A widow opens herself up to new love in this smart and moving romance from bestseller Sussman (Funny You Should Ask). The novel toggles between past and present, following Lauren Parker as she falls in love with and marries her childhood sweetheart, Spencer, and, years later, as she mourns him and struggles to solo parent their teenage daughter, Lena. When, in the present, her brother, Gabe, a famous actor, invites Lauren and Lena to the set of his latest film, Lauren is walloped by lust at first sight of his costar, Hollywood heartthrob Benjamin Walsh, who’s several years younger than her. Ben reciprocates Lauren’s feelings, leading to a steamy encounter, but he wants more from her than just a casual fling. Lauren panics when Gabe, Ben, and their close friend Ollie turn up in her Montana hometown to renovate a local theater and stage a play. The close proximity forces big decisions—and readers will root for Lauren to make the right choices. Though there’s some tonal dissonance between past and present chapters, Sussman skillfully handles sensitive topics, including Lauren and Lena’s grief and Gabe’s struggles with alcoholism. Moments of levity, most often provided by snarky supporting character Ollie, inject some fun into all the drama. It’s heavier than Sussman’s last book, but fans will still find plenty to enjoy. (July)

Reviewed on 05/30/2025 | Details & Permalink

Bestseller Carter combines suspense, sizzle, and snark in this delightful standalone sequel to The Blonde Identity. CIA operative Alexandra Sterling (twin sister of Zoe, the heroine of the first book) has spent a decade reinventing herself for undercover missions, along the way falling in and out of love with fellow spy Michael “King” Kingsley. Alex is on the verge of tendering her resignation when she wakes up handcuffed to King in an unknown location. The estranged lovers work together to get free and then team up to discover who abducted them and why. While dodging death at every turn, King and Alex realize the spark between them never dimmed. But will they stay alive long enough to enjoy it? Carter skillfully fleshes out Alex and King’s tumultuous relationship with flashbacks to their past missions and romantic liaisons. The tone stays light and fun even as plentiful action—including red herrings, double crosses, and gun fights—keeps the pages turning. With snappy dialogue, slow-burning romantic tension, and some exciting twists, this makes for an entertaining diversion. (Aug.)

Reviewed on 05/30/2025 | Details & Permalink

This contrived contemporary from bestseller Marr (Reluctant Witch) finds history professor Toni Darbyshire reeling in the wake of her father’s death, which left her on the hook for his $200,000 debt. Her best friend suggests she write a novel as a way to make money, and Toni admits she already has one written. That same night, she happens to meet Addie Stewart and is instantly enthralled, leading to a one-night stand. The encounter is memorable enough that Toni renames her main character after Addie. She also manages to find Addie’s email address and the pair keep in touch over the next year as Toni’s Victorian-era lesbian detective novel hits it big. Toni never mentions the book to Addie, so she’s shocked when Addie shows up to audition for the leading role in the TV adaptation. When the production team heads to a hotel dedicated to recreating the Victorian era, the venue requires that Addie and Toni fake-marry each other to avoid the “scandal” of sharing a room without being wed. Photos from their pretend wedding go viral online, forcing the women to finally face their feelings. The setup strains credulity, and Marr creates a lot of friction between her central couple while leaving their happier, sweeter moments largely off-page, making it difficult to root for these two. Readers will struggle with this. (Aug.)

Reviewed on 05/30/2025 | Details & Permalink

Musical rivals must find a way to work together in this winning contemporary from bestseller Lord (The Rival). In the two years since punk rocker Sam Blaze and pop girl group frontwoman Mackenzie Waters last sparred onstage during an ill-conceived joint concert tour, their respective bands have broken up. Mackenzie has been rediscovering her voice after thyroid surgery and Sam has devoted himself to helping raise six-year-old Ben, a son he didn’t know he had. Now the pair reunite, agreeing to their label’s request that they join forces on a comeback album intended to restoke fan fervor surrounding their charged animosity. Collaborative composing sessions lead to personal revelations on both sides and a return of the mutual attraction they never got to explore. Their budding relationship is complicated by the watchful cameras of the paparazzi—and by a secret Mackenzie’s keeping about her career. Lord offers an authentic and highly detailed look at the ups and downs of the music industry while fleshing out Sam and Mackenzie’s past and present desires. There’s a lot to love here. (Aug.)

Reviewed on 05/30/2025 | Details & Permalink

Vale’s cute debut is right at home in the current wave of cozy, Dungeons and Dragons-esque romantasy. Itinerant elven jeweller and metalsmith Elikki uses metalworking magic to help create her popular designs. When a minor noble attempts to assault her, the magic goes haywire defending her and the result is that Elikki needs to get out of town fast. Luckily, half-giant Barra and his enormous magical horse witness the whole thing, and though he and Elikki are total strangers, he immediately offers his help. On the run from the lord’s bounty hunters, they have plenty of time to get to know each other—and to decide if they want to act on their instant mutual attraction. Despite being very physically compatible, they find that Barra’s disastrous romantic history and Elikki’s difficult childhood serve as emotional roadblocks. Still, as they journey onward, they begin to see themselves differently through each other’s eyes. If they can stay out of trouble, they just might have a whole new life ahead of them. Vale offers plenty of excitement and a surprisingly high level of heat, coupled with a welcoming queer-normative fantasy setting that feels familiar and comfortable. Readers should grab a cup of tea and sink right in. Agent: Brent Taylor, Triada US. (Aug.)

