A case of mistaken identity leads to danger and unexpected love in this entertaining contemporary from James (Name Your Price). Computer science professor Penny Collins plans to spend a quiet summer working toward tenure—but when she takes a brief break to check out a nearby estate sale, she lands in hot water. It starts with a squabble with the late owner’s nephew, Anthony Pierce, who, unbeknownst to Penny, is a fixer for the rich and powerful. Then a dead body falls out of one of the house’s closets. The corpse is connected to one of Anthony’s recent jobs, which went horribly awry. Now some very bad men are after him—and, having witnessed his animated argument with Penny, they assume she’s his girlfriend, putting her life in danger as well. The pair go on the run together, dodging danger and becoming enmeshed in a complex missing person case. James keeps the twists coming, leading readers on a fast-paced thrill ride complete with a ruthless villain who will do anything to stop Penny and Anthony in their track. Readers who like their romance to come with plenty of action will be pleased. Agent: Melissa Edwards, Stonesong Literary. (Apr.)

Reviewed on 02/21/2025 | Details & Permalink

The sizzling eighth installment of bestseller Robert’s blockbuster Dark Olympus series (after Dark Restraint) expands on her dark and sexy take on Greek mythology. The wall separating the dystopian city-state of Olympus, which is ruled by a council of 13 corrupt politicians, from the rest of the world has fallen, leaving the city vulnerable to attack from the Aeaeans. Aeaea-born Icarus is trapped in Olympus after having helped his sister, Ariadne, and her lover, the Minotaur, flee. He’s captured by Poseidon, one of the three legacy members of the council, who sees the Aeaeans as mortal enemies. Despite this inauspicious start, the men quickly uncover their explosive chemistry in the face of extreme danger from those who want one or both of them dead. The sex scenes are steamy as ever, and Robert uses a clever conceit to get new or forgetful readers up to speed on her ever-widening worldbuilding: the events of past books are summarized in pithy tabloid headlines. This series is still going strong. (Apr.)

Reviewed on 02/14/2025 | Details & Permalink

Hidden identities abound in this lighthearted Regency comedy of errors from bestseller Enoch (Every Duke Has His Day). Meg Pinwell has spent a year unhappily engaged to a man she’s never met: James Clay, Duke of Earnhurst, whose rakish reputation proceeds him. To call off the wedding, she needs proof of her fiancé’s misdeeds, so she disguises herself as her aunt’s companion on a visit to the duke’s home, hoping to dig up some dirt. However, upon their unexpected arrival, James, annoyed at the thought of entertaining guests, pretends to be the butler, leaving his estate manager to pose as the duke. After a sprained ankle forces Meg and her aunt to stay with the duke for two weeks, all four characters must extend their charades, resulting in a series of amusing twists as they struggle to keep their false identities straight while each falls for whom they believe is the wrong person. Filled with playful scheming, whimsical mishaps, and endearingly impish characters, this sweet romance is sure to charm. Agent: Nancy Yost, Nancy Yost Literary. (Apr.)

Reviewed on 02/07/2025 | Details & Permalink

A group of emotionally wounded queer men cobble together a found family amid supernatural threats and the pall of the AIDS crisis in this impressively drawn romance from Fell (The Sign for Home). Joe Agabian arrives on Fire Island in 1989 to discover his best friend, himbo Ronnie Kaminski, does not actually have jobs or housing lined up for them. Fortunately, two eccentric year-round residents, house cleaners Howie Fishbein and Lenny D’Amico, offer Joe a room. Despite Ronnie warning him that association with them might tarnish his reputation, Joe accepts and takes a job slinging drinks at a rundown bar owned by one of their friends. Unbeknownst to Joe, the older men are secretly members of a disco witch coven, whose magical dancing rituals can protect against the Great Darkness, a malevolent force that lures people to suicide. Joe, still reeling from the death of his boyfriend from AIDS two years prior, is at high risk. As the coven rallies around him, Joe’s self-destructive sadness also repeatedly pulls Fergal, a strapping bisexual ferry worker, into the role of his protector. Fell adroitly blends camp, raw emotion, and nostalgia into a deeply felt ode to community. A frothy premise belies this romp’s immense heart and beauty. Agent: Doug Stewart, Sterling Lord Literistic. (May)

Reviewed on 02/07/2025 | Details & Permalink

A plot to steal the Crown Jewels animates this rip-roaring Princes of London series launch from Carlyle (the Love on Holiday series). In 1896 London, Allie Prince holds down the fort at her family’s antique shop while her treasure-hunting relatives take off for an archaeological expedition in America. She’s disappointed to be stuck with this boring task and sure she’s missing out on all the adventure, until she overhears a group of thieves discussing their ambitious plans. She reports the conversation to Scotland Yard Det. Insp. Ben Drake, who’s skeptical of her claims but agrees to look into it. His investigation leads him to the dangerous underbelly of the city, where Allie turns up, determined to assist him. As they work together, their mutual attraction becomes impossible to ignore, but Ben fears that his sordid family history will prevent him from ever marrying. Carlyle makes her progressive leads perfectly matched: dogged detective Ben values Allie as his intellectual equal, and plucky bluestocking Allie loosens him up a bit. This is a promising start. Agent: Jill Marsal at Marsal Lyon Literary Agency. (Apr.)

