Kristen Donnelly

Reviewer

Voracious reader, with a preference for sassy romances and happily ever afters. In a relationship with coffee, seeing whiskey on the side.

Currently Reading

I'm in the midst of a year-long experiment with my library's New Releases shelf - one book per visit from an author I've never heard of, borrowed without reading the synopsis, and at this moment it's a non-fiction book about the nature of democracy, plus my pile of TBR review books!

Favorite Romance

I don't know how to measure favorites except to say the ones where the characters have stayed with me. So let's say Nora Robert's Bride Quartet and Julia Quinn's Bridgerton tribe. Also A Bollywood Affair by Sonali Dev, Bet Me by Jennifer Crusie, The Best Man by Kristan Higgins, and Simply Irresistable by Jill Shalvis. 

Favorite Non-Romance

Both the Harry Potter series and The Chronicles of Narnia are ones I return to again, and again, and again. Beyond that, a lot of them are non-fiction. Mountain Beyond Mountains by Tracey Kidder is one I recommend widely. 

What I Love in a Romance

I love romances that feel like biographies of people I've never met. Characters that could walk off the page, strong and sassy heroines, kind and good heroes, and throwing in a big goofy dog always wins my heart. I'm particularly partial to stories where the secondary characters are vibrant as well, and I get to read their stories in other books. 

What I Hate in a Romance

I cannot abide stories where consent is not explicit, nor do I enjoy ones where deflowering the virgin is seen as a conquest rather than an exchange of mutual satisfaction. I hate domineering men with no dimentions to them (alpholes, as they are sometimes called), women who destroy other women just to get the man, and I generally avoid paranormals as a rule. 

A Bit More About Me

I know all the words to the Irish Rugby anthem and sing them loudly, even when watching matches in my living room by myself. Avid sports fan of many sports, which means romances with athletes are a favorite of mine. 

I'm a dog person, perferrably adopted lumps of slobber and fur who are always happy to see me. 

Collecting passport stamps is a main hobby. My husband and I love to travel and met while I was living abroad. 

Physically located in Northeastern Corridor in U.S., emotionally located in Northern Ireland.