Reviewed on 05/30/2025 | Details & Permalink

Vaughan brings the fun in her second Belize Dreams contemporary (after Romancing Miss Stone). It’s been 10 years since Julia Stone last saw Carson Miller, the boy who relentlessly picked on her in high school. To her chagrin, they’re thrown back together at their parents’ engagement party. Carson is now helming one of L.A.’s hottest event planning firms, while Julia’s searching for a job after graduating with a master’s degree in hospitality from Cornell. So when their parents decide on a destination wedding in Belize, Carson and Julia are charged with making it happen—whether they make their peace with the past or not. As both try to get along and deliver the wedding of their parents’ dreams, barriers begin to fall. Carson’s penitence over his past treatment of Julia rings true, as does Julia’s rapidly building attraction to him despite their rocky past. Vaughan injects the forced-proximity and enemies-to-lovers tropes with plenty of humor and charm, and series fans will be pleased to check in on the central couple from book one. This is a delight. (July)

Reviewed on 05/23/2025 | Details & Permalink

Bestseller Zanetti serves up a smoldering second Grimm Bargains paranormal dark romance (after One Cursed Rose). Lawyer Rosalie Mooncrest is assigned to represent mobster and tech scion Alexei Sokolov, who has been in prison for seven years, after his former attorney dies in a car accident. Alexei alleges that he was set up by a corrupt judge for a murder he didn’t commit, and, after Rosalie secures his release, he’s out to exact revenge. Upon their very first meeting, Alexei claims Rosalie as his own—and woe to anyone who tries to harm her. There are elements of instalove and, more troublingly, dubious consent at the start of their relationship that won’t be for all readers, but their connection evolves into red-hot chemistry, even as both dodge death threats from Alexei’s enemies. The body count rises quickly, and the squeamish may cringe at some of the bloodier murders. While Alexei is ruthless, he’s tender when it comes to Rosalie, making him exactly the kind of hero mafia romance fans swoon over. Twisty, steamy, and fast-paced, this will hit the spot for Zanetti’s fans. (July)

Reviewed on 05/23/2025 | Details & Permalink

In this thorny, series-launching romantasy, Soto (Forget Me Not) introduces a war-torn world split in half by magic forces. Princess Briony Rosewood, twin sister to the heir of Evermore, Rory Rosewood, is a master of mind magic. The people of neighboring Bomard, meanwhile, practice heart magic and the country has outlawed all mind magic following the ascension of Veronika Mallow to the Seat of Bomard. Veronika declares war on Evermore, which falls to her dark forces, leaving Briony captured and vulnerable. Along with other Evermore hostages, she is sold at auction to serve as someone’s heartspring, a living source of magic more powerful than an animal familiar. To Briony’s shock, her new owner is her former classmate Toven Hearst, heir to the sadistic Bomardi family. Briony won’t surrender her dignity without a fight—but Toven is not what he seems, and Briony’s time with him soon leads her to the heart of a brewing revolution. While allusions to sexual assault and on-page human trafficking place this firmly in the dark romance subgenre, Soto handles these difficult topics with delicacy and respect. The worldbuilding is robust, with Soto not shying away from the realities of war, and the political intrigue and enemies-to-lovers romantic drama keep the pages turning. Readers will be eager for more. (July)

Reviewed on 05/23/2025 | Details & Permalink

Lee (That Prince Is Mine) unsuccessfully riffs on Jane Austen’s Persuasion in this overwrought celebrity romance. After 10 years away, famed K-Drama actor Anne Lee returns home to Los Angeles, feeling disconnected from and resentful of her narcissistic family, whom she saved from financial ruin. Her biggest regret in leaving L.A. was breaking the heart of Frederick Nam, who offered to come with her to Korea but whom Anne suspected would have been miserable there and so she broke up with him for his own good. Frederick, now a fire captain, has never forgiven her and wrestles with lingering anger and hurt—especially when the pair are forced together as part of the wedding party for the marriage of Anne’s cousin and Frederick’s dear friend. Determined to be cordial and leave the past behind them, Frederick and Anne decide to be friends, despite their lingering passion. But when Anne plans a co-ed bachelor’s and bachelorette’s weekend, their feelings boil over. Complicating their reunion are copious communication issues and Anne’s fear that her favorite cousin, Bethany, might have feelings for Frederick. The mutual pining between the leads will please those who like their romances on the angsty side, but the drawn-out miscommunication between them grows frustrating, and Anne’s jealousy of Bethany feels out of left field. Only die-hard Lee fans need apply. (July)

Reviewed on 05/23/2025 | Details & Permalink

In this sparkling rom-com, Painter (Happily Never After) pairs a maid and a millionaire. Abi Mariano needs a place to sleep while her apartment is being fumigated. Declan Powell, the wealthy owner of one of the apartments she cleans, is out of town for a week, so she thinks she can crash at his place without anyone ever knowing. Then his parents show up at his penthouse, see Abi walking out of the bedroom, and assume she’s Declan’s girlfriend, Abby, whom they’ve never met—for good reason: Declan made her up to get them to stop bugging him about his love life. Abi plays along before making a quick exit, but when Declan realizes what happened, he tracks her down and offers her $40,000 to continue the ruse during a weekend of work events. Faking romance (and staging some swoony PDA) leads to real feelings, but Declan and Abi both fear revealing that their emotions have deepened. With falsehoods, miscommunications, and socioeconomic disparity complicating their way forward, the path to happily ever after is rocky. Painter injects a familiar trope with both levity and genuine emotion. Readers will especially be drawn to Abi, whose smarts and sass make her the perfect match for the more staid but driven Declan. This is a treat. (July)

Reviewed on 05/23/2025 | Details & Permalink