Reviewed on 02/07/2025 | Details & Permalink

Pairing a nerdy chemist who studies fire with a dashing female firefighter, this sapphic rom-com from England (The One True Me and You) is scorching hot. After scientist Nicole “Nic” Wells finishes her master’s program, she moves back home to Seattle and reunites with her friend group, including her BFF and longtime crush, Skylar, and new addition Kira McKinney, a firefighter. When Skylar announces that she’s impulsively moving to Fiji at the end of the summer, Nic and Kira both believe she’s making a huge mistake and scheme together to persuade her to stay. Along the way, they end up getting to know each other more intimately than either anticipated. Their chemistry is certainly fiery, but, in part because Skylar is a therapist, the amount of therapy-speak occasionally grates, burying the characters’ raw emotions beneath jargon. Still, there’s much to enjoy here, including England’s fun deployment of the “only one bed” trope and Nic and Kira’s very queer cohort, whom readers will be excited to revisit in a sequel. Anyone in search of a sweet, slightly quirky, and certainly steamy romance will find all they’re looking for here. Agent: Eric Smith, P.S. Literary Agency. (Apr.)

Reviewed on 02/07/2025 | Details & Permalink

Morrissey (That Summer Feeling) sets the sweetness level high in this two-part queer romance. Tatum Ward, diner waitress in the small town of Trove Hills, Ill., nurses her crush on patron June Lightbell while dealing with family chaos caused by the recent discovery that she has a half-brother her father wants to introduce to her and her siblings. When June’s girlfriend breaks up with her just before June’s big trip to New York to promote her perfume business, Tatum seizes the opportunity to escape by stepping in as travel companion and offering a weeklong home swap to Broadway publicist Eleanor Chapman, one of June’s clients. Eleanor is happy to make her own escape from relationship and work drama. She soon finds herself entertaining a fling with Tatum’s wild artist sibling, Carson, who’s nonbinary, and pulled into all the family events Tatum’s missing. June and Tatum, meanwhile, strike up a friendship with a fading movie star in Eleanor’s building who encourages them to try a relationship. Both settings feel a bit stylized, with Morrissey amping up the small-town charm and big city hubbub. The two endearing relationships get equal space to grow, while family and friends add heart to the plot. Readers looking for a Hallmark aesthetic but with queer characters will find it here. (Apr.)

Reviewed on 02/07/2025 | Details & Permalink

This thrill-filled contemporary from Walker (The Takedown) finds chef Max in dire financial straits after her restaurant goes under, forcing her to work for a barely livable hourly wage with a second-rate catering company. It also just so happens that she could pass for the twin sister of Sofia Christiansen, prime minister of the fictional European country of Summerland, where Max’s grandmother was from. So when it becomes clear that someone is trying to assassinate Sofia, the CIA recruits Max to serve as her body double on a trip to Italy—for a $5 million payday. The surprises keep coming: when she gets to Italy, Max finds that her handler is her ex-boyfriend and first love, Flynn. Soon, Max and Flynn are dodging bullets, getting into motorcycle chases, and evading assassins at every turn—all while falling in love again. Readers will feel transported to Italy as they, like Max and Flynn, try to piece together who is behind the assassination attempts. The tightly plotted mystery is leavened by moments of laugh-out-loud humor and endearing supporting characters, especially the scene-stealing Giorgio, a bumbling but jolly hotelier. Walker’s sophomore novel is sure to please existing fans and win her plenty of new ones. (Mar.)

Reviewed on 02/07/2025 | Details & Permalink

Stark sets her clumsy workplace romance debut behind the scenes of a TV show. Paranormal soap opera The Demon has a PR problem after one of its directors says that the #MeToo movement has gone too far. In crisis management mode, and with no female directors already on their roster, producers bring in up-and-comer Cali Daniels to direct the next steamy episode. For Cali, getting people to take her seriously is hard enough as a woman and a newcomer to the industry—she doesn’t need sexy DP Jory Blair questioning her every move. A recent health scare has left Jory more determined than ever to work his way up the Hollywood ladder, and he views Cali as an obstacle in his path. Despite their creative differences, Jory is immediately drawn to Cali’s beauty and gumption, but he has a strict rule never to get romantically involved with his coworkers. The romantic tension between the two is palpable, but Stark’s attempts to wrangle with the workplace romance trope in a post-#MeToo world fall flat, as when she has Jory worry that “he could be painted with the same brush as those reprehensible creeps” when he acts on his feelings for Cali. Readers seeking a peak behind Hollywood’s curtain will be better served elsewhere. (Apr.)

Reviewed on 02/07/2025 | Details & Permalink

Love conquers all in this heartwarming contemporary from bestseller Jimenez (Just for the Summer). New cat parent Samantha Diaz and hunky veterinarian Xavier Rush don’t exactly meet cute: he bluntly tells her she has no choice but to put down her rescue kitten, who has a genetic defect, and she calls him an asshole. When the pair happen to reunite, however, he apologizes for his brashness and tells Samantha he admires her commitment to her animals—and her willingness to call him out. This second meeting leads to an elaborate dream date—complete with a UFO-themed escape room—and an undeniable attraction. Unfortunately, their chemistry can’t lead to a relationship, as Samantha’s about to move 2,000 miles away to help care for her mother, who has early onset dementia. Even with all that distance between them, neither can forget their magnetic connection, but being together for real will mean both of them reevaluating their priorities. The author expertly weaves a beautiful budding romance with real-life struggles: elder care, complicated family dynamics, the stress of veterinarian services, and overcoming mental, emotional, and physical childhood trauma. Jimenez knows just how to tug on the heartstrings. (Apr.)

Reviewed on 02/07/2025 | Details & Permalink