I am delighted to be bringing you the board for #SpringIntoLoveBingo 2023! Aarya, Dani, and I are back with another board that was incredibly illustrated by my very talented sister, Sarah! #SpringIntoLoveBingo will be taking place from March 1, 2023 through May 31, 2023. We really just request that you make your posts as accessible as possible, which means capitalizing each word in the hashtag and using alt text for the images. And, as always, please remember that for the Black Love prompt, the book that you choose must be written by a Black author and featuring only Black characters! Now let’s get to the exciting part: the board!

Row One

Prompt: Set in the Southern Hemisphere

While the image on the board is of Australia with New Zealand tucked inside, there are obviously many countries that are below the Equator. Speaking of, if anyone can think of any romance novels set below the Equator in South America, I’d be really intrigued to try them. This is my TBR post not my recommendations post, but I’ll just briefly mention that you could look into Therese Beharrie if you’re interested in reading books set in South Africa! As for what I’m going to read… Well, that is a great question. I’m leaning toward Pas de Don’t by Chloe Angyal, which is set in Sydney, Australia. My other two thoughts are Jana Goes Wild by Farah Heron or One Day to Fall by Therese Beharrie. If I’m lucky, I’ll get to go through this board multiple times also! Cross your fingers for me!

Prompt: Smuggling

Dani read my pick for this prompt not too long ago and really enjoyed it, so I have high hopes now! That book is A Rogue by Night by Kelly Bowen, which is part of a series I’ve loved from Bowen. I technically still have an ARC of this book too even though it’s been out for years… Nothing like dragging ones feet on reading a book, huh? Anyway, can’t wait to read this one! That said, I definitely need other smuggling recommendations because this is the only one I can think of that I haven’t read yet!

Prompt: No Wedding

Essentially this prompt is to get at wanting a book with an HEA or HFN that doesn’t include marriage and babies. Marriage and babies are great, but sometimes we’d all like to see something that doesn’t look like that, you know? So for me, I’ll be reading The Neighbor Favor by Kristina Forest, which I am so excited about! It’s my first from Forest, but I know Aarya has really loved her YA books and I’ve bought two on her recommendation. If I do get around to doing this board twice though, I think I’ll be able to stumble across one!

Prompt: Competence Porn

Competence Porn is getting at those characters that we get to see being badass at their jobs in some capacity and I’ve already got my novella picked out for this and I know where I’m going to read it. I’ve picked out The Missed Connection by Denise Williams and I’ll be reading it at one of the too many airports I’ll be in on my way to and from Italy in March. I cannot wait for my trip and I’m excited to have both this novella and the third one to keep me company during my layovers. I mean, sure, I’ll have Sarah with me too, but I think we can both agree it’s best that I have a book to entertain me. Anyway, this one is an academic rivals situation, where the two didn’t know who the other was when they spent a magical New Years Eve together at the airport. I’m really looking forward to the novella and my trip!

Prompt: Scandal

A few years ago (last year?) we did Secrets as a prompt and I felt like it unintentionally became the theme of all of my reads and for some reason, I feel like this season it will be Scandal. Anyway, I’m planning to start my reads for this off with A Scandalous Kind of Duke by Mia Vincy for obvious reasons, but also because I really love Vincy’s writing. But in addition, I have Flirting with Scandal by Chanel Cleeton which I’ve been meaning to read for forever and Duke Most Wicked by Lenora Bell sounds so good, I’d really like to get to that too. Additionally, I have several other books with scandal in the title, but this seems like a good start.

Row Two

Prompt: Yearning

There are definitely a lot of books with yearning, but I may have cheated and straight up searched some of my many downloaded books to see if any of them had the word in the text and Gentleman Jim delivered. Plus, I’ve been meaning to read this book for ages so it’s about time I pick it up!

Prompt: Shop Your Shelves

I’m aiming to read The Girl with Stars in Her Eyes by Xio Axelrod in March because I’m so, so excited about the show Daisy Jones and The Six and I have a feeling I’m going to need some books with music themes. Fortunately I have at least two, but I’ve really dragged my feet on this one, so I need to read this one ASAP.

