As the middle sister of a prominent and wealthy family, quiet and bookish lsabel is used to being ignored and underestimated. Exiled with her sisters As the middle sister of a prominent and wealthy family, quiet and bookish lsabel is used to being ignored and underestimated. Exiled with her sisters in London due to the French intervention in Mexico, she decides to use her low profile to her advantage- as a spy to assist the cause of the democratically elected president and Mexico’s first Indigenous head of state.
But she’s not as invisible as she thinks. At least not to Captain Sirius Dawson, who’s reputation of being a rake is known to all. As undeniably handsome and charming as he may be, Isabel rejects his attentions to focus on her mission to get the necessary political intelligence to save her family and her country.
When she finds that Sirius is also an undercover agent who’s cause intersects with hers, she reluctantly agrees to work with him. As their alliance deepens, she finds it harder to resist him, and has to figure out whether the love growing between them is real, or if it's merely another game for the roguish captain.
In this exquisitely written second installment of The Luna Sisters series, set two years after the first, De la Rosa again skillfully blends elements of Historical Fiction and Romance, transporting readers to Victorian England with a complex and compelling Latinx protagonist.
Thank you to Netgalley and Berkley Publishing Group for providing me with a complimentary advanced copy in exchange for my honest review....more
Vera's been in love with her friend Deepak for a long time. So when he suddenly announces his engagement to a gorgeous influencer, she’s crushed, and Vera's been in love with her friend Deepak for a long time. So when he suddenly announces his engagement to a gorgeous influencer, she’s crushed, and cuts off contact with him.
A year later, disaster strikes, and she has no recourse but to call Deepak for help. Having just been very publicly broken up with, Deepak is happy to flee New York to rescue his beloved friend in Goa, India.
Despite their estrangement, Veera and Deepak fall easily into their old friendship, and after a night of drinks, they accidentally end up getting married.
Deepak convinces Vera to stay married since it'll help both their career aspirations back home in NYC. But while Veera tries her best to hide her true feelings for him, Deepak begins to genuinely fall for her and sets about to transform their marriage of convenience into a real love marriage.
In this final installment of the delightful trilogy of retellings, If Shakespeare was an Auntie, Sharma features her entertaining mainstay of close friendships, sexy storylines, and boisterous family members set within a tightnit and elite South Asian community.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review....more
Derek already vehemently dislikes his upstairs neighbor, Dylan, so when Dylan falls through the ceiling onto Derek’s bed due to a renovation error, DeDerek already vehemently dislikes his upstairs neighbor, Dylan, so when Dylan falls through the ceiling onto Derek’s bed due to a renovation error, Derek is incensed. Now there’s a hole in the ceiling that is prohibitively expensive to fix, and even worse, will be a major headache to handle with the building HOA.
But Dylan, skilled in construction, promises to keep the hole a secret from management and keep the costs down by taking care of the repairs himself. The only catch is that they have to share quarters while he works on it. Their animosity soon melts away into mutual lust and love- but mistaken assumptions, childhood traumas, workplace stress, and painful secrets threaten to derail their relationship before it even begins.
With strong friendship themes, a full cast of delightful characters, and told from alternating points of view, this enemies to lovers and forced proximity romance explores serious issues such as struggles with neurodivergence, alcoholism, toxic family expectations, forgiveness, and grief, while still being a steamy, humorous and hopeful read.
Thank you to Edelweiss and St. Martin's Griffin for providing me with an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review....more
Ember is trying to get some stability in her life. Tired of working in a run-down bowling alley for poverty wages, she aspires to get a salaried job iEmber is trying to get some stability in her life. Tired of working in a run-down bowling alley for poverty wages, she aspires to get a salaried job in an office. But when her applications keep getting ignored, she gets creative and lies about her educational attainment and ethnicity. Her strategy proves successful- when she submits an application that identifies herself as white rather than Native, and claiming she possesses an accounting degree -she promptly gets her dream job.
But now Ember can’t stop lying, not even when she meets the hot IT guy at the office, Danuwoa who she immediately falls for. Danuwoa seems to like her despite all her lies, but romantic relationships violate company policy, and Ember can’t risk losing her job and the security it affords her.
