I Spent $250 on Book Recommendations to Save Democracy
My curated reading list courtesy of The Smut Report
I wrote that subject line as a joke, but then the news broke this week that Joe Biden dropped out of the presidential race, so needless to say, anything can happen on this season of American democracy!
In this newsletter, I’m revealing one of the most exciting bookish prizes I’ve won—all in the name of political activism.
Romancing the Vote
There are a variety of nonprofits I support on a monthly basis, but one particular way I make giving more fun is by participating in charity auctions. I love sifting through all the listings to find my favorites and the thrill of competing with others to bid up items until the very last minute.
This month, I took part in Romancing the Vote, an auction hosted by romance authors Courtney Milan and Kit Rocha to raise funds for voting organizations Fair Fight and VoteRiders.
Romancing the Vote was inspired by Stacey Abrams, who has dedicated her legacy to dismantling voter suppression in Georgia—all while writing romance herself.
The 2024 auction raised nearly $190,000, achieving 108% of its goal. I was amazed by the number of fans who paid thousands and thousands of dollars to support their favorite authors and fight for the right to vote.
And I didn’t walk away empty-handed. With a donation of $250, I won a coveted prize: a curated reading list by The Smut Report, a group of bloggers who have been reading romance for over 20 years. Since the blog’s founding in 2018, they’ve reviewed more than 1,000 books.
So how did The Ladies of The Smut Report narrow down their selections for me? Keep reading to find out!
The Criteria for Curation
The Smut Report’s process was simple. To recommend the perfect romances for me, they needed to know three things:
A list of 5-10 romance novels I love
Any “hard nos” I had in my reading when it came to tropes, subgenres, etc.
Whether I was open to any weird suggestions or preferred to stay in my comfort zone
The thought of limiting all the romances I’ve loved to just the top ten was daunting, but the task coincided with another trending list: The New York Times’ 100 Best Books of the 21st Century.
I decided to focus on contemporary romance, so I came up with the list below.
(Note: When available, the links I include lead to Bookshop.org. If you make a purchase, you’ll support local, independent bookstores, and I’ll earn a small commission as an affiliate. It’s a win-win!)
Alyssa Jarrett’s Best Contemporary Romances of the 21st Century
Preferential Treatment by Heather Guerre
It Happened One Summer by Tessa Bailey
Nerd in Shining Armor by Vicki Lewis Thompson
Bet Me by Jennifer Crusie
Something About You by Julie James
The Hating Game by Sally Thorne
You Deserve Each Other by Sarah Hogle
The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang
Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
Something Wilder by Christina Lauren
Yes, Please and No, Thank You
As you can tell, I read mostly contemporary rom-com—no surprise since that’s what I write as well—but I let The Smut Report know that I’m also open to historical, paranormal, and monster romance on occasion.
I also shared my favorite tropes: enemies to lovers, opposites attract, grumpy/sunshine, fish out of water, outdoor & adventure, wagers, love coaches, billionaires, and big city romance.
And since I’m from the SF Bay Area, work in Silicon Valley tech, and I'm childfree by choice, I mentioned that I’m always partial to any stories with similar protagonists.
There are exceptions to every rule, but for the most part, I told The Smut Report I’m saying “no, thank you” to young adult or new adult romance and anything closed door.
My least favorite tropes include friends to lovers, second chance, fake dating, single parent, and small town. I also prefer shorter books, so ideally, none of my recommendations would be longer than 400 pages.
As for weird suggestions, I was down for them to throw in a wild card or two since I appreciate finding hidden gems.
Most importantly, I mentioned wanting a diverse list with representation from a variety of marginalized groups: BIPOC, queer, disabled, plus-size, neurodivergence, etc.
So how did The Smut Report fare with my guidelines? Scroll down for their recommendations!
My Personalized Book Recommendations From The Smut Report
Glitterland by Alexis Hall (2013). Alexis Hall has been on my radar for a while, but many of their most popular books are over 400 pages, so I haven’t prioritized them. I’m glad to hear their queer romance debut Glitterland is on the shorter side! This opposites attract tale with mental health rep is up my alley.
