Britton (The Duke’s All That) launches her Wimpole Street Widows Society series with this scintillating Regency. When Heloise Marlowe’s sister-in-law asks for help recovering jewels her employer was cheated out of at the Dionysus gaming club, Heloise, a widow and former blacksmith’s apprentice, agrees. With assistance from her charming group of widowed friends, Heloise launches an elaborate plan: fellow widow Laney, a former boxer, will come out of retirement for a match at Dionysus. Posing as Laney’s manager, Heloise will search the place for the missing jewels. To access the club’s inner sanctum, however, Heloise will need to seduce part owner Ethan Sinclaire. She’s not anticipating falling in love with her mark. Ethan rose out of poverty to become a successful businessman without ever losing his sense of compassion. He’s also just as determined as Heloise to get to the bottom of the cheating rumors that plague Dionysus. As the pair grow closer, Heloise fears what will happen to their budding relationship when Ethan discovers her true motives. Britton propels the plot forward at a page-turning clip while introducing an enchanting ensemble of progressive widows whose love stories readers will look forward to following in future installments. Add in sensual romance and a dollop of mystery and this proves impossible to put down. Agent: Kim Lionetti, BookEnds Literary. (Sept.)

Reviewed on 07/18/2025 | Details & Permalink

YA author Laurens (Youngblood) makes her adult debut with this queer, campy escapade into the world of stardom and its accompanying rigmarole. Childhood friends Renee Feldman, now an MFA student in documentary film, and Lola Gray, international “princess of pop,” are reunited at Lola’s sister’s wedding, where sparks fly all the way into a passionate one-night stand. After Renee sneaks out the next morning, she doesn’t expect to hear from Lola again—until Lola calls to ask her to direct a documentary film about the making of her next album. From there, the tension is twofold: first, as director and subject, feelings entering into the mix could make things messy; second, Lola is closeted, and her fans are already dissecting her every move and song lyric for clues about her sexuality. Laurens peppers in plenty of Easter eggs that will put fans in mind of Taylor Swift, though she tempers the real-world parallels somewhat by making her heroines down-to-earth and even nerdy at times. Readers looking for a spot of escapism will find everything they need here. (Oct.)

Reviewed on 07/18/2025 | Details & Permalink

Miller launches a spin-off series from her Monsters & Muses novels with this angsty, dark academia–inflected romance. Asher Anderson and Lucy Wolfe have been friends since childhood, and they both plan to attend Avernia College in Fury Hill, N.H., where Asher’s older sister, Quincy, is studying. After Quincy realizes the Andersons were one of the tiny college’s founding families, and that the crimes of their ancestors have put targets on Quincy and Asher’s backs, Asher’s parents persuade him to stay away, leaving Lucy to navigate a campus controlled by mysterious secret societies on her own. But when students start dropping dead, Asher fears for Lucy’s safety, reenrolls, and takes a position as her dorm’s RA to protect her. The body count is high and the violence is often graphic. Equally graphic are the spicy sex scenes once Asher and Lucy realize their feelings for each other. Propelled by a clever mystery and red-hot friends-to-lovers romance, this is sure to whet readers’ appetite for more. (Aug.)

Reviewed on 07/18/2025 | Details & Permalink

Harrow (One-on-One) gracefully avoids the sophomore slump with this fun road-trip romance. Celebrity online spin instructor Quinn Ray keeps things sunny on camera, but she’s frustrated by her toxic work environment. After a video of her breakup goes viral, her supervisor suggests she take a few weeks off, giving her the perfect opportunity to drive from L.A. to the Jersey Shore to visit her best friend. When her estranged former friend Nate, a swim instructor, asks to tag along, Quinn finds it too difficult to say no despite major awkwardness and unresolved feelings between them. Nate has his own agenda for the trip: he’s hoping to track down their wayward mutual friend Logan, now a reality TV star, to have a serious conversation that Logan’s been putting off. Though Quinn planned for a peaceful drive stopping at some national parks, the hunt for Logan leads to frequent detours, taking her and Nate to Las Vegas parties, strangers’ baby showers, and country music festivals. Along the way, Quinn builds in plenty of time for Nate and Quinn to believably talk through their differences and finally act on their attraction. The result is a freewheeling romp that will please friends-to-lovers fans and armchair travelers alike. (Sept.)

Reviewed on 07/18/2025 | Details & Permalink

Lacey (A View from the Top) brings a cozy small-town Vermont vibe to a smart sapphic romance that’s aware of both the challenges facing women in academia and the complications of age-gap relationships but still leans into the playful heat of the “hot for teacher” trope. Audrey Lind’s first job as an assistant professor of ceramics brings her back to her alma mater, meaning that art historian Michelle Thompson—Audrey’s former mentor, crush, and impetus for coming out—is now her colleague. Michelle, who has a reputation for being prickly, is clearly jaded about teaching and furious that Audrey’s been given the “Women in Art” class she wanted. Still, Audrey’s persistent overtures of friendship yield daily afternoon tea chats, inspiration for Michelle to take her writing in a new direction, and a romantic spark that leaves Michelle wondering if settling into a life of post-divorce solitude is the right choice after all. Lacey’s protagonists are cautious and self-aware but not timid, and both obviously respect and enjoy one another as they navigate being together on a more even footing than when they first met. Secondary characters—including Audrey’s enthusiastic deaf pottery student Laya and Michelle’s upbeat older undergrad Nuala—bolster the sense of female solidarity. Fans of slow burns, sexy tweed, and queer sincerity will love this couple. (Sept.)

