Slator (The Launch Date) entertains with this lively contemporary romance following entrepreneur Jess Cole as she works to get her fledgling tech company, Wyst, off the ground. Jess is dangerously overdrawn at the bank when she comes across an opportunity to apply for TechRumble, a Shark Tank–style competition sponsored by Odericco Investments. After Jess accidentally applies as Mr. Cole and gets accepted, she decides a man might have a better chance of winning and enlists her twin brother, Spencer, an actor, to be the face of Wyst. As they head to TechRumble in Rome, Jess plays the role of his assistant and prepares to feed him information for the pitch to investors. Complications arise when Jess finds herself falling for the attractive and playful Oliver Kavanagh, assistant to the Odericco CEO. After her last boyfriend shared intimate photos with their coworkers, destroying both of their careers, Jess is afraid to get involved with anyone, let alone risk a possible conflict of interest. Even worse, her trouble-making ex shows up in Rome with blackmail on his mind. There are some improbable plot beats along the way, but Jess’s efforts to fulfill her business dream are admirable, and her chemistry with Oliver feels organic. It’s easy to root for these two to find a happy ending. (Feb.)

Reviewed on 11/28/2025 | Details & Permalink

Iacopelli’s charming Match Point series launch braids the stories of three determined members of North Carolina’s Outer Banks Tennis Club. For rising star Penny Harrison, hard work and self-confidence are finally paying off as she prepares for the French Open. Then her coach pairs her for training with Alex Russell, a bad-boy tennis champion who broke her heart years before. Indiana “Indy” Gaffney is finally ready to reclaim her place in the sport she loves after walking away in the wake of her mother’s death. To get her career back on track, however, she’ll need to ignore her attraction to Penny’s handsome brothers. Meanwhile, Jasmine Randazzo has big shoes to fill: her parents are both tennis champs and owners of Outer Banks. When Indy arrives and threatens to take her spot at the club, Jasmine must prove she deserves her place, a task that would be easier if she weren’t busy pining for her best friend, Teddy Harrison. Iacopelli brings all three heroines to vivid life as they navigate professional pressures, budding friendship, and the search for love. It’s new adult sports romance done right. (Feb.)

Reviewed on 11/28/2025 | Details & Permalink

Bestseller Janovsky (The Fake Dating Game) delivers another over-the-top queer romance, this time riffing on Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Pennsylvania native Charlie Moore’s family is struggling to make ends meet and their house is on the verge of foreclosure. His solution? Enter a contest hosted by the eccentric Amorina Chocolate corporation, the prize of which is heir Dario Cotogna’s hand in marriage. It was a scheme cooked up by Dario’s late grandfather, and it has Charlie and four others from across the world arriving for a week in the beautiful Villa Meraviglia in Perugia, Italy. What follows is a Bachelor-esque competition for Dario’s affection, albeit with some Roald Dahl–inspired twists along the way. It’s an unabashedly goofy setup, and the parallels to the original often feel odd or out of place, not least because the love interests are based on Willy Wonka and Charlie Bucket. Meanwhile, Dario’s oft-mentioned penchant for wearing fedoras and “steampunk-style” fingerless gloves, and Charlie’s visceral attraction to these sartorial choices, may turn off some readers. Despite a handful of cringe-worthy moments, however, Janovsky excels at combining the silly and outlandish with the sincerely heartfelt. The author’s devoted fans will welcome this. (Jan.)

Reviewed on 11/14/2025 | Details & Permalink

In this lukewarm sapphic sports romance from Disabato (U UP?), NFL reporter Jennifer Felix is reassigned to cover WNBA All-Star Weekend, despite knowing nothing about basketball. Felix knows she’s out of her depth even before Natalie Czapski, the guarded yet mesmerizing star player of the Hollywood Lights, calls out her lack of expertise during a press conference. To impress her editor, Felix must quickly learn the rules of the game and win over Natalie. As she gets to know the real woman behind the public persona, a flirtation blossoms. But Natalie claims to be committed to her passion for basketball to the exclusion of anything else, leaving Felix wondering if there’s any space in Natalie’s life left for her. The women’s connection arises a bit too speedily to feel authentic, and though Disabato attempts to create tension between their private feelings and public facing careers, the stakes never feel tangible. More successful is the frank examination of the misogyny and homophobia faced by LGBTQ+ women in sports. Readers who come for the romance will be disappointed. (Jan.)

Reviewed on 11/14/2025 | Details & Permalink

Debut author Brohm draws from her background in neuroscience for this cute if somewhat slow contemporary. Neuroscientist Frances Silberstein travels to New York to attend a summer program organized by her ex, Jacob, hoping to make connections in case her grant funding falls through. When she arrives at the same time as her academic nemesis, Lewis North, who once failed to credit her on a research paper, Jacob’s postdoctoral researcher-turned-fiancee, Vivienne, mistakenly assumes that the pair are in a relationship. Frances is too flustered to correct her right away, and then fears she will seem like a liar if the truth gets out, potentially damaging her professional reputation. So the pair agree to fake date for the duration of the conference. Inevitably, attraction ignites, the lines between reality and pretend blur, and the truth behind Lewis’s failure to credit Frances’s work is revealed. Throughout, Brohm offers abundant details about the frustrations and politics of academia, all of which feel authentic but which occasionally distract from the thrust of the novel. Still, the angst between Frances and Lewis is delicious and the focus on STEM will appeal to fans of Ali Hazelwood. (Feb.)

