An enticing blend of espionage, romance, and rebellion animates Otto’s debut and Myths of the Empyrieos series launch. The Palace of Sorrows fell when its princess, Aella, was a child. She has since been raised in the Aviary, a covert network that transforms orphans and outcasts into spies known as songbirds. When she’s chosen for the Aviary’s elite Alpha Flight team, led by her former lover, stoic and duty-bound Raven, Aella must navigate both rekindled feelings and a mission that forces her to reclaim her royal identity. Undercover as a potential bride competing in a tournament for the hand of the prince of neighboring kingdom Eretria, Aella uncovers secrets that pit loyalty against conscience and love against survival. With rich sensory descriptions, Otto crafts an immersive world of coded messages and whispered betrayals. The pacing occasionally feels too quick, rushing through some of the bride trials and romantic beats. Still, Aella’s growth from an obedient agent of the Aviary to a self-possessed leader anchors the story. Fans of Carissa Broadbent’s The Serpent and the Wings of Night will want to check this out. Agent: Christabel McKinley, David Higham Assoc. (Feb.)

Reviewed on 01/02/2026 | Details & Permalink

The long-standing feud between two Baltimore meteorologists comes to a head in the midst of a winter storm in this sweet and sassy enemies-to-lovers rom-com from bestseller Borison (First-Time Caller). Delilah Stewart loves her job as a television weather reporter despite often-demeaning assignments, including her boss forcing her to wear a turtle costume during a broadcast. Her past encounters with radio meteorologist Jackson Clark have often ended in bickering, like the time he left passive aggressive Post-its on her car about her sloppy parking job. When a historic snowstorm hits Western Maryland, however, teaming up with Jackson may be Delilah’s best chance at being taken seriously. Broadcasting together from a snowbound mountain lodge, their chemistry ignites and draws in viewers—especially after a hot mic catches them kissing. The opposites-attract pair balance each other well, with spontaneous Delilah bringing out regimented Jackson’s fun side, and as their barbed banter becomes more flirtatious, it serves as a delightful prelude to scintillating romance. This charms. Agent: Kim Lionetti, BookEnds Literary. (Feb.)

Reviewed on 12/12/2025 | Details & Permalink

Like a rom-com twist on Scream, debut author Thompson’s unputdownable slasher-romance mash-up gets a meta edge from protagonist Jamie Prescott’s passion for both genres. Jamie, a grad student at work on a thesis about the similarities between horror films and rom-coms, attends a speed dating event at a nightclub with her roommate, Laurie—but the night takes a sharp turn away from romance and toward horror when one of her speed dates is found murdered. The novel plays out over the course of this one violent night, as the remaining attendees realize they are locked in the club with the murderer and fight for survival. It’s a gripping and often gory high-stakes drama that still leaves room for romance to blossom between some of the speed daters, including Jamie and cool under pressure Wes. Thompson dextrously balances horror and romance tropes, using Jamie’s genre-savvy narration to provide tongue-in-cheek commentary, and opens each chapter with horrific twists on classic rom-com quotes (“When you realize you want to spend the rest of your life killing somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible.” —Not When Harry Met Sally”). It’s pure entertainment. Agent: Hana El Niwairi, CookeMcDermid Literary. (Feb.)

Reviewed on 12/12/2025 | Details & Permalink

The third and final installment of Sullivan’s Rock Bottom Love series (after Get Lost with You) is a return to form, providing big feelings and small-town comforts. A viral video of Charlie Ashford’s negative reaction to a shocking announcement from her famous mother costs her a counseling job at a prestigious wellness center known for its discretion. Seeking an escape from her unwanted notoriety, she leaves Los Angeles for the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, where she takes a room at the Get Lost Lodge and a job teaching at a local community college. As a confirmed city girl, Charlie is surprised how much she enjoys the slower pace of small-town life—and how much she likes Grayson Keller, Get Lost Lodge’s owner. For his part, Grayson is finally over his painful divorce and undeniably attracted to Charlie, but he knows she’s likely only visiting for one semester and doesn’t want to get too attached. The meddling of the extended Keller family soon pushes the two together, however. Series fans will enjoy checking in with favorite characters, and the story hits all the expected beats cleanly. It’s a solid finale. Agent: Frances Black, Literary Counsel. (Feb.)

Reviewed on 12/12/2025 | Details & Permalink

Quinn (Til Summer Do Us Part) launches the Bay Area Players series with this raucous sports romance. Brooding Graydon St. John, the defensive end for the failing San Francisco Foghorns, has a reputation for playing poorly with others. To improve the team’s PR, however, he and his teammates must volunteer at the San Francisco Zoo, meaning he’ll have to put up with a partnership with sunny zookeeper Mapel Baker. Mapel is passionate about her work and determined to save her beloved flamingo lagoon from being turned into a gift shop by the zoo’s greedy owner. She finds Graydon dismissive and borderline menacing, but hopes to use his fame to draw attention to her cause. As the pair post videos on social media in which Mapel teaches Graydon about flamingos and he shows her how to play football, their followers become convinced they’re a couple. Foghorn’s PR team encourages them to go along with it, and the more they pretend to be in love, the more they fall for each other for real. Quinn manages to infuse their slow-burning connection with all the raunchiness she’s known for as well as her trademark over-the-top humor (Mapel and Graydon get off on the wrong foot after she hears him calling flamingos “pink-feathered dipshits on stilts”). Fans will not be disappointed. (Feb.)

