Get Over It, April Evans

Blake’s endearing and believable second Clover Lake romance (after Dream On, Ramona Riley) puts the enemies-to-lovers and forced proximity tropes to excellent use. April Evans is still reeling from the betrayal of her cheating ex-fiancee, Elena Watson, who left her for beautiful younger artist Daphne Love three years ago, when she’s forced to permanently close her failing tattoo parlor. So she’s grateful for the stability afforded by a summer job as an art teacher at Cloverwild, an elegant resort that also offers her and her co-teacher room and board in a quaint cabin on the property. Then she learns that her new roommate is none other than Daphne. Though Daphne, who has recently been cheated on and dumped by Elena herself, has no idea who April is and can’t understand her hostility, April sees fit to take out years of anger and hurt feelings on the other woman. Meanwhile an amazing opportunity that will allow only one of them to display their paintings in a renowned London museum cements them as professional rivals as well. It’s an absolute delight to watch the relationship between these endearingly flawed and dynamic characters gradually evolve as they put aside their differences and bond over their shared love of art. The result is a well-paced, tension-filled sapphic romance that doubles as a celebration of personal growth and healing. (Feb.)