Fairbanks’s uneven debut sends bubbly Texan animator Lark to Galway, Ireland, for a nine-month animation project. She hopes the distance from home will help her through her grief over her husband’s death. Lark initially thinks Willow Haven, the beautiful, ivy-covered building next door to her rental home, is a bed and breakfast—only to learn that it’s actually a funeral home run by tall, dark, and deadpan mortician Callum, the third-generation owner. When Callum lets slip that his grandfather’s will stipulates that Callum, 34, must marry by 35 or lose the funeral home, Lark offers to help him find a wife. Except the more she sees of shy, stuttering Callum, the less she can stand the idea of letting him get away. The setting is unique, and Fairbanks is admirably frank about death and grieving, but the pacing feels off and the sex scenes are oddly detached from the rest of the plot. What readers are told about Lark—that she wishes she could be bolder, for instance—contrasts sharply with how Lark actually behaves, barging into Callum’s life (and his house) without qualms. Callum himself is an admirable hero, with impressive depths. Despite its flaws, this will appeal to readers who don’t mind some death in their “til death do us part.” Agent: Caitlin Mahony, WME. (Aug.)

Reviewed on 06/07/2024 | Details & Permalink

Three friends embark on a romantic adventure in Park’s overambitious debut. Three years before the start of the book, illustrator Romi participated in a craft fair on Jeju Island, where a handsome, enigmatic fan of hers stole her heart. He disappeared before she could get his contact information, leaving her with only one clue—his passion for beekeeping. Inspired by Romi’s unfinished romance, her friend Hadam, a filmmaker, suggests that they film a documentary about traveling to the island and tracking down “Honeyman.” Once they and their friend Chakyung arrive, Hadam enlists the help of her old flame, Jaewoong, who’s now working as a civil servant on Jeju, to narrow down a list of local beekeepers. Meanwhile, Chakyung struggles with her attraction to a charming stranger she met on the flight, forcing her to face how detached she feels from her fiancé. As the search for Honeyman yields disappointing results, Romi wonders if she will ever find closure to her unfulfilled fantasy. Though there are some good ideas here, Park struggles to balance the large cast and the many subplots, resulting in an incohesive narrative. This feels half-baked. (Aug.)

Reviewed on 05/31/2024 | Details & Permalink

Bestseller Jackson’s underwhelming seventh Catalina Cove contemporary (after The House on Blueberry Lane) sees recently heartbroken Zara meet alluring stranger Saint at a hotel bar. Saint, for his part, has been avoiding romantic entanglements since his ex-girlfriend rejected his marriage proposal. Zara and Saint share an intense connection that leads to a one-night stand, after which they agree to part ways without exchanging information. Two years later, they’re surprised to reunite on Catalina Cove at a cookout held by Zara’s brother, who happens to be Saint’s boss. Sparks fly, and they share another passionate night. The pair are thrown together yet again at a mutual friend’s engagement party, where the whole party sees them kissing. Though Zara is unperturbed by the resulting gossip, Saint is eager to protect their reputations and proposes they fake a relationship. Real feelings soon follow, but will they be brave enough to take a risk on love? The setup is familiar and there’s not much emotional depth to the central love story. Stilted prose doesn’t help (“The way he was staring at her had certain parts of her inwardly quivering, while warm blood rushed through every vein in her body”). Series fans will appreciate the return to this scenic locale, but others need not apply. Agent: Pattie Steele-Perkins, Steele-Perkins Literary. (Aug.)

