Opposites attract in this engaging but uneven romance.
In this novel, a marriage that begins as a business transaction—a ploy to benefit each party’s professional endeavors—turns into something much more complex and a whole lot kinkier.
Miles Ravage has a terrible reputation in business, thanks to his dishonest father. As Miles loses clients, suffering the consequences of his father’s repeated swindling, his family hatches a plan. If handsome, rakish Miles marries a true do-gooder, such as beloved high-profile philanthropist Stella Deveraux, the move could revitalize his image among his wealthy clientele. Stella is seeking to launch her new fashion business, but she lacks the personal capital to do so. Miles and his father offer Stella $1 million in seed money to enter a sham marriage for a period of one year. Initially offended, she eventually caves to financial temptation. After a quickie marriage at the local courthouse, Stella begins to accept that she feels a strong attraction to her new husband, despite his perpetually standoffish manner and the many secrets he’s clearly keeping from her (“How is it that he always looks so put together?”). The physical attraction is mutual, and the couple quickly find themselves in sexual situations they can’t seem to resist, full of unexpected spice and shared fetishes. As they get to know each other physically, Stella wonders whether Miles will ever let her in emotionally. Told in the first person throughout, Richardson’s romance shifts between Miles’ and Stella’s perspectives as they attempt to navigate their unusual relationship. Unfortunately, after they surrender to physical attraction, the story becomes clogged with sex scenes that stall the plot’s advancement. While some readers will view the graphic sex as highly erotic, others may find the adventurousness and frequency a bit over the top. The novel does touch on some weightier issues, including self-acceptance, grief, and second chances. But these intriguing elements are often eclipsed by the tale’s excessive sexual content. Still, the fast-paced dialogue is entertaining. And despite the flimsy backstory holding together this marriage of convenience, readers seeking a dark, steamy romance will likely be satisfied by Miles’ brooding nature and physical prowess.
Opposites attract in this engaging but uneven romance.Pub Date: Aug. 9, 2023
ISBN: 9781739436322
Page Count: 438
Publisher: Self
Review Posted Online: Jan. 9, 2024
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
A charming love story that absolutely radiates warmth.
A single mom winds up fake dating an incredibly wealthy man in her hometown.
Dolly Brick is back in her hometown of Whitfield, Rhode Island, for the summer to help her dad and disabled brother manage their house and family business. As a 39-year-old single mother with multiple jobs—which now include working at the Brick Fish House—Dolly is always busy. When her mom left their family years ago, Dolly took over caring for her siblings and father and never really stopped. When she runs into Stewart Whitfield after making a shrimp delivery to his family’s mansion, she doesn’t think they could be more different. She’s had to figure out how to do everything by herself, and he can’t even change a tire. That’s why Stewart’s proposal that she pretend to be his girlfriend feels so unbelievable—but it comes with a hefty check that she desperately needs for home repairs. So she becomes the fake girlfriend of Stewart Whitfield (as in, the Whitfields her town is named after; his real fiancée just dumped him and it’s a bad time for him to be single) and experiences what it’s like to walk into fancy buildings through the front door instead of the service entrance. More than the boats and helicopter and expensive dinners, though, Dolly is impressed by what a kind man Stewart is—and how it feels to let someone else take care of her for a change. Soon, their relationship starts to feel more real than fake. Monaghan creates an impossibly winning story with a charming, lovable heroine. Dolly is capable, hardworking, and will do anything for the people she loves. She and Stewart both possess real flaws, and while their relationship begins with one of the most beloved rom-com tropes, their challenges feel like realistic adult obstacles rather than easily solved miscommunications. It’s also refreshing that, even though Dolly must learn to allow other people to help her, she never views her caretaking responsibilities as burdens. She deeply loves her family, and that love carries through the entire story.
A charming love story that absolutely radiates warmth.Pub Date: May 26, 2026
ISBN: 9780593853979
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Putnam
Review Posted Online: Jan. 19, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2026
SEEN & HEARD
PERSPECTIVES
A deliciously dramatic look at how one woman’s past influences her future.
A happily engaged woman is pulled back to her hometown—and her first love—when tragedy strikes.
Billie Wright is living her dream, running a thriving fertility clinic in New York City and engaged to a wonderful trauma surgeon named Dean. Her happily-ever-after meant giving up her life in Wisconsin, where she left behind many friends as well as her high school sweetheart, Mick. Although they’d been deeply in love, when Billie’s ambition pulled her away from home and toward the city, Mick couldn’t handle either the distance or her busy schedule. Billie has finally moved on from that heartbreak—but then she receives a phone call from Mick, the first communication between them in years. Her best friend, Erin, died in a car accident, leaving behind an 11-year-old daughter, Phoebe. Now Billie must return home to help sort Erin’s affairs and provide some kind of comfort to Phoebe while grieving the loss of her best friend. Of course, being back home also means being in close contact with Mick. Their feelings for each other may not have ever gone away, and their proximity leads to big decisions for Billie. Can she ever reconcile her current life in Manhattan with her past in Wisconsin? And which one will be her future? Giffin knows how to do drama, and she ratchets up the stakes with every page as she continues to reveal new obstacles for Billie. The ending wraps up quite neatly, but the nostalgia-filled ride is full of twists and turns that will keep readers flipping the pages.
A deliciously dramatic look at how one woman’s past influences her future.Pub Date: July 7, 2026
ISBN: 9780593600320
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Ballantine
Review Posted Online: April 6, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2026
SEEN & HEARD
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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