that Sawyer is bisexual. It’s enough to keep the homophobes away (bye).

I kept seeing this book all over instagram and I’m grateful I got to listen to it- thanks to NetGalley and hachette audio for the Audio ARC. A best romance of January. (And there are so many great ones!!)

Quick Summary: An "unromance" romance made for loving

My Review: Unromance by Erin Conner is a 2025 contemporary romance.

About the Book: "When a recently-dumped TV heartthrob gets stuck in an elevator with a jaded romance novelist, he enlists her to ruin romance for him—one rom-com trope at a time—so he never gets swept off his feet and into the tabloids ever again."

In My Own Words: A reverse grumpy-sunshine duo set up an arrangement of sorts, only to advance toward love.

About the Audiobook: This novel was narrated by Mia Hutchinson Shaw and Lee Osorio. I loved this duo. They had smooth tones that invited me into the characters minds and experiences. The intensity, the timing, the playfulness, the communicated moods - it all translated well. Bravo!

My Final Say: This novel is the one you didn't know you needed in your life! It's funny-sexy-cool and then some. Highly entertaining, it's charm will blow you away or quite possibly make you swoon. Readers who enjoy rom-coms, cinnamon rolls, and meet cutes to more scenarios will love this story.

Other: When I previously reviewed the digital version of this book, I made a wish that I would love to be first in line for the audiobook. My wish was granted! I knew the audio would be insanely good, and I was not wrong. There is a difference in delivery. Hearing the story come alive with narrators made it that much more impactful.

Audiobook Rating: 5/5
Recommend: Yes
Audience: A
Re-read: Yes
Keeper: Yes
Favorites Shelf: Yes
Status/Level: 💖

Appreciation is extended to the author, to the publisher (Forever (Hachette Audio | Forever), and to NetGalley. Thank you for granting access to an audio ARC. I am grateful for the opportunity. I very much look forward to reading more from this writer.

5⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Wow’ that was fantastic! I listened to the audiobook and it had me completely engaged from start to finish. I listened at 2x speed as it was easily listened to at that speed.

I love the banter between the characters as well as the emotional journey each of them had to go through. I also appreciated the role reversal of sorts in how romance characters are typically portrayed.

The spice was also spicy but not cringy like so many other books these days. It added appropriately to the plot as opposed to being gratuitous.

I am thankful to have gotten the ALC for free from Hachette Audio through NetGalley to read which gave me the opportunity to voluntarily leave a review.

My rating system since GoodReads doesn’t have partial stars and I rarely round up.

⭐️ Hated it
⭐️⭐️ Had a lot of trouble, prose issues, really not my cup of tea (potentially DNF’d or thought about it)
⭐️⭐️⭐️ Meh, it was an ok read but nothing special
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Really enjoyed it! Would recommend to others
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Outstanding! Will circle back and read again

An open-door adult contemporary romance that’s an ode to the classic rom-com movie. 
This was super cute and very entertaining!

Unromance is full of nods to some of the most popular rom-com movies as Sawyer tries to ruin romance for Mason (with his consent!), while he tries to bring a spark of romance back to her life to bust her romance-writer’s block, as they work through a checklist of romance micro-tropes. But no (more) sex, and absolutely no catching feelings allowed!! We all know how well that works out!

A good chunk of the story takes place in December with the MCs going on Christmas related outings. But overall it’s not so seasonal that it fully feels like a Christmas Romance. So no need to hoard this one until next December!

I read this via audiobook and the dual narrators, Mia Hutchinson-Shaw and Lee Osorio, did a great job bringing the story to life. My only quibble is that MHS mispronounces Christkindl every time, and it’s said often enough to be noticeable. The production quality was top notch, and everything came together to make this a very easy listen.

Thank you to @HachetteAudio for an ALC via NetGalley. Unromance is out now, available widely and in all formats!

Thank you to NetGalley, Forever, and Hachette Audio for this advanced copy! You can pick up Unromance now.

I'd like to personally thank Erin Connor for pulling me out of my romance reading slump. I haven't been in the mood to pick up a contemporary romance in weeks, but from the moment I met Sawyer and Mason in that elevator, I was hooked.

