A compulsively readable slow-burn romance full of grown-up worries and plenty of pining.
Friends grapple with their very forbidden feelings for each other.
When Larissa found herself in need of a ride home after a rare night out, she went with friendly, outgoing Mike instead of his quiet, seemingly grumpy friend Chris. Now she’s dating Mike, but when he can’t drive her to her mother’s early morning surgery, he sends Chris in his place. As they spend time together at the hospital, Larissa realizes that she and Chris have a lot in common—much more than she and Mike do. Through an unexpected series of events, Chris ends up adopting a stray dog that Larissa volunteers to walk, giving them more chances to see each other. Larissa is struggling financially, and she spends all her time juggling her numerous side hustles just to pay her bills. Chris can’t stand to see her unhappy, so he finds himself assisting Mike behind the scenes, suggesting gifts or gestures that would help Larissa out. But Chris soon realizes that his feelings for Larissa go far deeper than friendship. Chris would never betray his closest friend, especially because he knows that Mike is secretly fighting demons he hasn’t shared with Larissa. Meanwhile, Larissa can’t help but wonder what would have happened if she’d only chosen Chris on the night they met. But it’s too late now...isn’t it? The obstacle between Chris and Larissa seems insurmountable, and Jimenez skillfully ratchets up the tension in every scene. Their hidden feelings always bubble beneath the surface, making it all the more dramatic and satisfying when the conflict finally explodes. Chris and Larissa are both immensely likable characters who never want to betray Mike or the rest of their friends—which is why it’s such a problem that they can only be together if they do just that. Larissa’s struggles to stay afloat and the severe nut allergy she navigates are handled with sensitivity and realism, while Chris is the perfect romantic hero who just wants to make Larissa’s life a little easier.
A compulsively readable slow-burn romance full of grown-up worries and plenty of pining.Pub Date: March 24, 2026
ISBN: 9781538759226
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Forever
Review Posted Online: Nov. 22, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2026
A romance that could have used significant rethinking.
Childhood friends, almost-sweethearts, a misunderstanding, and a funeral.
Blair Lang and Declan Renshaw were best friends who went on one date before a disagreement and an accident sent them in different directions after high school. Now Blair is back from college to be with her great-aunt Lottie, who’s dying, and to support her single mother in small-town Seabrook, California. Finding a job at a coffee shop puts her in the path of her former boyfriend, since he turns out to be its owner. Can the two get past their mistakes? The novel uses the popular second-chance romance trope, but Pham fails to energize it through interesting characters. Blair’s grief over her great-aunt’s death and her plan to help her mother are overshadowed by internal monologues about her feelings, the way her friends aren’t paying attention to her, and the novel she plans to write. Declan’s distinguishing characteristic, besides being a former high school quarterback, is his skill at building birdhouses. Unsurprisingly, the couple doesn’t have much chemistry; when they embrace, their “bodies meld like…memory foam.” The wooden characters, unusual word choices (“conglomerate of pedestrians,” “litany of plants”), and odd turns of phrase (“tension melting from his eyebrows like butter melting in a warm pan”) are almost enough to obscure the lack of plot development. What passes for stakes is easily defused when Blair comes into an inheritance that saves her from working as a consultant at Ernst & Young in New York—so she can write a romance novel.
A romance that could have used significant rethinking.Pub Date: March 3, 2026
ISBN: 9781668095188
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Atria
Review Posted Online: Feb. 16, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2026
Two hot people confronting their trauma, making passionate love, and solving violent crimes! ’Nuff said.
A heartbroken man lusts after his therapist while seeking revenge on a drug kingpin and his enforcer.
Mitch Haskell’s wife, Angela, died two years ago of an apparent suicide, but Mitch has always believed the scene was staged. Certainly, she would never have willingly left their young son, Andrew, behind. Consumed with a thirst for vengeance, Mitch—a former Marine and undercover agent with the Drug Enforcement Administration and currently a police detective—is struggling with alcohol dependency and uncontrolled rage. Andrew is living with his in-laws, who are making not-so-subtle suggestions that they might apply for permanent guardianship if Mitch can’t get it together. So his boss and best friend, John Bowie, mandates that he go into therapy, which puts him in the path of sexy Dr. Dylan Reede. Within a few days, Mitch makes a connection between two new murders and the death of his former partner; finds a big clue that points to the truth about Angela’s death; goes undercover as a homeless man; takes on a vicious drug cartel; and obnoxiously bullies Dylan with a charm offensive that leads them inevitably to bed. While Mitch seems to lean into the stereotype of the ex-soldier/cop with deeply buried trauma who believes that the ends justify the means—at least in law enforcement—Dylan offers the strength and sweetness to help him start breaking down his walls, allowing herself to be vulnerable in turn. Is passionate sex enough to ground a relationship and a family for the long term? For these characters, and the breakneck speed of this thriller, it’s as good a foundation as any.
Two hot people confronting their trauma, making passionate love, and solving violent crimes! ’Nuff said.Pub Date: March 17, 2026
ISBN: 9781538743027
Page Count: 432
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Review Posted Online: Dec. 11, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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