YVONNE’S SHORTIES #324 – Slow Dance In Purgatory // When In Rome

Time for another round of Yvonne’s Shorties! This time around two romance reads by two favorite authors that were both winners for me.

Title: Slow Dance In Purgatory
(Purgatory #1)
Author: Amy Harmon
Genre: YA, Romance, Paranormal
First published: April 2nd 2012
Finished reading: October 11th 2022
Pages: 232

“There will be no talk of regrets today. There will be no remorse or second thoughts; today we belong to no one or nothing but each other. Tomorrow will come soon enough and it will take care of itself.”

I consider Amy Harmon to be one of my absolute favorite authors, and I’ve read just about every title published now. I’ve been staying away from the Purgatory books though, because I was worried they wouldn’t be for me… Especially since I hardly read YA anymore and I’m not really a fan of the paranormal romance genre. I should have known Amy Harmon can write just about anything and I will love it anyway. It does show that Slow Dance In Purgatory is one of her earlier books, but I still very much enjoyed my time with Maggie and Johnny. I really liked the idea behind the plot with Johnny being ‘trapped’ in the high school since the 1950s, and Maggie being one of the only persons to see him. Johnny had that James Dean vibe, and it was how I pictured him throughout the story. I really liked Maggie’s character as well, and it was wonderful to see their connection grow. Paranormal romance can go both ways for me, but I really liked how it was incorporated into the plot here. It’s not your typical ghost story, and I liked what the paranormal aspect added. And what a way to end this story! I will definitely be reading book two very soon to discover what will happen next. All in all not my favorite Amy Harmon, but she has yet to write a story I won’t give at least 4 well deserved stars to.

Title: When In Rome
Author: Sarah Adams
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
First published: September 20th 2022
Publisher: Dell
Finished reading: October 20th 2022
Pages: 320

“When the hell did it become such a crime to be selfish now and again?”

I consider Sarah Adams to be one of my favorite romance authors, and her books have been true gems so far. I’ve been excited to read When In Rome as soon as I first heard about it, and while I initially hoped for an Italian setting after seeing the title, I think I might just like Rome, Kentucky, even better. Basically, this book felt like a big giant hug. Her romances are always on the sweet side (just how I like them), and Amelia and Noah’s story is one of my favorites written by her. I love stories with a small town setting, and I loved the community vibe of Rome and its inhabitants. The cast of characters in general is so easy to warm up to, and I LOVED the chemistry between Amelia and Noah. They were able to win over my heart almost immediately, and I loved both their banter and growing connection. There were some minor obstacles and heavier topics along the way, but When In Rome is mainly uplifting and exactly the feel-good romance I hoped it would be. Sweet, well written and such a great ending too! And the best part: knowing that we will be able to travel to Rome, Kentucky, again next year, because there will be a story about Noah’s little sister coming out in 2023.