This sparkling tale of romantic suspense from Payne (Sex, Lies and Sensibility) introduces Fiona Addai, the sheltered adult daughter of a doomsday pastor who gets her kicks while living under his strict rules by solving cold cases on Reddit under the handle Princess_PI. After her late brother’s groundbreaking invention, a smart-vest that can “deliver medication on schedule and monitor vital signs,” is stolen by wealthy businessman Robert Thorpe, Fiona is determined to deliver justice. She plans to steal the prototype back at a major tech convention, but she’s beaten to the punch by a mysterious stranger. Worse, when Thorpe turns up dead, Fiona’s at the scene of the crime, making her a lead suspect. Enter professional gumshoe Maurice Bennett, who has been haunted for years by the one case he couldn’t solve: the violent death of a member of Fiona’s father’s congregation. Now he’s looking into Thorpe’s death—and Fiona is determined to help him find the real killer. A white-hot chemistry quickly ignites between the two, though they must hide their relationship from Fiona’s father. Payne skillfully plants red herrings throughout the intriguing mystery while developing the believable romance between her complex Black leads. Readers will be hooked. (Sept.)

Reviewed on 07/04/2025 | Details & Permalink

War (I Did Something Bad) puts an action-adventure twist on the friends-to-lovers trope in this strained romantic comedy. Poe Myat Sabei’s debut novel was a sensation, but now she’s paralyzed by imposter syndrome and struggling to draft a follow-up. A two-week, all-inclusive trip to Sertulu, a tiny island “somewhere to the right” of the Philippines, with her best friend and roommate, Zwe, may be just what she needs to break free from her creative rut. On Sertulu, romantic tensions simmer between Poe and Zwe even as they flirt with resort employees Antonio and Leila, respectively. The White Lotus vibes of the opening abruptly dissipate when a band of armed women attack the resort and take everyone hostage. Poe, Zwe, Antonio, and Leila must work together to escape with their lives. As the danger intensifies, Poe realizes that her creative and romantic struggles stem from her insecurities and learns to be brave. Though War attempts to keep up the lighthearted humor and romance in the face of these life-or-death stakes, the tone becomes jarringly inconsistent. Poe and Zwe’s chemistry starts strong but becomes difficult to believe when they’ve got so much else going on. Only diehard fans of the author need apply. (Aug.)

Reviewed on 06/27/2025 | Details & Permalink

Opposites convincingly attract in this sparkling rom-com from Palmer (Four Weekends and a Funeral). Charlotte “Charley” Beekman is a type-A planner who thought she knew how her life would go, but, at 28, she’s freshly divorced, stuck in a law career she hates, and entirely cynical about love. Though she’s determined not to need anybody, in a moment of drunken vulnerability she sends a barrage of texts to her childhood best friend, Ethan Powell, expressing how much she misses him. In response, Ethan, a nomadic, free-spirited musician, shows up at Charley’s house in his camper van, offering unwavering support despite her initial discomfort and attempts to push him away. His van comes in handy when Charley’s little sister announces her plan to elope with her childhood sweetheart and Charley, seeing visions of disaster, ropes Ethan into a madcap road trip to stop the wedding. Palmer intersperses the present-day hijinks with flashbacks to Charley and Ethan’s first meeting, fast friendship, and eventual growing apart, making their chemistry and the depths of their emotional connection easy to see. The result is a charming and carefree summer romp that will warm readers’ hearts. (Aug.)

Reviewed on 06/27/2025 | Details & Permalink

Williams (Enemies to Lovers) questions how much stock should be placed in first impressions in this cute contemporary. Jessie and Cal meet cute in a London Whole Foods and wind up spending a perfect afternoon together. They seem like a match made in heaven, but their date abruptly ends when they witness a woman’s suicide attempt, and Cal steps in to get the woman off the ledge and to the hospital. Jessie’s impressed by his compassion but frustrated he left before they could exchange numbers. She’s left hopelessly pining, until the pair run into each other again when Jessie’s infuriating boss introduces Cal as her boyfriend and says his name is Vinnie. As Jessie tries to make sense of both her feelings and Cal/Vinnie’s whole deal, she also attempts a career change, copes with a nasty stepmother-to-be, fends off the flirtations of a friendly butcher (who Jessie writes off as a player), and endeavors to take on board her best friend’s encouragement to stop being a doormat. The result is a pleasing story of a resilient young woman who doesn’t give up on herself when her romantic life isn’t going well. Fans of Jill Mansell and Beth O’Leary should check this out. (Aug.)

Reviewed on 06/27/2025 | Details & Permalink

With lush descriptions and delicate worldbuilding, debut author Rameera draws readers into an intricate romantasy rooted in Sri Lankan myth. Anula of Anuradhapura’s happy life on her parents’ farm ended 12 years ago, when the usurping raja’s armies laid waste to her village, leaving her a teen orphan. Since that day, she has dedicated herself to revenge, encouraged by her Auntie Nirma and a circle of fierce female allies. After years of work learning spy and poison craft, she has now infiltrated the imperial palace as one of the raja’s concubines and maneuvered herself into position to become the first raejina. When her carefully laid plans go up in smoke, she makes a desperate appeal to the gods. Enter Reeri, the Blood Yakka, a deity whose past mistakes led the Lord of the Second Heavens to exile him and his brethren. Attempting to free himself and his loved ones, Reeri makes an audacious deal with the celestial ruler: he’ll return to earth and hunt down the one relic that would unbalance the heavens. When Reeri answers Anula’s prayer, the pair’s separate schemes become inextricably intertwined, sparking unexpected love. Though the narrative is somewhat overlong, the fascinating premise, intoxicating mythology, and detailed characterization keep the pages turning. It’s a gorgeous exploration of faith, rage, and passion. (Aug.)

