Kennedy sensitively handles domestic violence and healing in her emotional second Naked Moose romance (after The Devil in Blue Jeans). Willow Quinn left Portland after her abusive ex, Niko, nearly killed her. Teaming up with her longtime besties Aubrey and Charly, she becomes co-owner of a bar in charming Timber Falls, Mont. She’s immediately attracted to local carpenter and bull rider Eli Cole, who has had his own tragic experience with domestic violence: his sister Miranda was killed by her boyfriend. Despite being drawn to Eli, Willow is skittish about romance. In the meantime, she’s determined to transform her pain into action by founding a craft group for local survivors of domestic violence. After Willow begins to get threatening emails from a member’s ex, however, she and Eli agree to fake date for her protection, a charade that soon becomes all too real. Willow is a resilient and empowering heroine, and readers will swoon over strong, silent Eli. This offers plenty of both heat and heart, readers who like their cowboy romances on the sensitive side are sure to be sucked in. Agent: Jessica Alvarez, Bookends Literary. (Oct.)

Reviewed on 08/09/2024 | Details & Permalink

Janovsky (You Had Me At Happy Hour) sets up a new Santa mythology in this whimsical gay holiday romance. Less than a year into their marriage, architect Patrick Hargrave and second grade teacher Quinn Muller are having doubts about their relationship. After an argument on Christmas Eve reveals that Patrick has hidden his recent job loss, he encounters and knocks out a late-night intruder. Turns out it was Santa Claus, who rage-quits on the spot. An elf then appears, saying Patrick and Quinn have one hour to decide to take on the role or “cancel Christmas.” Patrick agrees and the pair, after a mad-dash delivery of gifts, are whisked to the North Pole. There, the Council of Priors, made up of former Santas and Mrs. Clauses, inform them that the magic relies on the love between Santa and his significant other and educate them on their new duties. Quinn enjoys his time as the first-ever Merriest Mister, but when Patrick starts making plans to take on the Santa role well beyond the single year they agreed to, the strain on their relationship returns and threatens the future of the holiday. Janovsky once again shows his chops at putting tender, queer spins on rom-com situations. This is a charmer. Agent: Samantha Fabien, Root Literary. (Oct.)

Reviewed on 08/09/2024 | Details & Permalink

Enemies become first friends and then lovers in Wilkens’s uneven debut. Native American horror author Penelope Skinner’s dream is to represent Native populations in a culturally appropriate way in the genre she loves. So she’s none too happy with popular fellow Indigenous author Neil Storm when he perpetuates troublesome stereotypes in his latest blockbuster. In fact, she’s so incensed she has a very public meltdown. Four months later, thanks to the machinations of their mutual friend, Laszlo, they’re stuck together at a writing retreat in a Scottish castle that turns out to be haunted. The horror-tinged romance that follows moves at breakneck speed, careening between moments of laugh-out-loud humor and chilling encounters with the ghost of a young woman who died waiting for her love to return. The characters similarly move between extreme emotions at dizzying speeds with little room for nuance. The novel’s strength lies in its exploration of authorial intent and inequity in the publishing world, and in the spotlight it shines on Native characters, who remain underrepresented in romance. It’s not perfect, but readers who like their romances both spooky and meta will want to give it a chance. Agent: Rebecca Podos, Rees Agency. (Oct.)

Reviewed on 08/09/2024 | Details & Permalink

Bestseller Macomber (The Christmas Spirit) is at the top of her game with this wholesome small-town story. Schoolteacher Hailey Morgan has always fantasized about writing music professionally, but her ex-fiancé, Zach, trampled her confidence. Now Zach wants to get back together, and her mother is helping him woo by inviting him for Christmas. When a friend offers her the use of a cabin in Podunk, Ore., for the holidays instead, Hailey leaps at the chance to both avoid her relentless ex and spend several weeks getting back into making music. She’s not expecting to meet and fall for music producer Jethro “Jay” Cantor, son of the town’s feisty mayor. They immediately click both personally and professionally—leading to YouTube fame after their performance at the town’s annual Christmas festival goes viral. But when Zach and Hailey’s family track her down and demand that she make some important decisions about her future, her budding relationship with Jay could be in jeopardy. Macomber’s warm, folksy tale is the romance equivalent of comfort food, complete with small-town charm, down-to-earth characters, and an emotionally satisfying happily ever after. This is sure to get readers in a festive mood. (Oct.)

Reviewed on 08/09/2024 | Details & Permalink

Schwartz (The Christmas Crush) riffs on The Music Man in this entertaining rom-com. Huxter Harmony Hale makes her way to Brookville, Calif., hoping to pull off her biggest con yet in revenge against the town mayor, who made his fortune off an idea he stole from Harmony’s father. She pitches the town on a Coachella-style music festival that will never actually come to pass—but to make the scheme believable, she must secure the land that belongs to Brookville’s autistic librarian, Preston Jones. Preston is deeply committed both to caring for his nonspeaking younger sister and to keeping the library’s youth programs afloat in the face of challenges from conservative townsfolk. Though he enjoys a good romance novel, he has no time for love in his personal real life, and his impulse is to steer clear of the beautiful, curvaceous Harmony. When Harmony promises to help him save the youth programs, however, Preston rethinks his stance. Soon their tension breaks and steaminess ensues. Despite the delightfully devious heroine, Schwartz puts a refreshing emphasis on healthy communication, making the bond between her leads feel well-earned. Meanwhile, the well-handled representation of Preston’s autism and Harmony’s body positivity make this a breath of fresh air. Schwartz proves herself a worthy successor to Meredith Willson. Agent: Lee O’Brien, Looking Glass Literary. (Oct.)

