cover image All the Best Nights

All the Best Nights

Hanna Earnest. Carina, $8.99 mass market (360p) ISBN 978-1-335-51716-6

Earnest’s steamy debut pairs pop star Nelle with rock star Bran Kelly, whom she’s had a crush on since before she was “Nelle.” She boldly slips her number into his pocket at an awards show after-party, and their busy schedules finally land them in the same place nearly a year later. Their long-anticipated night together gets off to a rocky start: Bran, already struggling with writer’s block and pressure from his label, just faced his extortionist father that morning at his grandmother’s funeral, putting him in an understandably horrible mood that leaves him less than charming. Things improve as the pair bond over the hounding of the paparazzi and their inability to keep anything just for themselves while living in the public eye. To reclaim their privacy, they impulsively decide to create a secret from the press by getting married that same night and immediately sealing the records. But as that decision gives way to a series of scorching encounters, they begin to wonder what keeping the secret will cost them. Between the ensuing sex scenes, Earnest makes the struggle to hold on to love under the spotlight feel realistic while shedding light on music industry sexism. This red-hot romance should win Earnest fans. Agent: Elaine Spencer, the Knight Agency. (Sept.)