Childhood rivals reunite under unusual circumstances in this cute but bumpy debut romance from Loo and Young. Alice Chen is desperate for a way to pay for her mother’s cancer treatment on her meager math teacher’s salary. When her “charmed golden retriever” of a fiancé, Chase, signs them up for a couples reality game show, she can’t ignore the chance to win the million-dollar prize. Upon arriving on set, she’s horrified to see her handsome high school nemesis, Daniel Cho, who has entered the competition alongside his model girlfriend. As the cameras roll, the chemistry between Alice and Daniel becomes apparent to everyone except Alice, who’s reluctant to admit her attraction. Things take an abrupt turn when dangerous accidents begin occurring on set, culminating in the discovery of a dead body. Alice and Daniel investigate, and eventually they come to trust and deeply rely on each other. The book is at its best when it focuses on the protagonists’ budding connection. Less well developed are the whodunit plot and reality TV shenanigans. The result is a bit of a jumble. Agent: Elizabeth Bewley, Sterling Lord Literistic. (June)

Reviewed on 03/28/2025 | Details & Permalink

This lively sports romance from Ward (The Dance Deception) finds England’s Crawford family heartbroken when their favorite football club moves away from their hometown—until they decide to form a team of their own. Lily, in her final year at university, initially thinks the idea is insane, but soon she and her sister, Cassie, jump on board, forming plucky Crawford United, an underdog team with heart. Determined to make their fledgling endeavor a hit, the Crawfords recruit soccer players hoping for their big breaks—among them Bailey Pryce, who doesn’t let on at the outset that his brother, Ben, plays on one of the top teams in the league. When Ben is suspended for several games after an altercation with a rival team’s fan, he pitches in with coaching duties. At first Lily and Ben clash—and then their chemistry ignites. Ward does an excellent job of showing the privileges and pitfalls of fame, as when, after Ben and Lily have already gotten together, his publicists force him into a PR relationship with a different woman. The sibling rivalry between Lily and Cassie adds nuance to the plot and the quaint British setting charms. Ted Lasso fans will want to check this out. (Mar.)

Reviewed on 03/21/2025 | Details & Permalink

Greer’s rocky debut tracks the slow burn romance between Nicholas, a curmudgeonly gay PhD student, and his older brother’s best friend, golden boy Matías, who is “everything Nicholas despised wrapped in a loud, obnoxious package.” His unresolved issues with Matías stem from a betrayal of trust six years before the start of the book, so he’s understandably upset when his brother and roommate, Will, announces that Matías is going to crash with them for a while. Though Matías, a “sex god with dimples,” claims he has changed, Nicholas avoids him and, when they do end up spending time together, he’s often needlessly unkind. Then Nicholas learns that Matías has come out as bisexual, forcing him to reevaluate his perception and possibly let go of his long-standing grudge. Even after the pair kiss in the rain, however, Nicholas’s insecurities tell him, “No one is going to look at us and think we make sense.” Unfortunately, the backstory of what exactly Matías did to betray Nicholas is teased out for far too long and underwhelms when it arrives. Meanwhile, the central romance is often back-burnered by Nicholas’s academic issues, including a crush on his TA that leads to humiliation, as well as his complicated relationship with Will. There’s some good character work, but as a romance, this disappoints. (May)