Struggling to keep up with corporate culture, forced to endure racist microagressions, and denying her growing love for Danuwoa proves to be challenging. The challenge becomes insurmountable when Ember falls victim to a blackmailer who exploits her dishonesty.
With relatable storylines about identity, family, and self-worth, and endearing characters, this steamy romcom is a strong debut and a must-have for Romance collections of all sizes.
Thank you to Netgalley and Berkely for providing me with a complimentary advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. ...more
Korean royal court cuisine instructor Emma’s dream is to open a commercial kitchen to expand her business preparing clients for noble marriages. But wKorean royal court cuisine instructor Emma’s dream is to open a commercial kitchen to expand her business preparing clients for noble marriages. But when she hears she’s losing credibility amongst her client-base because she’s unwed herself, she makes it her mission to find a husband the traditional way- by being matched. Emma is convinced that a love match will inevitably fail and that the prudent way to go is to go for an arranged marriage.
Crown prince Michel is running out of time. If he doesn’t find love in three months, he’ll have to marry his long-time friend whose parents agreed upon their union when they were just children. Michel’s father, the king of a small European country is planning to abdicate and wants his son to be engaged when he makes the announcement. Now Michel is in Los Angeles, undercover as a visiting professor, trying desperately to find the love of his life so he can take her back to his kingdom and live happily ever after.
When Emma and Michel meet at a cafe, they have immediate chemistry, but their conflicting goals in love prove to be an immense obstacle. Head over heels for her, Michel manages to convince Emma to spend the weeks he has left with the hope he’ll ultimately win her heart.
Against her better judgment, Emma, besotted by Michel, agrees to his proposition, hoping that a brief and passionate tryst with him will get him out of her system so she can move on with her more sensible plans for finding a suitable husband.
They both find out that matters of the heart are much too complicated to leave to logic or duty in this tender and sexy romance that foodies will absolutely devour.
For fans of commoner and royalty storylines such as Alyssa Cole’s Reluctant Royals series.
Thank you to Netgalley, Edelweiss, and St. Martin's Press for providing an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review....more
Set in 17th Century London, this sumptuous historical romance tells the story of two star-crossed lovers drawn together under tumultuous circumstancesSet in 17th Century London, this sumptuous historical romance tells the story of two star-crossed lovers drawn together under tumultuous circumstances. Cecilia- a young, noble widow has recently lost her beloved husband to the bubonic plague. David- a Jewish doctor recently emigrated from Portugal hoping to live his life free from religious persecution for the first time is carrying the weight of his own past tragedies.
When David is called upon to treat Cecilia’s melancholy, they become close despite the chasm that their class and religious differences present. But their shared experience with loss provides a connection, and their fledgling but passionate love binds them together irrevocably. Although David is able to live openly as a Jewish person in 1666 London, it’s still not a safe place for foreigners or non-Christians, and they both know a shared future is impossible.
Before they can figure out if and how they can make a life together, the Great Fire of London breaks out- altering their paths and creating new ones from the ashes.
Narrated in alternating points of view, featuring characters diverse in religion and LGBTQ+ identity, this lyrically written and utterly romantic novel will appeal to readers of historical fiction, romance and epic love stories.
Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Dell for providing me with an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review....more
Just weeks before Daphne’s dream wedding to her picture-perfect fiancée Peter, he abruptly leaves her for his childhood best friend Petra.
Adding insuJust weeks before Daphne’s dream wedding to her picture-perfect fiancée Peter, he abruptly leaves her for his childhood best friend Petra.
Adding insult to injury, he also gives her one week to move out. Blindsided and desperate, she moves in with the equally jilted Miles, Petra’s ex boyfriend who now has extra space in his apartment. Living with Peter's new fiancée’s ex-boyfriend is not something she ever expected. Virtual strangers, buttoned up Daphne and laidback Miles have nothing in common, except their mutual broken hearts.
When Daphne and Miles get invited to their exes’ wedding, they decide to attend together, as a pretend couple. As the summer progresses, they become close and start to realize that their flourishing love is anything but fake.