Prompt: Enchanted

Enchanted can really be a prompt you can take a lot of different directions. I’m taking it in the direction of something that I think has a fairytale-esque vibe? I think? Anyway, I’m reading The Remaking of Corbin Wale by Roan Parrish, which I think it really meant to be a holiday read, but I never get to it in the holidays so I want to do it now. I’ve also still got some cozy fantasy books I think I could read for this too… We’ll see!

Prompt: Mental Health Representation

I love seeing mental health represented on page in the books I read. For me, I deal with anxiety and especially love to see that represented on page, but genuinely I’ll take whatever I can get because I think it’s so important. Plus May is Mental Health Awareness Month or something in the US and so, we may as well celebrate it! I don’t read enough YA these days, but Counting Down with You comes pretty highly recommended so I want to give it a shot. I’ve already got the audiobook so I may as well! Other books I still need to get to and should have already with mental health rep include The Charm Offensive by Alison Cochrun and Two Wrongs Make a Right by Chloe Liese, for example.

Prompt: Meddling

When the tagline for Reese Ryan’s new book is, “In this heartwarming small‑town romance, can three months, two planning projects, and a meddling grandmother finally make two high school hate crushes see just how right they are for each other?“‘ how do you resist making it fit this prompt? Or just picking it up in general. I love very little more than I love meddling grandparents. I don’t know what it is about them, but I’m here for it every time. Oh and the title of the book is Return to Hummingbird Way, which I suppose might be an important detail.

Row Three

Prompt: Food Word in the Title

This prompt is self-explanatory, I think, and I went with a spice in the title, A Wish Upon Jasmine. I’m obsessed with Laura Florand and it’s about time I continue in this series. I’m so excited!

Prompt: An Author You Love

I love a lot of authors, but I’m really looking forward to If Only You by Chloe Liese in particular, so I decided to put it down here. Other books I’m highly anticipating from authors I love include Happy Place by Emily Henry and Hotel of Secrets by Diana Biller, but you’ll see that one here momentarily.

Prompt: HEA

I mean, I had to fit The FIancée Farce by Alexandria Bellefleur in here somewhere! I am so excited for this book! I hope I’ll love it as much as I want to. I’m in love with the trope ideas it looks as though it will contain so I’m full of optimism.

Prompt: ReRead

Have I started moving through my Contemporary Romance project at a snail’s pace? Yes, yes, I have. But that said, I’m really looking forward to re-reading Reel. I think I’m going to listen to it this go around because everyone has been raving about the audiobook experience. But also, ever since I read and tabbed Block Shot, I’ve been wanting to do the same to Hook Shot AND I really want to re-read The Kingmaker and The Rebel King. Basically, I feel like I may wind up re-reading a lot of KR in the next few months.

Prompt: Green

So, I’m of the opinion that the dress on the cover of Hotel of Secrets by Diana Biller is green. If you disagree, I can easily swap it out for The Duchess Takes a Husband by Harper St. George, but let’s just say that green dresses are very in for me right now (and always). Also, this prompt would work for any book with characters who are invested in the environment! It is versatile.

Row Four

Prompt: Origin Story

There are a few different ways you can run with this prompt. One example would be reading a prequel novella to start a series like Courtney Milan’s The Governess Affair. Another example is to go back and re-read a book that got you into romance in the first place. Or my example, which is to read a book by an author who got you back into romance but it is not one I’ve read before, aka Heartbreaker by Sarah MacLean, which I really should have read by now, but never mind that. Sarah MacLean, Julia Quinn, Tessa Dare, and Lisa Kleypas were basically the summer of 2L year for me and really got me fully back into romance. I could also go with a Sarina Bowen book if I wanted because I once spent a weekend when I should have been doing really anything else, binge reading an entire Sarina Bowen series… Ah, the memories. And yet, I loved law school. Weird. Anyways, that’s a snippet of my own origin story with romance. I’m pleased to have really come a long way since then in terms of the variety in my reading, but still, there’s a comfort and familiarity there with the authors who brought me back to the genre.

Prompt: Black Love

Speaking of books I really should have read by now, The HookUp Plan by Farrah Rochon! Look… I have no excuse for dragging my feet on this one, but I have. Anyway, now is another great time to remind you that Black Love requires a book to be written by a Black Author and features Black love interests. Thank you for your attention to that very key detail.

Prompt: Dual POV

I’m just continuing a theme here… Sweethand has been on too many TBRs at this point. I mean, #SnowInLoveBingo literally had a BAKING prompt and I still dragged my feet. One day I really will read this book, I swear. Hopefully it’s this go around.