Ice Cream Lover by Jackie Lau (2019). In another case of wrong first impressions, I had heard of Jackie Lau but passed on her most recent releases, like The Reluctant Heartthrob, because they looked like YA. I’m pleasantly surprised to learn her books are both sweet and spicy! At only 200 pages, this grumpy/sunshine story sounds like the perfect starting point.
I Think I Might Love You by Christina C. Jones (2019). The Smut Report declared this book to have “A+ situation humor, including an epic meet-cute disaster.” This first-in-series novella with Black protagonists is something I think I might love as well.
Wild Life by Opal Wei (2024). How can I turn down The Smut Report’s description of Wild Life: a “madcap comedy where oops, we’re stranded on an island outside of Vancouver with a cougar on the loose.” A STEM heroine falls for a former boy band member? Sign me up.
Melt for You by J.T. Geissinger (2018). I also appreciate when a recommendation comes with caveats. Melt for You features a plus-size heroine, but she has some serious body dysmorphia and low self-esteem, which isn’t for everyone. But I am a sucker for a sexy love coach—especially if they’re Scottish!
Make It Sweet by Kristen Callihan (2021). Apparently, this book brings a billionaire outdoorsy picnic vibe with baking, so say no more. The summary had me at nighttime skinny-dip :)
The Player by Kresley Cole (2016). This book sounds similar to Heather Guerre’s Preferential Treatment, so I won’t turn down another Russian tech billionaire interested in a BDSM relationship.
Switch-Hitter by E.M. Lindsey (2022). This queer enemies-to-lovers romance between a former baseball player and his new personal chef sounds like fun, and I appreciate the disability representation with wheelchair use as well.
Tempt Me by Michelle McCraw (2023). You don’t often see a tech billionaire romance that’s both sapphic and interracial, so Tempt Me is certainly tempting. Curious to find out what this STEM workplace scene has in common with Love Apptually!
Sand to the Beach by Shae Sanders (2023). Another Black romance novella, and supposedly this one comes with a great twist. Summer isn’t over yet, so I’m ready to dive into more beach reads.
But, Wait, There’s More!
The Ladies of The Smut Report are experts, so you know they didn’t limit their list to just ten books. These were their seven bonus recommendations in case I wanted to widen my horizons.
Whiteout by Adriana Anders (2020). If you’re an Amazon Prime member, you can read this romantic suspense set in Antarctica—for free!
Release by Suzanne Clay (2022). I’ve never seen a glory hole featured in an M/F romance, so I am immediately intrigued by this boss/secretary love story.
Criminals Need Love Too by Isabel Jordan (2023). I’m much more interested in fake dating when it’s between a diamond thief and an ex-con.
Not All Himbos Wear Capes by C. Rochelle (2022). I may have superhero fatigue when it comes to Marvel movies, but this queer romance sounds like everything Disney is missing these days.
Smash & Grab by Maz Maddox (2020). There really is a romance for everybody because just a few days ago, someone on Reddit was looking for dinosaur shifters, and Smash & Grab was a top recommendation. I’m already excited.
The Prospects by K.T. Hoffman (2024). This queer baseball romance debut has made a big splash, and it seems like everybody’s talking about it. Looking forward to finding out what I’ve been missing!
Welcome to Temptation by Jennifer Crusie (2000). It doesn’t matter that this is a small-town romance. When it’s by Jennifer Crusie, I’m in—no questions asked.
Need More Book Recs? The Smut Report Has You Covered
Obviously, this post isn’t sponsored by The Smut Report since I paid them, not the other way around. But I’d say my money was well spent if I got a total of 17 book recommendations, all while supporting fair elections and democratic freedom.
Check out The Smut Report for more romance recs, and leave a comment with your thoughts on my curated reading list. Have you read any of these books? Are there others you would add? Let me know!
In the meantime, I’ll be in SoCal for the next two weeks, attending San Diego Comic-Con, followed by Steamy Lit Con in Anaheim. If you’ll be there, let’s meet up! And stay tuned for my convention recaps coming soon.
Give me all the Jennifer Crusie books!