This opposites attract meets fake dating plot has vividly drawn characters, emotional charged storylines, and features a beautiful small town Michigan setting that will captivate devoted followers of Emily Henry's work and convert new readers into ardent fans.
Thank you to Netgalley and Berkley Publishing Group for providing me with a complimentary advanced copy in exchange for my honest review....more
Maya is en route to Pakistan to attend her arranged wedding to Imtiaz, her fiancee of two years. Imtiaz and the rest of their family members are all tMaya is en route to Pakistan to attend her arranged wedding to Imtiaz, her fiancee of two years. Imtiaz and the rest of their family members are all there preparing for the big event.
But Maya’s never had good luck- and this is no exception. Her flight is forced to make an emergency landing in Switzerland due to a severe storm, causing her to be stranded for a few days. Despite this setback, Maya decides to make the most of her detour by exploring the sights with Sarfaraz, her seatmate on the flight. Although he initially comes across as rude, Sarfaraz turns out to be surprisingly kind, funny, and easy to talk to.
Upon their arrival in Pakistan, they encounter another string of bad luck, forcing them to travel together again, this time due to a bus that breaks down on the way to their shared destination of Karachi. The harrowing situations they go through together create a strong bond between them, making it increasingly difficult for them to part ways as they had planned to from the beginning.
Once Maya arrives to her family’s home on the eve of her wedding, she must decide whether to play it safe and marry her longtime fiancee, who’s always been respectful and caring, and that she hopes to fall in love with after marriage, or if she’s going to take a chance at real and passionate love with Sarfaraz.
Rooted in Pakistani and Muslim culture and faith, this sweet romance is a fun romp that features plenty of adventure, plot twists, and travel.
Fans of Uzma Jalaluddin's romance novels will find much to enjoy in this story.
Thank you to Netgalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing, MIRA for providing an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review....more
At the funeral of their late father, Nora and her sister learn the shocking and humiliating news that their mother was his mistress, and they were hisAt the funeral of their late father, Nora and her sister learn the shocking and humiliating news that their mother was his mistress, and they were his hidden family.
Their father’s legitimate family spitefully give them 30 days to vacate their lifelong home. Their only inheritance is an isolated house in rural Maine. But there’s a catch- they have to find a way to make it a profitable inn- and fast- or else they’ll lose it.
When they arrive, they find the house is beyond dilapidated and needs substantial work and money to get it to be habitable. Luckily Nora meets Ennis "Bear" Freeman, a local and member of the Abenaki tribe. Bear is struggling with financial woes of his own that threaten to ruin him and his entire community, yet he is still eager to help her reach her goal despite this. However, shameful secrets from Nora and Bear's past are now making it impossible for any chance of this budding relationship to become serious.
With super sexy scenes, deeply emotional storylines, and strong Black and Indigenous representation, this retelling inspired by Austen’s Sense and Sensibility will appeal to readers who enjoy diverse, smart, and highly entertaining contemporary romances.
Payne’s second in a series is set within the same world as the first but is a marvelous standalone.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review. ...more
If you read one holiday romance this year- choose this one!
Best-selling authors Jalaluddin and Stapley join together to write an utterly enchanting hIf you read one holiday romance this year- choose this one!
Best-selling authors Jalaluddin and Stapley join together to write an utterly enchanting holiday romance. Set in the year 2000 when Christmas, Hanukkah, and Ramadan overlapped creating a rare Tri-holiday, this cute story is about a group of travelers who, while en route to Toronto, get diverted by a winter storm and end up stranded in the small, picturesque Canadian town of Snow Falls.
Ana is devastated by the news: she was on her way to meet her perfect-on-paper boyfriend, who she was pretty sure was planning to propose to her. Alone, and missing celebrating her mix of Christian and Jewish traditions, Ana connects with a sweet local guy that shares her holiday customs, and gets her the way no one else ever has. Soon she begins to wonder if trying to be in a perfect relationship has been getting in the way of accepting herself and finding true love.