Not only does Connor have a unique and compelling voice, but she also crafts such relatable and fleshed-out characters. I literally wanted to laugh and cry with Sawyer and Mason multiple times, and their dynamic was absolutely electric. I love how Mason was so emotionally vulnerable and just a true cinnamon roll of a man, which perfectly complemented Sawyer's acidic exterior and gooey interior. They were truly made for each other, your honor.

I also loved the premise of crushing a hopeless romantic's tendencies while inspiring a jaded romance writer for her next book. The use of epigraphs at the beginning of each chapter was an original way to acknowledge the tropes that the scene would address. It broke the fourth wall in the best way, and while you might expect a book that's all about recreating romance tropes to be cheesey, I actually didn't find it so. Connor perfectly balanced the ridiculousness of the tropes with the real-life emotions and implications behind them.

Lastly, I don't think I've EVER read a more healthy and relatable third-act breakup. It didn't feel silly or contrived to advance the plot, instead ACTUALLY contributing to the MCs' growth.

All in all, this might just be the perfect romance book, and y'all CLEARLY need to pick it up ASAP!

I loved the relationship between Sawyer and Mason, but I what I loved even more was their individual character development. They were both such believable characters, who we’re struggling with the opposite sides of love — desiring it, and being harmed by it — and the way they processed their own emotions and came together was so satisfying! I loved Sawyer’s healing journey and how it intertwined with her work and writing. I also enjoyed how unapologetic she was from the beginning, which doesn’t often happen with female main characters. The only two complaints I have is how quickly they fell for each other (felt a bit too insta-love for my personal taste) and I didn’t love the male narrator — which isn’t on the author.

firstly, thank you to the publisher for an arc and alc!

ugh! i wish i read this during the holiday season because whewww the romcom christmas vibes were immaculate. i do not say this lightly, because truly nothing can compare to the movie, but unromance reminded me of when harry met sally.

i really enjoyed the narrator for sawyer; the narrator for mason grew on me.

overall, i really enjoyed this romcom! (it could have had less ariana grande mentions though…)

This was such a cute read i enjoyed the romance novel plot and I think romance lovers will probably enjoy this. I got an alc of the audiobook and the narrators were good. I liked the dual narration and I thought even when the plot was slow I still enjoyed listening to the narrators. I think the audiobook production was also done well and was good.

I liked this plot with the mmc that's hopelessly romantic and the fmc who has been duped by romance and is now jaded even though she is a romance author. The FMC is a bestselling author and has not had the inspiration to write a book in a while. The MCs meet and have a one-night stand and that starts their friendship and relationship. There was good banter, steam, and tension in the book and I liked that the fmc was the grumpy one and the mmc was the cinnamon roll. I do think that the book started with so much momentum, slowed down, and then picked up towards the end. Overall, it was a good read, thanks to Hatchette Audio for this alc.

Tropes:
- One-night stand
- Romance author fmc and actor mmc
- Grumpy fmc
- Hopeless romantic mmc
- Bi rep
- Cinnamon roll mmc

All the romcom tropes you know and love in one spectacular book. Great characters with an ungodly amount of chemistry that they refuse to accept until the bitter end. I loved every single longing stare and tension filled dates. A fantastic audiobook! Loved listening to these characters come to life.

Erin Connor’s Unromance is a breath of fresh air in the world of contemporary romance. Equal parts funny, spicy, and charmingly witty, this novel carves out a unique space in the genre with its sharp humor, compelling characters, and irresistible banter.

The storyline is refreshingly original, subverting traditional romance tropes while still delivering all the swoon-worthy moments readers crave. Connor masterfully blends humor with heartfelt emotion, crafting a narrative that feels both authentic and utterly engaging.

The characters are a standout feature, brimming with personality and charisma. Their interactions sparkle with wit, delivering laugh-out-loud moments while also fostering genuine emotional connections. The chemistry leaps off the page, drawing readers into their journey of love, growth, and hilariously awkward situations.

What truly sets Unromance apart is its ability to balance spice with humor, making it a perfect read for those who love their romance novels with a bit of sass and a lot of heart. Connor’s writing is sharp, vivid, and effortlessly entertaining, keeping readers hooked from the very first page.