Reviewed on 03/21/2025 | Details & Permalink

Stevenson’s wonderfully whimsical romantasy debut takes readers on an entertaining ride through a fairy tale–inspired fantasy land. As the “flower of Demaria,” 25-year-old Bianca was raised to value duty above everything else and has been expected to compensate for her hobbling gastrointestinal condition, which the healers can’t identify, by being perfect in every other way. In order to prevent a war with neighboring country Gildenheim, Bianca agrees to an arranged marriage with surly king-to-be Aric. A disastrous first meeting with the cold bookworm leaves Bianca convinced that Aric hates her. Things go from bad to worse when, on their wedding night, an assassination attempt and spell gone awry leaves Aric transformed into a horse and Bianca fleeing for safety on her husband’s back. Aric, now a white stallion by day and a handsome man by night, and Bianca must cross Gildenheim in search of a cure. As they travel together, their attraction and feelings grow. Soon, however, the political situation turns dire, and Bianca is forced to choose her duty to Demaria or following her heart. Stevenson injects this lighthearted plot with a good dose of humor while making time to explore the difficulties of living with chronic illness and delving into meaningful themes about redefining strength, usefulness, and duty. Bianca and Aric’s romance feels organic, and it’s gratifying to see them mature together, helping each other overcome their respective insecurities. This confectionary romp delights. (May)

Reviewed on 03/21/2025 | Details & Permalink

Ariel (When I Think of You) brings big emotions in this captivating celebrity romance. R&B superstar Ella Simone may have been plucked from obscurity by her narcissistic music-producer husband, Elliot Majors, but she’s finally had enough of his philandering and, despite the weight of his punitive prenup hanging over her head, she files for divorce. It’s a perfect time for her to meet L.A. Dodgers star pitcher Miles Westbrook, with whom she co-presents an award at the Grammys. Miles, who handles Ella’s last minute backstage wardrobe malfunction like a total gentleman, is immediately charmed by her—but Elliot, who encourages the tabloids to have a field day with the pair’s “partially nude” meet cute, uses their connection to sway public discourse around the divorce in his favor. Ella’s team fights back, pairing Ella and Miles to promote both Miles’s charity foundation and Ella’s latest music video. As Ella and Miles grow closer in public and private, her divorce proceedings turn increasingly nasty. Will Elliot’s machinations be enough to push this budding couple apart? Ariel’s fierce heroine inspires instant loyalty, and she crafts a worthy hero in Miles. The pair’s complicated connection is leavened with humor from the robust supporting cast. This peek into the perils and pleasures of fame is a winner. (Apr.)

Reviewed on 03/21/2025 | Details & Permalink

This lighthearted if underbaked contemporary from Fisseha (Daughters of Silence) finds Ethiopian Canadian Mizan “Miz” Begashaw determined never to marry, and certainly never to fall in love, convictions reinforced when she discovers a ring in her boyfriend’s gym bag and promptly dumps him. Then her best friend, aspiring actor Kalkidan “Kal” Legesse, reveals that his time in Toronto may be cut short by his expiring international work permit, forcing him to return home to Addis Ababa, where Miz’s estranged father lives and the pair met as children. To help Kal stay in Canada, Miz reluctantly agrees to a marriage of convenience. It’s a familiar setup delivered in a breezy tone and Fisseha adds interest by exploring cultural differences within the Ethiopian diaspora. Unfortunately, emotionally distant Miz and sensitive Kal’s transition from friends to lovers feels unevenly paced and unbelievable; their initial friendship never feels particularly strong and their chemistry doesn’t come through on the page. Meanwhile, many subplots—including the gym bag engagement ring that kicks things off—are dropped for large stretches of the story. Given the proliferation of marriage of convenience plots, readers will be better served elsewhere. (May)

Reviewed on 03/21/2025 | Details & Permalink

The sparkling Lords of Hazard series starter from Jeffries (the Designing Debutantes series) draws inspiration from the true stories of Englishmen detained in France during the Napoleonic War. After being imprisoned for 11 years, Lord Jon Leighton returns to England to find the country radically changed. He also discovers that, with both his older half brothers dead, he is now the Duke of Falconridge. The title brings many new duties, but Jon’s focus is on fulfilling his promise to his mentor, Dr. Morris, who died while imprisoned with Jon, to secure a good marriage for his daughter, Tory Morris, who happens to be Jon’s sister’s governess. Free-spirited Tory, however, has no interest in matrimony, determined instead to realize her dream of opening a school for women artists. The pair clash, only coming to a truce when Tory agrees to husband hunt during the London Season if Jon becomes her sculpting pupil. Mutual attraction blossoms—as does intrigue, as Jon searches for the person who betrayed his escape plan back in France. The result is a page-turning romance complete with a wounded hero it’s easy to crush on and an intelligent, fiercely independent heroine it’s easy to root for. This is a delight. (May)