Maryam is traveling with an entourage- all who’d been heading to her sister’s wedding, now postponed indefinitely. Part of the wedding group includes Maryam’s childhood crush. As they work to ensure that the group can continue to honor Ramadan in this remote town, they get to know each other beyond their mutual misconceptions, and find that second chances at love do exist.
This charming, multi-cultural and multi-faith romance sparkles with an adorable cast of characters and a storyline that reads like a movie you'd want to watch again and again.
Thank you to Netgalley and G.P. Puntnam's Sons for prividing me with an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.
Merged review:
If you read one holiday romance this year- choose this one!
Best-selling authors Jalaluddin and Stapley join together to write an utterly enchanting holiday romance. Set in the year 2000 when Christmas, Hanukkah, and Ramadan overlapped creating a rare Tri-holiday, this cute story is about a group of travelers who, while en route to Toronto, get diverted by a winter storm and end up stranded in the small, picturesque Canadian town of Snow Falls.
Ana is devastated by the news: she was on her way to meet her perfect-on-paper boyfriend, who she was pretty sure was planning to propose to her. Alone, and missing celebrating her mix of Christian and Jewish traditions, Ana connects with a sweet local guy that shares her holiday customs, and gets her the way no one else ever has. Soon she begins to wonder if trying to be in a perfect relationship has been getting in the way of accepting herself and finding true love.
Maryam is traveling with an entourage- all who’d been heading to her sister’s wedding, now postponed indefinitely. Part of the wedding group includes Maryam’s childhood crush. As they work to ensure that the group can continue to honor Ramadan in this remote town, they get to know each other beyond their mutual misconceptions, and find that second chances at love do exist.
This charming, multi-cultural and multi-faith romance sparkles with an adorable cast of characters and a storyline that reads like a movie you'd want to watch again and again.
Thank you to Netgalley and G.P. Puntnam's Sons for prividing me with an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review....more
31 year old Helen’s successful YA novels are being adapted to a TV series, and she happily accepts a position as a screenwriter on the project. When s31 year old Helen’s successful YA novels are being adapted to a TV series, and she happily accepts a position as a screenwriter on the project. When she shows up to the writing room, she sees the one person she thought she’d never see again: Grant.
13 years have passed since that tragic day when Helen’s little sister died in a car accident- and Grant was at the wheel of the car that hit her. She’s never forgiven him for her sister’s untimely death, and the idea of working with him seems incomprehensible. Grant, now an established co-executive producer, is also shocked but refuses her demand that he quit.
As they begin to unravel each other's stories, they get embroiled in an ultra steamy yet emotionally knotty relationship that becomes all-consuming. Helen tries hard to deny her attraction to the man she’s hated for so long, and Grant struggles to convince Helen that their love is real and worth fighting for.
Told in alternating points of view, this captivating novel is a sexy and emotional read that deals with the after effects of trauma in a realistic and heart-rending way.
Readers looking for a contemporary romance with a passionate and grand love story, characters that leap off the page, and an original storyline, will relish this novel.
This is Kuang’s first novel, but as a screenwriter who’s adapting and directing Emily Henry's celebrated Beach Read into a movie, so she’s already got a lot of well-deserved buzz.
Lola and Saint were unlikely high school sweethearts. Conventional Saint is from a stable family, while rebellious Lola had to contend with a rough faLola and Saint were unlikely high school sweethearts. Conventional Saint is from a stable family, while rebellious Lola had to contend with a rough family life- with incarcerated family members and a mother who left when she was a little girl.
After graduating from high school, Lola and Saint lose contact when Lola mysteriously disappears without a word. Decades later Lola, now a dedicated activist, is back in Chicago, working for the local community center. Saint, who lost his wife in a fatal accident, is now a single dad working for his family construction business- helping turn a building that used to be a shelter for LGBTQ+ kids into expensive condos. He knows he’s on the wrong side of the gentrification issue, and quickly realizes he is on the opposite side of the struggle as his ex- Lola, but his sense of family duty overrides all else.