If you’re looking for a book that will make you giggle, swoon, and fall head over heels for its characters, Unromance is a must-read. Erin Connor has crafted a romantic comedy that is as memorable as it is enjoyable—one you’ll want to revisit again and again.

Thank you so much for this ALC! I like the premise, and the characters. Unfortunately, I really don't like the male narrator. He sounds somewhat nasally and it's distracting. I'm going to pick this up from my library to read instead.

We start with a bang here with an elevator meet-cute and a one-night-stand for Sawyer and Mason. And then we find out that Mason is a famous actor who is being maligned in the press for a string of break-ups (none of which were his fault) and Sawyer is a romance novelist who is having major writers’ block. When they run into each other again, they decide to strike a deal where they hang out with each other doing cheesy romantic things so that Mason can desensitize himself from being a total romantic and so that Sawyer can find inspiration for their writing. And of course, they have a list of rules to go with their deal. The rules are clearly going to go out the window as these two people spend time together and get all emotionally entangled (on top of the physical attraction that started this whole thing). This book was both emotional and super funny and steamy all at once. The flirty witty banter was so much fun to read, plus all their meddlesome friends made a great supporting cast. The narrators were great in this audiobook! I enjoyed the flirty banter with these actors.

5 STARS!

I absolutely LOVED "Unromance" by Erin Connor. This book is SO freaking good. I devoured every single chapter, sentence, word. From the very first chapter, I knew I was going to be ruined. Is it too soon to say that this book will likely be on my "best of 2025" list? Because I'm thinking it might be! I am utterly obsessed with Sawyer and Mason and their insane chemistry with one another. Their meet cute! Their banter! Their list! Their baggage! The tension! The yearning! The trust! The understanding! The protectiveness! I thought this had the perfect pacing, and the story as a whole doesn't overstay its welcome. All of the secondary characters feel necessary. Nothing about this book feels excessive. It's seriously perfect. Erin Connor knocked it out of the park with this debut novel. If you love romantic comedies, you're going to LOVE "Unromance." You're going to laugh and cry and swoon your way to the bookstore for this one! And, as a bonus, listen to the audiobook! Mia Hutchinson Shaw and Lee Osorio are incredible narrators of this story. The energy they bring to these characters is astounding and really makes the experience of reading this book that much better. Just wonderful. Please go read it NOW!!!

Thank you to NetGalley, Erin Connor, Hachette Audio, and Forever for the complimentary ALC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this review.

I did not realize how badly I needed to read a romance until I finished the first chapter of this. And I'm so glad it was *this* romance, because I was completely enamoured by it. A true romcom with incredible How To Lose A Guy in 10 Days energy, this had me cackling out loud one page and swooning the next. The steam is great, and the chemistry between Sawyer and Mason was incredible. I definitely found a new favourite romance author with this one!

Unromance by Erin Conner was an absolute delight—a breezy, feel-good read that completely swept me off my feet. Mason and Sawyer are such a dynamic duo, and I couldn’t get enough of their chemistry. Watching them navigate their relationship felt like stepping into a rom-com dream, and Conner nails every moment with humor and heart.

The banter between Mason and Sawyer? Pure gold. They’re hilarious, relatable, and the perfect mix of swoony and sassy. I found myself laughing out loud at their witty exchanges, then holding my breath in those sweet, slow-burn moments. Seriously, I had a smile on my face for most of the book—it’s just that kind of story.

What I loved most, though, was how *Unromance* perfectly balances humor and heart. It’s funny without being over the top, romantic without being cheesy, and it never takes itself too seriously. It’s sweet and light, but also sharp and clever, with just the right amount of drama to keep things interesting. It’s the kind of book you’ll finish in one sitting because you just can’t put it down.

If you’re a true romance lover, this is the book you need in your life. It’s the perfect pick-me-up—romantic, funny, and full of heart. Erin Conner has crafted a story that’s not just enjoyable, but downright fun. It’s exactly the kind of read that will leave you with a grin on your face long after you’ve turned the last page.