Kicking off the Hope Harbor series, this sweet and steamy contemporary from Nicole (the Boston Bolts series) sends aspiring chef Tally Darling home to her family’s New England daffodil farm to help with the spring season after her father’s death. Upon arrival, she’s shocked to find an incredibly handsome, incredibly naked man occupying her bedroom. This is Jessie Walker, the stoic farmhand hired by her late father. Jessie’s life has been difficult, and he promised Tally’s father he would support the farm, including by looking after his widow and daughters, when the man took a chance on him. Tally, who is overwhelmed by grief and guilt about abandoning her family in the first place, aims to help Jessie prepare the farm for tourist and wedding seasons before heading to Nantucket for an apprenticeship. As Tally tries to find her place within her family and the small town of Hope Harbor, she wrestles with chasing her dreams or embracing the comfort of a home made all the more tantalizing by her growing bond with grumpy Jessie, whom she calls “Cowboy.” Meanwhile, Jessie is determined to help the Darlings save the failing farm, and worried that falling for “wildflower” Tally will make it impossible to keep his promises to her late father. There’s plenty of classic small-town charm here, but Nicole makes this story more than just a cozy experience via impressive emotional nuance and plenty of spice. It’s a joyful and swoony delight. (Mar.)

Reviewed on 01/23/2026 | Details & Permalink

Rose (Inevitable) makes her traditionally published debut with a decadent dark romance that pairs caring and innocent second grade teacher Mia Darling with ruthless crime boss Jameson Knight, who has an endearing soft spot for his young daughter, Franny. The pair are thrown together after Mia saves Franny from shots fired during school pickup. Concerned for their safety in the face of his many enemies, Jameson insists on moving Mia into his fortress-like home in the elite gated community of Paradise Grove as Franny’s nanny and tutor. Mia initially chafes against her circumstances and balks at the restrictions Jameson places on her, but her love for Franny and lust for her mysterious new employer keeps her from bolting. Meanwhile, devoted dad Jameson falls deeply in love with Mia, leaving him willing to kill to protect her. Rose makes good use of the forced-proximity trope to bring her opposites-attract leads together, and it’s easy to sink into kindhearted Mia’s everywoman perspective on Jameson’s luxurious but dangerous world. Meanwhile, Jameson is sure to appeal to fans of morally gray romance heroes. Full of complex emotional entanglements, violence, and spice, this is sure to strike a chord with Rose’s fans. (Mar.)

Reviewed on 01/23/2026 | Details & Permalink

In this witty and emotional contemporary from Walsh (Snowed In), New York book editor and fantasy fan boy Sam Avery is thrilled when his boss assigns him to help deliver the posthumous final installment in the Ravian series by his late favorite author Frank Sheridan. Sam travels to Ireland to work with Frank’s daughter, Ciara, who’s writing the book off of outlines her father left behind but has failed to turn in recent chapters. Sam is met with mistrust from the protective locals, who have dealt with slews of fans harassing Ciara since Frank’s death. Ciara, too, is initially reluctant to let Sam in, but as they work together, mutual attraction builds alongside Ciara’s confidence in her writing. The road to publication is not without its hiccups, however, including a publicity crisis that leaves the couple uncertain where they stand. Walsh delivers humor and romance in equal measures against the backdrop of a scenic Irish town populated by a quirky and endearing supporting cast. This moving tale of love, loss, and inspiration will hook readers from the start. (Mar.)

Reviewed on 01/23/2026 | Details & Permalink

Patel (Offtrack) turns from Formula 1 to college lacrosse in this cute if light sports romance. When CJ “Colt” Bradley left Oklahoma to play professional lacrosse, he broke the heart of May Velasco, a friend of many years who always hoped they might become something more. Now, after a horrendous knee injury, Colt takes a medical break from his team, the New Haven Woodchucks, and returns to Oklahoma to work as an assistant coach at the University of Oklahoma City, where May is currently in her senior year and captain of the women’s lacrosse team. May’s furious to see him at first, but when the pair are photographed together and mistaken for a couple online, the school urges them to keep up a PR relationship to draw attention to their lacrosse program. The conceit somewhat strains credulity and the leads’ flirty banter feels a bit stiff, but Patel does a good job capturing her characters’ athletic ambitions and Colt’s complicated feelings in the wake of his injury. Readers looking for easy, tropey fare will be pleased. (Mar.)

Reviewed on 01/23/2026 | Details & Permalink

Silent yearning and aching hearts animate this deeply emotional contemporary from Bastone (Ready or Not). It’s been one year since heroine Roz, her husband, Vin, and her brother-in-law and best friend, Raffi, were gravely injured in a car accident. While all three recovered from their physical injuries, the aftermath left recipe developer Roz and electrician Vin in an awkward place where conversation has become impossible and physical intimacy­—the area where they always communicated best—has disappeared. This rough spot comes to a head when Vin announces he’s signed a new lease and plans to move out. Looking to escape their apartment as much as possible, Roz pals around with Raffi and signs up for figure drawing classes, which ignite her creativity. A weekly class proves insufficient to help her express all that’s churning inside her, however, and she considers placing a Craigslist add seeking nude models for extra practice—until Vin volunteers to model himself, hoping to spare Roz from potential creeps. Tension-filled sketching sessions open the door for the couple to reconnect. Even at their worst, it’s easy to see that these two belong together, and Bastone makes their reconciliation a delicious slow burn while doing a good job handling their PTSD from the accident. This impresses. Agent: Tara Gelsomino, One Track Literary. (Mar.)

