My Darling Jane

This uneven frenemies-to-lovers romance, the sequel to Madden-Mills’s My Darling Bride, pairs matchmaker Jane Darling with pro football player Jasper Jannich. Single mother Jane is desperate to grow her matchmaking business—so much so that she heads to a bar dressed as Cupid to drum up clients. There, she runs into Jasper, a friend of her sister’s husband, who saves her from a handsy stranger. Jasper offers to be her client, but Jane dismisses him as a sleazy creeper when she mistakes his teen nieces, who sneak into the bar, for love interests. Jasper applies anyway, leaning into the playboy stereotypes on his application to get under Jane’s skin. Needing his sign-up fee to cover an overdue bill, Jane reluctantly takes him on. As Jane sets Jasper up on a series of disastrous dates, the pair grow closer. Unable to deny their chemistry, they agree to be friends with benefits. But how long can they keep things strictly casual? Madden-Mills’s signature lively banter is on display, but this outing strangely lacks emotional depth. The central couple’s physical chemistry comes across, but it’s difficult to see what bonds them beyond compatibility in the bedroom. This falls short. (Nov.)