Reviewed on 11/28/2025 | Details & Permalink

Blake’s endearing and believable second Clover Lake romance (after Dream On, Ramona Riley) puts the enemies-to-lovers and forced proximity tropes to excellent use. April Evans is still reeling from the betrayal of her cheating ex-fiancee, Elena Watson, who left her for beautiful younger artist Daphne Love three years ago, when she’s forced to permanently close her failing tattoo parlor. So she’s grateful for the stability afforded by a summer job as an art teacher at Cloverwild, an elegant resort that also offers her and her co-teacher room and board in a quaint cabin on the property. Then she learns that her new roommate is none other than Daphne. Though Daphne, who has recently been cheated on and dumped by Elena herself, has no idea who April is and can’t understand her hostility, April sees fit to take out years of anger and hurt feelings on the other woman. Meanwhile an amazing opportunity that will allow only one of them to display their paintings in a renowned London museum cements them as professional rivals as well. It’s an absolute delight to watch the relationship between these endearingly flawed and dynamic characters gradually evolve as they put aside their differences and bond over their shared love of art. The result is a well-paced, tension-filled sapphic romance that doubles as a celebration of personal growth and healing. (Feb.)

Reviewed on 11/28/2025 | Details & Permalink

San Andres pivots to contemporary romance (after the Regency-set Caribbean Courtships series) with this lighthearted if somewhat unstructured rom-com. Aspiring New York City screenwriter Mariel Rivera is struggling to overcome writer’s block and make ends meet after losing her job. When a handsome model named Dash saves her from being trampled by a Times Square mob, Mariel thinks he’d be the perfect fit for the steamy historical romance script she’s working on. Mariel and Dash agree to collaborate, bringing to life Mariel’s character, the Duke of Harding, by creating spicy Regency content for social media. The pair’s attraction grows the more they work together and soon leads to a friends with benefits situation. Mixing work with pleasure has complications, especially as the Duke’s popularity skyrockets and Mariel is forced to deal with her insecurities if she hopes to achieve her own happy ending. San Andres makes the most of her city setting with vibrant descriptions and a wonderfully diverse cast. Though the plot meanders a bit and Dash and Mariel’s characterizations stay very surface level, there are still plenty of cute and swoon-worthy moments. Readers seeking a low-angst romance with a touch of heat will be pleased. Agent: Sarah Younger, Nancy Yost Literary. (Feb.)

Reviewed on 11/28/2025 | Details & Permalink

In this fast-paced and complex series-launching romantasy, Stark (Kingdom of Lies) plunges readers into a world where human magic users battle vampires for resources, power, and control. Magic user Arvelle Dacien’s victory in the violent Sands tournament should have set her up for life, but her uncle stole her winnings and now she struggles to care for herself and her brothers, one of whom has a lung condition, in the impoverished district of Fog’s Edge. Then she’s approached by the vampire Bran with an offer to save her brother and ease their financial hardship; all she has to do in exchange is survive the Sundering, a gladiator-style competition, and kill the emperor. Desperate, Arvelle agrees. Entering training, she learns that the Primus, the leader of the emperor’s elite cohort, is her former lover, the vampire Tiernon. Feelings reignite but are complicated by the fierce competition, a botched assassination attempt, and the surprising connection Arvelle makes with the emperor’s vampire son, Rorrik. While the harsh, ancient Rome–flavored worldbuilding fascinates and the slow-simmering vampiric love triangle keeps the pages flying, it can be a bit of a struggle to sort through the whirlwind of characters and mythical elements. Still, readers who like their romantasies action-packed will find plenty to enjoy. (Jan.)

Reviewed on 11/21/2025 | Details & Permalink

Mazarura (Let the Games Begin) delivers a sweet fake-dating sports romance. Great Britain’s women’s ice hockey team is already an underdog when Ari Shumba is unexpectedly made captain. Now she must carry the responsibility of managing the team through Olympic qualifiers while navigating family drama and avoiding her toxic ex-boyfriend and fellow hockey player, Harrison, who’s determined to get back together. Drew Dlamini is similarly at a crossroads when the pair meet at a New Year’s Eve party. He’s recently broken up with his girlfriend, dropped out of college, and moved home to care for his grandmother. Drew and Ari share deep conversation and a midnight kiss, never expecting to see each other again. Months later they’re reunited by the Olympics, where Ari is competing for Great Britain and Drew’s working as an official photographer for a sports brand. Drew agrees to a fake relationship to help Ari deter the dogged Harrison in exchange for access to exclusive events. They agree to keep feelings out of it, but as competition heats up on and off the rink, so does their chemistry. The romance is entertaining and well balanced by Ari’s and Drew’s professional struggles, and Mazarura has some twists up her sleeve, including a secret connection the leads share. This is sure to charm. (Feb.)

Reviewed on 11/21/2025 | Details & Permalink

This emotional contemporary from Rosen (Unlikely Story) opens with workaholic chef Kit Roth’s life literally going up in flames: her New York City restaurant burns down the same night her boyfriend/business partner breaks up with her. In the wake of this catastrophe, Kit’s best friend, Anita, suggests that Kit go to Italy for the summer to regroup and learn new culinary skills with Anita’s grandmother, Gia. There, she meets Gia’s handsome grandson-in-law, Nico Ruspoli, and sparks fly. Both are determined to keep things platonic, however: Anita because she thinks Nico is married, and Nico because he was burned by his ex-wife, who left him to see the world. For his part, Nico has always been content with a quiet life in the Italian countryside running the olive oil business left to him by his late grandfather. As the pair spend more time together, they help each other expand their horizons: Kit discovers there’s life outside the kitchen, and Nico learns that growth happens outside his comfort zone. Their romance suffers from some wonky pacing as the story is more interested in Kit’s personal growth. Still, her persistence makes her an admirable heroine, and Rosen fans will enjoy the focus on food, community, adventure, and self-acceptance. It’s a heartfelt and endearing story. (Jan.)

Reviewed on 11/21/2025 | Details & Permalink