Reviewed on 01/23/2026 | Details & Permalink

This beachy romance from Rowe (Swoon) offers an ideal blend of heat and sweet. After preschool teacher Iris Benedetto discovers that her fiancé, Brandon, has been living a double life, she exposes him at the altar, quoting the sexts he sent to other women on his burner phone. A video of her outburst goes viral and she’s branded the “Horny Runaway Bride.” Meanwhile, NFL quarterback Roman Maguire is in Kauai for his cousin’s wedding, staying in a seaside bungalow—the exact bungalow where Iris and Brandon were supposed to be honeymooning. When Iris shows up for some R&R, not realizing that Brandon has canceled their reservation, Roman is charmed by the fact that Iris has no idea who he is, and invites her to stay. The pair agree to have a vacation fling, leading to a passion-filled week that ends in a dramatic argument due to the personal and professional pressures of returning to the real world. Readers will have no trouble rooting for Rowe’s first-rate leads to work things out. A stellar supporting cast of family and friends, especially Roman’s adorable four-year-old son Maverick, add heart. This emotionally satisfying contemporary is sure to charm. (Feb.)

Reviewed on 12/12/2025 | Details & Permalink

Penny Becker, the sunny heroine of Dubb’s endearing second contemporary (after Birding with Benefits), manages her grandmother’s bee farm. It’s not an easy gig, especially after Penny’s ex persuaded her to make some bad financial decisions before taking off. While worrying about the mortgage payments, Penny must also organize Sullivan’s Glen, N.Y.’s annual Honey Festival. So she has no time for her handsome new neighbor, Zander Bouras, who just inherited his grandfather’s farm and, though he eventually plans to sell, has moved in with his preteen son for the summer so the boy can get to know Zander’s ex-wife’s new partner, a local. Zander was a wild teen when he used to spend summers on the farm with his grandfather, leaving Penny mistrustful of him in the present, but his entrepreneurial background might be just what Penny needs to make the Honey Festival a success. As they work together, Penny realizes Zander’s past behavior was due to a harsh family situation, and a relationship blossoms. With the antagonism between the leads dissipating relatively quickly, the main conflict instead comes from their respective family situations and finances. The diverse supporting cast adds to the appeal on the way to a satisfying, if predictable, resolution to Penny’s mortgage troubles. It’s honey-sweet. (Feb.)

Reviewed on 01/16/2026 | Details & Permalink

Exes co-inherit a restaurant in this fast-paced and highly emotional contemporary from Neilson (A Love Like the Sun). It’s been 10 years since Olivia Jones left Providence, R.I., to make her way as a prep cook in New York City. Now, Olivia spends her time flying across the world as a private chef to elite clients—until she learns that the owner of Celia’s Place, the restaurant where she worked as a teen, has died and left her a quarter of the restaurant. Another quarter went to the owner’s son, Carmello Rodriguez, who happens to be Olivia’s high school boyfriend. Initially, Carmello wants nothing to do with Olivia, as he never truly forgave her for her abrupt departure. But when Olivia resists his efforts to buy out her share, he discovers that she has some great ideas on how to boost the restaurant’s sales, and their work together reignites their old attraction. Nielson deepens the sensitive second-chance love story with an exploration of both leads’ grief. This is sure to tug on the heartstrings. (Mar.)

Reviewed on 01/16/2026 | Details & Permalink

Former Harlequin editor Ohanjanians takes readers behind the scenes of the publishing industry in her lighthearted grumpy/sunshine debut. As a second-generation Armenian immigrant, Ana Movilian feels pressure to validate her parents’ sacrifices in raising her, but after dropping out of medical school to focus on her advice podcast, she feels like a disappointment—even after her debut self-help book becomes a bestseller. When the publicist assigned to accompany her on her book tour is replaced by Ryan Grant, her publisher’s snobbish publicity director who is “markedly disinterested” in her writing, Ana has one more person to whom she must prove her worth. Over the two-week tour, opposites attract as Ana and Ryan grow closer and chemistry sparks. The forced-proximity romance plot feels familiar and occasionally becomes repetitive, but Ohanjanians mixes in plenty of humor and personal growth along the way, with witty banter between the leads and some heavier emotional beats as Ana navigates grief, cultural expectations, and societal pressures. This charms. (Mar.)

Reviewed on 01/16/2026 | Details & Permalink

Cowan sets her ambitious sophomore romance (after Untamed) in an alternate 1800s Europe where aristocratic titles can pass to women and queerness is broadly tolerated. Kate, Duke of Howard, comes of age after a childhood marked by an act of treason that wiped out most of her family. Years later, the past returns to threaten her carefully constructed authority. In Paris during the French Revolution, Kate meets Celine Genet, a Frenchwoman seeking to escape the violence, and their immediate sexual chemistry leads to a night of passion, after which Kate abandons Celine, assuming they will never see each other again. This early tryst establishes the novel’s emotional stakes before the narrative jumps to England, three years later, where political intrigue takes center stage. Rival aristocratic families maneuver in the House of Lords, proposing legislation that challenges women’s right to inherit titles, while a bill recalibrating control over coal mines ignites issues of wealth and class. When Celine arrives in London with a compromising letter about the duke’s past, the two are bound in an uneasy alliance that tips between desire and destruction. While the language in some of the sex scenes can be stilted, the chemistry between the leads is strong and Rowan’s feminist reimagining of the Regency gives the novel a bold, unwavering edge. Readers will find this refreshing and impressive. (Apr.)

Reviewed on 01/16/2026 | Details & Permalink