Reviewed on 03/21/2025 | Details & Permalink

Bestseller Solomon (Business or Pleasure) offers the sizzling story of a marriage of convenience between high school sweethearts. After a messy breakup with a coworker and resulting job loss, 30-something Californian Dani Dorfman needs to get away from her overprotective parents and make a new start—so she boldly takes a job in Amsterdam. While biking around her new city, she literally crashes into Wouter Van Leeuwen, her forbidden first love from the year he spent as an exchange student with her family. Soon thereafter, Dani’s apartment is flooded and her Dutch employer goes under. Meanwhile, Wouter needs a wife to inherit his historic family home. Marriage solves both their problems, providing Dani with housing and time to find employment. Though they agree the arrangement is strictly practical, their old attraction is as strong as ever and pretending they’re in love in front of Wouter’s family brings old feelings to the surface. Even after they succumb to their physical chemistry, however, insecurities on both sides may prevent them from trusting each other enough to make their marriage real and lasting. Solomon showcases her talent for creating flawed but appealing characters, and it’s gratifying to see Dani and Wouter’s relationship mature. The author’s fans will not be disappointed. (May)

Reviewed on 03/21/2025 | Details & Permalink

Rosen (The Heirloom) pits high-strung OB-GYN Leah Lockhart against her long-ignored desires in this weepy contemporary. After vertigo topples her mid-delivery, Leah and her uptight physician father’s maternity clinic are threatened with a malpractice suit. Her cousin Charlotte urges her into an astrological consult where Leah the Leo is told she must let her inner self free. Determined to prove the stars wrong, she decides to track down others with her exact birth date and time to compare their lives and choices. So begins an astrologically driven world tour, from a luscious Venetian let-it-all-hang-out retreat (featuring a tight-trousered Italian chef) to Istanbul and a swoony rock star. Along the way, Leah starts to question everything she believes. Her father’s failing health, however, calls her back home, where she tearfully reunites with her long-estranged hippie mother and finds true romance with her childhood beau. The far-flung locales make a breathtaking background, but the heavy-handed emotions and shoehorned messages about personal growth feel overwrought. Armchair travelers and astrological true believers may find something to enjoy, but others can give this a pass. (May)

Reviewed on 03/21/2025 | Details & Permalink

Smith (Faker) riffs on You’ve Got Mail in this muddled enemies-to-lovers romance about an English professor desperate to defend his job and an auditor just trying to do hers. Professor Aidan Scott has sacrificed a lot to pursue his passion for English literature—including his college hockey career and a relationship with his hockey superfan father—so when East Nashville University brings in financial auditor Micah Mila to address “department efficiency,” he hates her on principle. Unbeknownst to him, however, Micah is also Hot4Hermia, his most devoted reader on the fan fiction app, “Scribble Share,” where, as ShakespeareInLust, Aidan writes erotica based on his favorite plays, and where Micah gradually rediscovers her love of writing. Their emoji-laden online flirtation is cute enough, but readers will find it difficult to get past Aidan’s IRL lack of professionalism toward Micah, which includes suggesting to his coworkers that they should falsify complaints to get her fired, staring at her chest multiple times in the workplace, and deliberately causing her to go into caffeine withdrawal to make her look incompetent. As a result, the confession of attraction and subsequent sex scene feel more like grounds for an HR intervention than a moment of simmering sexual tension boiling over. Readers will want to look elsewhere for their workplace rom-com fix. Agent: Sarah Younger, Nancy Yost Literary. (May)

Reviewed on 03/21/2025 | Details & Permalink