Reviewed on 05/31/2024 | Details & Permalink

An estranged couple reunites mid-heist in this sparkling historical romance from Ciesielski (To Free the Stars). Smitten with one another in the fervor of Armistice Day, Esme Fox and Jasper Truitt impulsively marry in 1918 Paris. Esme, who has no real desire to be tied down to a virtual stranger despite their memorable night together, leaves Jasper the very next morning. Four years later, they’re shocked to meet again at a party on the French Riviera where Jasper, who’s actually a famed thief known as Phantom and the illegitimate grandson of the Duke of Loxhill, is hunting for the Valkyrie tiara. As it happens, Esme, an actor, has been hired to model the jewels—and secretly plans to steal them for herself. Upon discovering the tiara she’s wearing is a fake, Esme and Jasper race against time and one another to track down the real deal. The resulting whirlwind tour through Europe, from France to Venice to a Bavarian castle, reignites their short-lived passion. But when the time comes, will they choose riches or true love? The glamorous Jazz Age backdrop adds allure to this second-chance romance, and Ciesielski’s exploration of her protagonists’ bruised emotions in the aftermath of their wedding night rings true. Historical romance fans will be riveted. (Aug.)

Reviewed on 05/31/2024 | Details & Permalink

Riviera (the Ascendant trilogy) brings a fae aesthetic to this chaotic sapphic reframing of the Eros and Psyche myth. After therapist Psyche loses her clinic job, her long-distance gaming friend Bondi convinces her to accept a mysterious party invitation hiding in her Instagram messages. She ends up in another world, at a debauched revelry full of masked gods who cannot lie, but are still far from straightforward. Zephyr, her patron for the night, requests that Psyche help his friend Eros, the goddess of passion. Though Eros refuses Psyche’s attempts to act as her therapist, she binds Psyche to her as an Oathsworn, sealing the deal with a fiery kiss before sending her home. While Psyche researches a way to see Eros again, people on both sides of the veil take issue with her involvement with the Wine-Dark Court of Gods. Real-world aspects of the story—like Psyche’s longing to escape her sisters’ shadows—get lost before the end, while on the mythological side, the worldbuilding feels fuzzy. Despite some mature themes, the story often reads like a YA quest novel. Still, the thrill of encountering the unknown comes through clearly, and Psyche’s emotional arc gets a satisfying resolution. It’s rocky, but there’s plenty here to appeal to fans of Sarah J. Maas. (Aug.)

Reviewed on 05/31/2024 | Details & Permalink

Meltzer (Kissing Kosher) combines magic and Jewish mysticism with a searing indictment of antisemitism in this nuanced rom-com. After New York City lawyer Faye Kaplan gets dumped by her fiancé, she decides to start over upstate, opening a pottery studio in Woodstock, caring for her elderly dog, and avoiding relationships all together. Though not particularly religious, Faye is understandably frightened after a hate group litters Woodstock with antisemitic flyers. After consuming many glasses of wine, she tries her hand at some “Jewitch” practices, molding herself the strong man she thinks she needs out of clay and burying the totem under her rose bushes. In the harsh, hungover light of morning, she’s not expecting the ritual to have worked—which is why it’s so disconcerting when, while biking, she plows into a man who has all the qualities she wished for. The stranger, Greg, has no memories of who he was before meeting Faye. Could he be her golem come to life? Or just a handsome amnesiac? Meltzer’s timely exploration of antisemitic propaganda is sensitive while never overshadowing the cute romance that blossoms between Faye and Greg. This is Meltzer’s best yet. Agent: Carolyn Forde, Transatlantic Literary. (Aug.)

Reviewed on 05/31/2024 | Details & Permalink

Bestseller Zanetti (You Can Run) sizzles in this dark, fantasy-tinged retelling of “Beauty and the Beast,” set in a world where power is derived from gemstones. Beautiful social media heiress Alana Beaumont likes to play the ditz online, but privately she’s smart as a whip and passionate about social justice. Thorn Beathach is the craggy and somewhat ruthless loner at the helm of another of the four social media empires, which are all run via a connection to a specific jewel. Thorn is single-minded in his desire for Alana, whose father keeps her under lock and key following her brother’s death in a car accident. After an assassination attempt in a crowded restaurant, Thorn whisks Alana to his remote castle, where an unlikely romance builds between them. When Alana’s father compels Thorn to return her for a large garnet he needs to stay alive, Alana is livid. But as the body count rises and villains are unmasked, Alana learns that Thorn’s precautions are what’s keeping them both alive. Zanetti is a master of red herrings, keeping readers guessing as to who’s behind the violence until the very end. Her characters elicit fierce loyalty from the first page, and her plotting is spot-on. Fans of dark romance won’t be able to resist this. (July)