Prompt: Spring Debut

So, in addition to Bitter Medicine by Mia Tsai, which I featured in the first gallery, I also wanted to draw your attention to these five upcoming releases that are Spring 2023 debuts. I’m going to do my very best to do an ARC Review post with all six of the Spring Debuts I have ARCs of early in this season, by which I mean, maybe I’ll have it up by mid-April. But in the meantime, here are six Spring 2023 debuts! And you can obviously read a debut from a different spring! Or interpret debut more widely. I counted here two authors for whom this is their fiction debut (Lindsay and Angyal), but there are other ways to stretch this too like a traditionally published debut or something along those lines. And if no spring debut appeals, read any debut!

Prompt: Learn Some History

And back to books I’ve put on way too many TBRs to still not have read… Honestly, it’s embarrassing how many times I’ve had The Hidden Moon by Jeannie Lin on my TBR. This is the time!!! Someone yell at me if I don’t read this. I’m not kidding. Please make me read it. I’m begging!! Anyway, this prompt is basically encouraging you to not read a Regency romance. Read something set during a different time frame.

Row Five

Prompt: Cozy

I have three books I’ve classified as cozy fantasy on my priority reads shelf and The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches is one of them. That said, I’m meant to read that before the end of February. Will I? Well. It’s not looking good. The other two are Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree and Half a Soul by Olivia Atwater. I’m really keen to read all three of these books! I just need to actually, you know, read them.

Prompt: Anti-Hero

I had every intention of saving Twisted Lies for this prompt, but well, that didn’t work out. So instead, I’m thinking I should finally read Baron by Joanna Shupe. Although, tbh, I watched a video today that has me wanting to re-read Six of Crows because of Kaz and Inej so… We shall see. Plus, I really want to get more into fantasy romance. It’s a genre I really should love, I just need to actually dive in. So… Maybe that too. I DO NOT KNOW. What I do know is that it is in fact me, hi, I’m the problem, it’s me. So, you know, we’ll see where we wind up but this TBR? It’s probably not going to look like the final outcome AT ALL. One day that’s how I should do a wrap up. ANYWAYS.

Prompt: Queer Small Town Romance

I loved Lillie Vale’s The Shaadi Set-Up so much that I bought her YA, Small Town Hearts with absolutely zero knowledge. Just saw Lillie Vale on the cover and said, “That’s coming home with me, thank you!” Anyway, turns out it is a small town (Maine) queer coming of age romance! I’m pretty psyched about it, honestly. And if I get to read another, I only have one more book left in Roan Parrish’s Garnet Run series and it’s the novella, The Pride of Garnet Run or something. I’m really looking forward to that one because it’s the one with the movie theatre guy. Also, I’ve just been super into the small town vibes lately so please recommend me all of your favorites down below too!

Prompt: No Third Act Break Up

I found an entire Goodreads list for this prompt and I am so excited. Like, I’m strongly considering just reading the whole list throughout the year because third act conflicts have been stressing me out. The list has Funny Feelings by Tarah Dewitt on there, which is nice because I’ve had it checked out from KU for a little while. I’ve heard such good things and I want to give it a shot! Also, it’s a Christmas romance, but I heard such good things about Tis the Season for Revenge by Morgan Elizabeth so I think I may go out of season to try that one. Plus, it never hurts to try and will Reputation (Taylor’s Version) into existence, does it? And that title gives me Rep vibes all day.

Prompt: Starchy

First of all, can we talk about the fact that the image Sarah drew is a bag of potatoes? How perfect for me, a human who loves potatoes the most and also starchy heroes are my favorites. If you have the anthology He Comes Undone on your tbr still, let me just say, you should pick it up for this prompt! But in general, I think of starchy people as fairly unflexible, a little tart maybe? You define it as you feel! The two books I’m strongly considering for this are The Inn on Sweetbriar Lane by Jeannie Chin and Beautiful Secret by Christina Lauren!

Closing Thoughts

If y’all have any questions because sometimes I’m genuinely awful at explaining our prompts, please let me know! And if you need recommendations, I’m happy to help. You can also look forward to a recommendations post sooner than later! And please share with me what you think I should read for your favorite prompts.

xx