Trivialized Pursuit

Heintzelman’s utterly charming sequel to Monopolove returns to San Diego game shop Love & Games, this time turning the focus onto co-owner Rox Sloan, a finance whiz and Trivial Pursuit aficionado. Rox has spent a decade crushing on her friend Nadia’s brother, Murphy “Murph” Theodore Sikes, a medical doctor, but she’s shy about making a move. Meanwhile, Murph is wary of relationships in general after a lifetime observing his parents’ seemingly loveless marriage. The pair are brought closer first by an epic bar trivia night, then by Rox’s “Dirty-Thirty” birthday party in Las Vegas, leading to a steamy affair. With baggage on both sides, however, will they be able to make it last? Heintzelman makes the duo’s communication issues believable, alternating between Rox and Murph’s perspectives to show how Rox’s insecurities and Murph’s fears threaten to derail their romance. The author takes care in fleshing out her protagonists, making it easy to empathize with them both as the snappy plot unfurls. The result is an adorable contemporary romance that will especially please fans of the best friend’s brother trope. (July)