Reviewed on 07/18/2025 | Details & Permalink

Lambda Literary Award winner Cochrun (Here We Go Again) sends her “late bloomer” of a heroine on an earnest journey of self discovery in this introspective contemporary. Singleton Sadie Wells starts to regret agreeing to let her sister, Vi, set her up with as many men as possible before her 35th birthday around disastrous date #17. So when Vi, a travel blogger, injures herself and must cancel plans to trek Portugal’s 200-mile Camino de Santiago, Sadie eagerly volunteers to take her place. She doesn’t realize until she’s already en route that she’ll be joining a tour group of queer women, leading her to make a wine- and fear-induced confession to her airplane seatmate about how she’s questioning her sexuality. Said seatmate is fellow Camino traveler Maëlys “Mal” Gonçalves Costa, who resolves to mentor Sadie through the “queer adolescence” that Sadie never got to experience, partly in an effort to distract herself from recent loss and heartbreak. The narrative alternates between the women’s perspectives and brings in Sadie’s blog posts to enhance the travelogue feel. Though the plot occasionally meanders and the climax loses some steam due to an overreliance on clichés, Cochrun makes up for it with witty banter, emotional vulnerability, and a delightful supporting cast. This slow-burning love story, deepened by a heartfelt depiction of a woman’s late coming-of-age, is sure to please Cochrun’s fans. (Sept.)

Reviewed on 07/18/2025 | Details & Permalink

Time travel disrupts the filming of a Jane Austen movie adaptation in Bell’s captivating adult debut (after the YA novel The Final Curse of Ophelia Cray, written as Christine Calella). Sassy American actress Tess Bright has been depressed since her Austen-loving mother’s death, which has negatively affected her work and cost her a big TV role. The chance to play Catherine Morland in an adaptation of Northanger Abbey seems like a perfect way to get her career back on track and honor her mother’s memory—if only Hugh Balfour, the snotty and standoffish British leading man, would meet her halfway in generating on-screen chemistry. When a storm strikes the set, Hugh and Tess are struck by electric sparks and sent back in time to Regency England. They’ll have to learn to rely on each other if they hope to navigate the era and make it back to their own time. Along the way, Hugh realizes that Tess has hidden depths behind what he’s viewed as her “vulgar” facade, and Tess discovers that Hugh’s aloofness hides anxiety. Bell makes a meal of the Austenian setting and does a fantastic job peeling back her well-matched leads’ layers as they learn to let go of first impressions. It’s an utter delight. Agent: Laurel Symonds, KT Literary. (Sept.)

Reviewed on 07/18/2025 | Details & Permalink

Masen (the Dark Love series) launches her small-town Cinnamon Springs series with this addictive contemporary. When donut shop owner Eva Woods agrees to help plan her lifelong best friend Maddy’s rushed wedding in just one month, she’s not banking on having to work with Maddy’s billionaire brother Aston Beaumont, CEO of the Beaumont family business. Eight years prior, at Aston’s high school graduation party, Aston won and then broke Eva’s heart over the course of a single night. Working together is a challenge, especially as Aston initially seems aloof and unengaged. As the pair warm to each other, however, their attraction becomes undeniable and they enter into a steamy affair. Still, Eva worries both about how easily Aston could hurt her again and what Maddy’s reaction will be if she learns of their relationship. Meanwhile, wedding stress intensifies and Maddy’s father’s nefarious business dealings threaten the happiness of all parties. Scintillating sexual tension, soapy family drama, and a plethora of secrets keep the pages flying. Readers won’t want to put this one down. (Sept.)

Reviewed on 07/04/2025 | Details & Permalink

A meet-cute in a quirky bookstore kicks off this cozy queer romance from Burke (Fall for Him). Courtney Starling was a child star in the Christian music industry, but now she’s ready to relaunch her career on her own, secular terms as Kestrel. Unfortunately, a migraine flare on stage at her debut concert derails this plan and sparks rumors of a drug problem. Courtney retreats to her best friend’s critter-filled Kansas bookstore, Menagerie Books, to lick her wounds, unsure if she wants to perform again. Enter local piercing artist Thea Quinn, whose terror at encountering one of Menagerie’s lizards among the stacks leads to an indelible first encounter with Courtney. Sparks fly—especially when the women end up snowed in at the bookstore through a twist of fate and small-town scheming. Their budding relationship is complicated by Thea’s struggle to escape the pressure and expectations placed on her by her proper Southern family and Courtney’s decision to keep her past to herself. Burke brings her complex heroines vividly to life and creates an electric dynamic between them. The ending feels somewhat rushed and convenient, but it’s a joy to see these two get their happily ever after. Readers will be pleased. (Sept.)

Reviewed on 07/04/2025 | Details & Permalink

Quincy lightly riffs on Jane Austen’s Persuasion in her sultry second Sirens in Silk Victorian romance (after The Duke Gets Desperate). Eight years after jilting Basil Trevelyn, Naila Darwish crosses paths with him again, this time in England, where she’s visiting for the wedding of her sister, Raya, to the Duke of Strickland. Naila, who was swayed into leaving Basil by her disapproving Arab American family, regrets her past choices and has never gotten over him. Meanwhile, Basil’s star has risen: he’s now the powerful Earl of Hawksworth. Their magnetic draw to each other is as strong as ever, but both fear being hurt again. Basil becomes even more skittish about reentering the relationship when he learns that Naila is writing a pamphlet to help American heiresses land titled British husbands. Quincy brings plenty of romantic angst and interpersonal drama to the fast-paced plot, punctuated with some truly steamy love scenes. It’s a memorable and passionate scorcher. Agent: Kevan Lyon, Marsal Lyon Literary. (Sept.)

Reviewed on 07/04/2025 | Details & Permalink