Reviewed on 08/02/2024 | Details & Permalink

Martin’s sparkling third Elemental Love romance (after Kiss and Spell) finds kitchen witch Sirena Caraway wishing for a do-over. Sirena has had a harrowing October—from injuring her ankle to failing an interview for a dream job when her cooking powers go haywire—but a spell grants her the opportunity to live the month all over again. Sirena’s determined to use the time to regain her cooking mojo, so she teams up with her new neighbor, former reality show star and magician August “Gus” Dearworth, for some magic lessons. Together, they work to reignite her creativity, ace her job interview, and revive her career as a chef. In return, Gus enlists Sirena’s help to decipher a magical cookbook. As they work closely together, his secret crush on her deepens. However, when Gus’s mother encourages him to rejoin the family show for a reunion tour, he’s torn between his desire to stay with Sirena and the pull of his old life. And as Sirena races the clock to transform her life before the month ends, does she really have time for love? The magic element energizes the story, while the sizzling romance captivates. This hits the spot. Agent: Lauren Bieker, Fine Print. (Oct.)

Reviewed on 08/02/2024 | Details & Permalink

In El-Fassi’s sizzling debut, a café owner and a museum curator find love despite a curse. Witch Dina Whitlock spends her days infusing magic into the pastries she serves at her London bakery, Serendipity Cafe. Haunted by a hex that threatens harm to anyone she falls in love with, a consequence of a spell she cast on her ex-girlfriend that backfired, Dina sets love aside and conceals her witch identity. Enter Scott Mason, a curator at the British Museum. Though he’s not looking for a relationship after a devastating breakup, when he comes into the café, he’s immediately enchanted by Dina. The pair are thrown back together on a train ride to the wedding of mutual friends, who, in a matchmaking effort, assign Scott and Dina to the same cabin. The close proximity heightens their sexual tension and despite Dina’s reservations, their connection deepens. But the more she comes to care for Scott, the greater risk she puts him in. El-Fassi prioritizes her leads’ steamy physical connection, somewhat sidelining the emotional bond. Still, the characters’ complexities propel the story forward. Readers will be charmed. Agent: Maddy Belton, Madeline Milburn Agency. (Oct.)

Reviewed on 08/02/2024 | Details & Permalink

This heartwarming second chance romance from Gilmore (Love Interest) follows Josie Davis, the 27-year-old founder and CEO of an online clothing company. Despite having worked tirelessly to get the business to where it is now—about to open a chain of brick-and-mortar stores in Austin, Tex.—Josie still suffers from imposter syndrome. When her biggest investor encourages her to hire a consultancy firm to assist her in the run-up to the opening, she hopes that following the advice will lessen her stress. Enter Will Grant. Nine years ago, a kiss between Josie and Will, the broody twin brother of her high school best friend, on the last night of their senior spring break, resulted in gossip and heartbreak. Now, Will becomes Josie’s business consultant. As feelings resurface, the duo must keep old wounds and miscommunication from tearing them apart again. Throughout, Gilmore illuminates the struggles faced by female CEOs, and while Josie must learn to allow others to help her, Gilmore wisely keeps Will in a supporting role when it comes to Josie’s career. The result is a couple readers will root for. Agent: Melissa Edwards, Stonesong. (Oct.)

Reviewed on 08/02/2024 | Details & Permalink

Stayman-London (One to Watch) turns vampire tropes on their head to address consent and healing in this sharp-witted fantasy romance. Tess Rosenbloom was a thriving doctoral student at Columbia University before her colleague Rick Keeton drugged and raped her, and panic attacks and nightmares forced her to leave campus. Three years later, Tess returns for the birthday party of Joni Chaudhari, her ex-roommate and former best friend. Unfortunately, Rick shows up and Tess flees. The night gets stranger when she discovers the world of her favorite book series, Blood Feud, is real, and the vampire Octavia Yoo needs Tess’s help to deliver a message to Octavia’s twin brother, Callum, who’s trapped on a parallel Manhattan known as the Isle. Tess is thrilled to literally escape her reality, but her mission to reunite the vampire siblings leads her to question everything she thought she knew about Blood Feud—especially dashing Callum’s role as a purported villain. Stayman makes the Blood Feud fandom feel robust through social media posts, quizzes, and book excerpts. She also sensitively handles Tess’s trauma and recovery. There may be one too many subplots butting up against each other, but the center holds. Romance readers who’ve been involved in fantasy fandom will be especially swept away. (Oct.)

Reviewed on 08/02/2024 | Details & Permalink

Bestseller Dixon (Barbarian’s Taming) leaves the sci-fi milieu of her Ice Planet Barbarians series behind and dives into historical fantasy in her raunchy Royal Artifactual Guild series launch. Lady Aspeth Honori, heiress to Honori Hold, sees the writing on the wall. Her father has gambled away what’s left of their family’s fortune. At 30, she’s unlikely to marry her way out of the problem, and the estate’s lack of funds makes the Honori family a target for their rivals. Her solution is to join the guild of magical artifact hunters and find enough ancient magical treasures to save her home. But as a woman, she’s laughed out of guild training by the other new fledglings and all the mentors except for Guildmember Hawk, one of the Taurian race of minotaurs, who is looked down on for his half-bull body. He and Aspeth strike a deal: he’ll mentor her and her friend at the guild if, in exchange, she’ll marry him in time for the upcoming Taurian rutting season. The result is a steamy marriage of convenience featuring all the unusual anatomy Dixon’s fans expect. The worldbuilding is well done and the love story convincing. Dixon should win a whole new set of readers with this. Agent: Holly Root, Root Literary. (Oct.)

Reviewed on 08/02/2024 | Details & Permalink