Reviewed on 05/31/2024 | Details & Permalink

This cute contemporary from Williams (Our Stop) revels in the ever-popular trope from which it takes its name. Flo Greenberg has had a monster crush on her brother’s best friend, Jamie Kramer, forever—but after some heavy-duty flirting last Christmas, she found a note from Jamie saying they shouldn’t pursue a relationship. Humiliated, Flo has tried to keep an icy distance between them ever since. This proves difficult, however, as after the death of Jamie’s parents a few years before the start of the book, he’s become a de facto member of the Greenberg family. Indeed, when her parents arrange for a two-week family vacation in Greece, Jamie tags along. Much awkwardness—and sexually charged hostility—follows, with both Flo and Jamie believing they weren’t wanted by the other. The situation is exacerbated by Flo’s protective family members who worry for her mental health after a nervous breakdown years before. When the truth comes out about what exactly happened at Christmas, it may shatter the familial peace for good. Williams creates appealing protagonists and a colorful supporting cast, painting the Greenbergs as competitive and quick to tease—and perhaps a bit too eager to stage-manage one another’s lives. Add in a scenic Greek setting, and this charming tale will please any rom-com fan looking for an armchair getaway. (Aug.)

Reviewed on 05/31/2024 | Details & Permalink

This grumpy sunshine contemporary from Layne (Passion on Park Avenue) brims with wit and warmth. Astronomer Miranda Reed is approaching Neil Degrasse Tyson levels of fame thanks to her approachable and entertaining teaching style, so it’s a big shock when she’s denied tenure at the fictional Nova University. Forced into taking a one-year sabbatical and crashing at her aunt’s Manhattan townhouse, she throws herself into an entirely unscientific endeavor: astrology. Since she no longer trusts her own judgment, she’ll allow her horoscope to make her decisions for her. Meanwhile, she takes on tutoring clients, including astronomy-obsessed Kylee, and meets her new neighbor Archer, a reclusive artist who enjoys painting by night on their buildings’ shared roof. As Miranda and Archer form a tentative, bickering friendship, she begins dating Christian, Kylee’s knight in shining armor of a father. But is their relationship really written in the stars? What begins as a bog-standard rom-com quickly develops subtleties and nuances as Miranda undergoes some serious personal growth. The result is a rich tale of self-discovery and empowerment, complete with a romance that readers will root for. Agent: Nicole Resciniti, Seymour Agency (Aug.)

Reviewed on 05/31/2024 | Details & Permalink

In this zippy paranormal romance, Duke (When Life Gives You Vampires) uses supernatural elements to underline a tale of personal growth. Struggling actor Carrie Adams earns a living as a bartender while bickering with her annoyingly attractive coworker, up-and-coming musician Nick Stokes, and managing the disappointment of her parents, who wish she’d become a lawyer instead. Then, overnight, she develops 24 pounds of muscle and the ability to manifest a flaming sword. Turns out Nick’s been made into a vampire and the universe’s way of balancing things out is to make Carrie a vampire slayer. As Carrie stuggles to land auditions despite her intimidatingly buff build, she must also learn to keep her inner slayer in check so she doesn’t kill Nick—who she’s starting to actually like. Now that she’s part of L.A.’s underground supernatural scene, her life’s become dangerously complicated, and her growing feelings for Nick may doom them both. Duke’s familiarity with the ins and outs of Hollywood adds a layer of verisimilitude, but her light touch with vampire tropes means readers looking for immortal brooding bad boys or visceral combat scenes may be disappointed. Those in the mood for a swift, sassy romance, however, will be satisfied. (Aug.)

Reviewed on 05/31/2024 | Details & Permalink