Reunited under the worst of circumstances, their love still burns bright. If they want to find their happily ever after, they’ll need to forgive their past mistakes and get through their seemingly insurmountable current disagreements.
Recommended for fans of books set in Chicago with Latinx characters and of contemporary romances with strong social justice and family themes.
This is the second in the Vega Family Love Stories series, and those who read the first will relish seeing some of the same characters, but this novel also works well as a stand-alone.
Thank you to Netgalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing, MIRA for providing me a complimentary advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review....more
For as long as she can remember, Madi has been searching for her soulmate. As a teenager, her beloved grandmother visited her in a dream and revealed For as long as she can remember, Madi has been searching for her soulmate. As a teenager, her beloved grandmother visited her in a dream and revealed to her that the love of her life would have the initials JR.
Now in her 30s, she’s pursued and failed at multiple relationships that match her vision but didn't work out. Just when she thinks that her serious boyfriend with the right initials is about to pop the question, he instead breaks up with her, leaving her heartbroken.
Still hopeful, she embarks on a trip to her ancestral Puerto Rico to spread her grandmother's ashes where she meets her alluring tour guide Peter- who she spends an unforgettably magical evening with. But despite their immediate and electrifying connection, his initials aren't JR.
Now Madi must decide whether to give her feelings for Peter a chance, going against everything she’s held true, or if she's willing to walk away from him in order to keep seeking out her fate.
This sweet contemporary romance set on the enchantingly beautiful island of Puerto Rico will delight readers who enjoy diverse and multicultural characters and storylines prominently featuring spirituality and travel.
Thank you to Netgalley and Kensington for providing me a complimentary advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review....more
This highly original and entertaining novel is a book about infidelity featuring zero infidelity.
After multiple failed attempts at IVF, Tara and ColiThis highly original and entertaining novel is a book about infidelity featuring zero infidelity.
After multiple failed attempts at IVF, Tara and Colin’s marriage slowly and then all at once falls apart. Devastated by their inability to have children, arguing constantly (and hilariously) about everything little thing, they remain married but begin living separate lives.
Stifled and lonely, they each hesitantly download the new big dating app, Fling, designed for unhappily married people to have discreet affairs.
Unbeknownst to each other, they match and begin chatting and planning to meet in real life. As their plans keep getting thwarted, they barrel towards a meeting that can make or break their relationship.
Debut author Joseph Murray has a knack for writing about heavy topics with empathy, humor and deep insight.
The banter between the characters and the unconventional storylines are laugh out loud from beginning to end.
Set in Dublin, this comedy of errors will delight fans of offbeat contemporary romances.
Thank you to Netgalley and Union Square & Co. for providing me with an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review....more
From the outside, Rachel seems to have it all- she’s the gorgeous wife of a successful and wealthy liberal white politician. But behind the perfect faFrom the outside, Rachel seems to have it all- she’s the gorgeous wife of a successful and wealthy liberal white politician. But behind the perfect facade is a life of hardship and betrayal.
When, at her husband Matt’s 40th birthday party, Rachel finds a racy text sent from Matt to another woman, she decides she’s done trying to make her marriage work. She’s also done fitting into the mold of trophy wife- one she was forced into when, as a young unmarried Black mother, she married into the powerful Abbott family.
Now estranged from her husband, but still acting the part of his wife in public for his reelection campaign, she begins to reconnect with her authentic self, exploring her true passion- the art career she abandoned years ago.
She soon finds herself entangled with a much younger man, Nate Vasquez- an artist with his own ill-fitting expectations he’s battling against, and surprising ties to their shared community. Their searing hot affair threatens scandal and endangers her new-found independence, but they can’t keep away from each other, nor can they deny their growing love.
In this very adult, deeply emotional, and fast-moving contemporary romance, debut author Regina Black writes a luxuriant novel about learning to love yourself, family, forgiveness, art, and embracing love, even when it's inconvenient.
Recommended for fans of the TV show, The Good Wife.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher Grand Central Publishing for providing me an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review....more
On a whim, magazine writer Dylan enters a BBC radio contest and wins a trip around the world for two, all expenses paid.