Reviewed on 12/12/2025 | Details & Permalink

Vellner scores big with his outstanding debut set in the fiercely competitive tennis world. Closeted Leo Chambers’s hopes of winning his first U.S. Open are dashed by Gabe Montoya, who defeats him in a first-round match thanks to what Leo feels is a bad call, sparking an on-court altercation and a very public feud. After Leo’s father and coach, Johnny, who has MS, has a stroke, Leo takes the rest of the season off to be with him. Leo comes back to the circuit right around the time that Gabe publicly comes out as gay. The rivals call a truce and, after a heartfelt apology, they start practicing together and even playing doubles matches. Attraction sparks on both sides, and their ensuing steamy secret relationship helps Leo find a new approach to the game, but he tries to remind himself that “there’s no room for love, except on the scoreboard.” Vellner creates as much tension during the breathlessly described tennis matches as in scenes where it seems the men might be caught stealing kisses in the locker room. Public pressure and newfound tension between Leo and Johnny adds to the drama. The emotions are heartfelt, and the characters leap of the page. This is an overhead smash. Agent: Bibi Lewis, Ethan Ellenberg Literary. (Mar.)

Reviewed on 12/12/2025 | Details & Permalink

A delightful take on the grumpy/sunshine trope, this cute rom-com from bestseller Marsh (The Code for Love) finds jaded aspiring country singer Dixie Pearl breaking down in the tiny hamlet of Wickham Hollow, Tenn. She’s spent more than eight years touring dive bars and living out of her ancient van, which has finally given up the ghost. Gorgeous, cheerful local preacher Jack Carter (“like if a lumberjack and a rescue golden retriever had a baby”) comes to her rescue, offering his guest room while Dixie plans her next move. Jack’s moved by Dixie’s predicament because his family lived out of their car for a time when he was growing up, the memories of which still give him panic attacks. The pair’s chemistry is undeniable, and though Jack is interested in a relationship, he agrees to Dixie’s proposal of a no-strings-attached one-night stand. Afterward, Dixie dashes off a frustrated, self-deprecating song about how she’s not the kind of girl to settle down with a preacher and posts it on social media—where it instantly goes viral, leaving Dixie anxious about what Jack will think when he sees it. Marsh’s plotting is taut and her prose is often laugh-out-loud funny, with comedy partly coming in the form of Jack’s judgemental chinchilla, Georgia Peach. It’s a joy. (Feb.)

Reviewed on 12/05/2025 | Details & Permalink

Connor (Unromance) offers up an entertaining second-chance celebrity romance set in the early 2000s. Sloane Donavan’s goal is to transition from freelance to full-time journalism. She gets what could be her big break when the world-famous rock group Final Revelations agrees to sit down with her for their first interview in eight years. There’s just one problem: the group’s lead singer, Dax Nakamura, is Sloane’s ex-boyfriend, which presents a major conflict of interest—if it gets out, that is. The group hopes to use the piece to clean up their image, but Sloane’s editor is eager for every bit of gossip she can dig up, and Sloane’s horrible former mentor is also circling for exclusive scoops. As Sloane uncovers more of the band’s secrets, she rediscovers her feelings for Dax, and the lines between her work and romance begin to blur. Early aughts nostalgia, interview transcripts, and articles chronicling Final Revelations’ history add to the fun, and the found-family dynamic between the bandmates is a highlight. Connor also makes good use of the forced proximity trope to amp up the yearning. Readers will not be disappointed. Agent: Hannah Schofield, LBA Literary. (Feb.)

Reviewed on 12/05/2025 | Details & Permalink

Former competitive kayaker Adams brings her experience to bear in this sparkling sports romance. Kath Parker’s dreams of success at the World Rowing Cup in Italy are dashed when her boyfriend, Maxwell, breaks up with her immediately before the race. She comes in dead last and loses her sponsors and her spot at the Olympic Training Center in California. Kath’s coach proposes that she head home to Berkeley, Calif., to train for the upcoming Pan American Games with Adrian Crawford, a promising youth coach who’s being considered for a job at the national level. Kath is insulted, but if she proves herself and provides an honest assessment of Adrian’s skills, she could earn back her training spot. She doesn’t realize until arriving, however, that Adrian is the handsome stranger she danced with at a bar in Italy following her disastrous race. Despite their intense mutual attraction, Kath is reluctant to adopt Adrian’s somewhat unorthodox training methods. The pair eventually give in to their desires, but their relationship may not be strong enough to last after the competition is over. Adams makes the scenes on the water just as gripping as the angsty, emotionally rich relationship drama. It’s a promising start. (Feb.)

Reviewed on 12/05/2025 | Details & Permalink

Stevens’s charming debut reimagines Regency London as a place where “trans and queer identities are not shunned nor hidden away, racism does not reign, and people with disabilities and neurodivergence are valued members of society,” and deploys an affirming lexicon of her own creation to discuss these identities. Readers meet heroine Miss Georgina Pace, a wealthy and free-spirited socialite, as she tumbles out of a female lover’s window to escape the lady’s returning husband. When Georgina later learns that her friend Arthur Coombes, a miris, or person with Down syndrome, has been trapped into gambling debts at a shady club called Solitaires, she resolves to save both his bank account and his reputation. As she hatches a scheme to bring down Solitaires, she also navigates a flirtation with the enigmatic Lady Elizabeth Mortimer, a velina, or transgender woman. The romantic subplots multiply when Georgina’s rakish friend Lord Robert Coulthurst tries to ignite an amorous spark with his friend Sarah Fortescue, a widow. The gambling-den machinations work as solid scaffolding for these two romantic liaisons, and the story’s strengths lie in its deep empathy for its characters and emphasis on consent. The result is a warmhearted and witty spin on historical romance that celebrates the vitality and complexity of queer and inclusive connections. (Mar.)

Reviewed on 12/05/2025 | Details & Permalink