Luck and Last Resorts

This emotional high-seas rom-com from Grunder Ruiz (Love, Lists, and Fancy Ships) offers a fresh take on the marriage of convenience trope. After a knee injury crushes Nina Lejeune’s hopes of making the Olympic gymnastics team, Nina is hit with another unexpected blow: her father has a secret gambling addiction and, after having ruined his own credit rating, he moved on to trashing hers. Desperate to escape her life, Nina talks her way into a steward job on a charter yacht—and meets the ship’s gorgeous Irish chef, Ollie Dunn, whose visa is about to expire. Ollie left Ireland to get away from his own abusive father, and hasn’t looked back since. Nina suggests getting married to help Ollie get a green card, and, after some hesitation, Ollie agrees. The friends spend the next 10 years ignoring the fact that they’re technically married even as their feelings for each other grow. Emotionally damaged commitment-phobe Nina doesn’t think she knows how to love, but Ollie’s willing to teach her. The characters’ issues feel grounded and weighty, and Grunder Ruiz makes it easy to see how they can help each other work through them. Readers will root for this endearing couple. (Aug.)