Reviewed on 06/27/2025 | Details & Permalink

Two very different women intervene in their parents’ hasty wedding plans in this alluring, tarot-inspired sapphic romance from Faubion (The Lovers). Introverted and lonely park ranger Cadence Connelly returns home to California after receiving an invitation to the engagement party of her estranged mother, Moira, a psychic. Like Cadence, adventurous, commitment-phobic pilot Sydney Sinclair, the daughter of Moira’s fiancé, Rick, suspects some nefarious element to their fast-tracked engagement. Sydney visits Moira’s store to scope her out, but Cadence whisks her away, concerned about Moira’s years-old prediction that Cadence will meet her soulmate in the shop. The women then team up to get to the bottom of the engagement. Meanwhile, Moira, having learned of the women’s potentially fated first meeting, decides to give destiny a hand by ensuring there’s only one room—and one bed—for Cadence and Sydney at the Solvang resort where the party will take place. Faubion makes the women’s emotional development convincing as their walls slowly come down and also crafts an enticing mystery surrounding Moira and Rick’s real intentions. The result is a solid romance that winks at popular tropes and makes good use of its tarot motif. Faubian’s fans will be pleased. (Aug.)

Reviewed on 06/27/2025 | Details & Permalink

Returning to Middlemass, a charming English village first visited in Alexander’s Storybook Ending, this enemies-to-lovers contemporary starts strong but fails to stick the landing. Publishing assistant Jules Capelthorne is summoned from London to help out her injured great-aunt Flo at the centennial celebration for her bookshop. Jules only plans to spend the weekend, hoping to avoid unnecessary run-ins with her difficult mother, Maggie, and get back to her demanding job. Businessman Roman Montbeau, heir to a local estate, is surprised to see Jules back in town and regretful when he realizes that his shiny new bookstore will likely quickly put Flo’s fading shop out of business. The Montbeau and Capelthorne families have a long-standing feud, and despite Roman’s overtures to Jules to smooth their relationship, she’s resistant. Their initial animosity is somewhat underplayed, with the duo barely exchanging words in the book’s first half. Meanwhile the later switch from enemies to lovers feels far too abrupt. Diehard Alexander fans will enjoy revisiting Middlemass’s local couples but others can give this a pass. (Aug.)

Reviewed on 06/27/2025 | Details & Permalink

Leaving Victorian England for Mexico, the swoonworthy conclusion to De La Rosa’s Luna Sisters series (after Isabel and the Rogue) turns the spotlight onto youngest sister Gabriela “Gabby” Luna. With the French having withdrawn from the invasion that forced the Lunas to flee their homeland in book one, Gabby heads home to visit her parents and recuperate from narrowly escaping a forced marriage to a noble. Her escort is Sebastian Brooks, the Duke of Whitfield, whom Gabby warms to on their shipboard journey despite her prior dislike of him. In Mexico, however, she’s met with more matrimonial plotting, this time coming from her father who has picked out a suitable match for her. Gabby resists—and her affinity for Sebastian increases when he agrees to escort her back to London to spare her from the unwanted marriage. With their voyage taking place on such short notice, the two are forced to share a cabin, which leads to a scintillating shipboard affair. That should be the end of things, but upon returning to London, rumors of Gabby being compromised spread, throwing the couple into a scandal. De La Rosa’s characters are as progressive for their time as ever—it’s especially gratifying to see how highly Sebastian values Gabby’s intellect—and their chemistry is red hot. Series fans will not be disappointed. (Aug.)

Reviewed on 06/27/2025 | Details & Permalink

Bonam-Young (Out of the Woods) elevates this sexy small-town contemporary with well-crafted backstories that add considerable depth to the central couple’s connection. Prue Welch never left touristy Baysville, Ontario, after high school, not feeling ready for college and needing to care for her mom as her early onset Alzheimer’s disease progressed. She’s 24 and living a quiet if stifled life with her parents when charming, tattooed Milo Kablukov comes to town to help his brother open a new brewery. Free-spirited, bisexual Milo spent his 20s wandering, working odd jobs, and deliberately avoiding his siblings who, like him, suffered at the hands of their abusive parents. Though she’s immediately attracted to Milo, inexperienced Prue’s insecurities make her believe he’ll never be interested in her, so she contents herself with being just friends. Her feelings intensify, however, upon seeing how caring he is of her mom, who was his high school art teacher. For his part, Milo is surprised that Prue makes him want to stick around despite his long history of running from commitments. Bonam-Young builds great chemistry between her leads, and the familial subplots—especially the tender scenes between Milo and his estranged siblings—add heart. This is a keeper. (Aug.)

Reviewed on 06/27/2025 | Details & Permalink

An emotional reunion animates bestseller Ryan’s steamy third Dark Horse Dive Bar contemporary (after Wilde for You). As children, Fox Bridges and Melody Wilde were inseparable. After Melody’s dad stepped in to save Fox from his abusive parents, Fox ended up in foster care, taking him far from Blackrock Falls, Wyo.—but he’s never forgotten Melody. Sixteen years later, Fox, now a successful computer programmer, is back in town to take care of his mother, who has terminal cancer. Though Fox has been messaging Melody online, she doesn’t realize who he is until they meet up at the bar she owns. Their relationship quickly heats up, though Fox is initially worried that Melody is only attracted to him because of his money, having been burned before. Their evolving romance leads Melody to contemplate how they will work as a couple when Fox moves back to Boston. Meanwhile, a secret from Fox’s past may land them both in danger. Sensuous love scenes and a touch of mystery will draw in returning readers and new fans alike. This is a winner. (Self-published)

Reviewed on 06/27/2025 | Details & Permalink