But there’s one huge catch- hOn a whim, magazine writer Dylan enters a BBC radio contest and wins a trip around the world for two, all expenses paid.
But there’s one huge catch- her travel companion will be chosen at random from her phone contacts. Just her luck, it’s Jack- the guy she made out with at a club weeks ago and then promptly ghosted.
Starting off awkwardly, they slowly reignite their chemistry from their first meeting. But just as they start bonding, Dylan, hoping to advance her journalist career, jeopardizes it all by going against Jack’s wishes -posting an article with personal details about him.
Now Dylan must find a way to gain back Jack’s trust, and try to salvage their budding relationship.
Debut writer Everhart has written complex characters with well developed backgrounds and plenty of entertaining banter.
Set against the backdrop of gorgeous international locales, this slow-burn romcom will appeal to fans of travel and social media storylines as well as the forced proximity trope.
Readalike Love and Other Flight Delays By Denise Williams
Full disclosure, I received a complimentary advanced copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review....more
On a night out at the neighborhood pub with friends, Esther happens upon an old issue of a women’s magazine. She reads an article proclaiming you onlyOn a night out at the neighborhood pub with friends, Esther happens upon an old issue of a women’s magazine. She reads an article proclaiming you only get seven chances at love, with a list of seven relationships that all women have before they find ‘The One.’
Recognizing all of her own exes, Esther’s convinced that one of them must be her true love. She methodically goes down the line, one by one, starting with her First Love, to The Worst Mistake, and more, contacting each of her exes to see if there’s something there she missed the first time around.
But soon her mission starts to spiral out of control, endangering her career, friendships and even her own mental health. Taking a break from her campaign, she finds that her true love has been hiding in plain sight the whole time.
This romcom has plenty of hilarious hijinks but also some serious moments featuring forgiveness, the Me Too movement, and growing up.
For fans of fast-paced contemporary romances set in London that feature engaging premises and strong female friendships.
This book reminded me of one of my favorite British shows- Lovesick.
Full disclosure, I received a complimentary advanced copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review....more
Miri just won the lottery, which is the answer to her dreams and the solution to so many of her problems- except one: her husband Leo. He walked out oMiri just won the lottery, which is the answer to her dreams and the solution to so many of her problems- except one: her husband Leo. He walked out on her eight years ago and never came back.
But now with her jackpot win endangered due to Leo’s right to legally claim half of the winnings, Miri’s forced to track him down and finally ask for the divorce they’ve both been putting off.
Miri thought she’d never get over her heartbreak and she never wanted to see him again, but when she sees Leo back in their hometown of Greenbelt, South Carolina, she can’t resist falling for him again despite serious and deep-seated reservations. Leo, as handsome as ever, and with hard-won maturity and wisdom, is determined to gain Miri’s forgiveness and her love once more- this time forever.
This contemporary romance set in the South is an immensely sexy and emotionally tender story about second chances, community and family.
Although it’s a standalone novel, it takes place in the same town as Slaughter’s previous romcom, Bet on It, which both first time readers and her fans will enjoy.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review....more
10 years ago Fern and Will met in Toronto and spent 24 life-altering hours together. They promised to meet at her family’s resort in exactly one year,10 years ago Fern and Will met in Toronto and spent 24 life-altering hours together. They promised to meet at her family’s resort in exactly one year, but Will never showed up. He never even contacted her to tell her why. Crushed, Fern is determined to move on but she never truly gets over Will.
After her mother’s sudden and tragic death, Fern returns home to take over the resort, where she checks in a surprising guest: Will. With both of them staying for the summer in adjoining cabins, they reconnect- their bond and their chemistry as strong as ever.
But Will is still keeping secrets about why he stood her up a decade ago, and despite her growing feelings for him, Fern's heart is still guarded from the hurt he caused those many years ago.
The story skips back and forth in time- a narration device Fortune wields skillfully, revealing plotlines and developing the characters slowly and satisfyingly.
This contemporary romance is an immersive second chance love story that will transport readers with its dual evocative settings of stunning rural Ontario and thrilling Toronto.
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review....more
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