A rom-com that tries to hit serious notes about sizeism, racism, sexism, and online toxicity.
Competitive gym users go from enemies to lovers.
Curvy Chinese American “fitstagrammer” Crystal Chen can’t stand the new Chris Evans look-alike at her gym, especially since he's been violating workout etiquette: ignoring signs that a rack has been claimed by another person, hogging the water fountain, and getting in the way of her training sessions with clients, not to mention blocking her camera as she's recording her exercise routines. Then she’s caught off guard when a heated exchange about her cellphone—she thinks he stole it to get on her nerves—turns into a make-out session in the men’s locker room. But Crystal has a bigger surprise in store when she finds out that her grandmother has gotten engaged and that her intended is the grandfather of the Squat Rack Thief, aka Scott Ritchie, Boston firefighter. To make matters worse, Scott may have a girlfriend, a figure skater. Despite the many bumpy starts, Scott and Crystal finally get past their initial misunderstandings to explore the romantic sparks between them. It seems like the perfect relationship for the homebody, gym-loving duo—till Crystal’s fear of being cheated on rears its head. Just as the couple tackle that issue, Crystal’s carefully constructed sense of identity comes crashing down thanks to online fatphobia. In this debut novel, author Lea explores the challenges of a woman learning to respect herself while realizing that the social media version of body positivity, though the core of her Instagram brand and philosophy, may not be the ideal route to happiness. With some amusing dad jokes and come-on lines, several steamy and romantic sex scenes, and nonstereotyped portrayals of a biracial family, the novel has real promise. But a first-person narrative that dwells on the heroine’s hang-ups may not be everyone’s cup of tea, and Crystal’s judgmental behavior toward others also clashes with her criticism of those who resort to reductive stereotypes. Though Crystal works to overcome the paradox and her internal dialogue and Instagram posts about body identity and White beauty standards earn her points, the drama feels a bit drawn out.
A rom-com that tries to hit serious notes about sizeism, racism, sexism, and online toxicity.Pub Date: May 10, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-593-33657-1
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Berkley
Review Posted Online: March 29, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2022
An extremely fun, fast-paced, and unusual addition to the marriage-in-trouble romance canon.
A marriage on the rocks gets a second chance—with a science-fiction twist.
Dr. Emery Martín is happily married to her husband Luca…mostly. She’s been madly in love with him since the moment they met, but in the three years they’ve been wed, she hasn’t been able to focus much on him. To the world—including Luca—Emery’s job involves developing medical-grade lasers. In reality, she works at a supersecret San Diego lab that’s engineering a compound to bring mammals back from the dead. Although Emery doesn’t want to admit it, she can tell that Luca feels pushed aside, but she believes so deeply in her work that she has a hard time leaving the lab. When Emery is late for dinner—yet again—on their anniversary, she rushes home only to see Luca get hit by a car. She has the secret compound in her car, and she knows she could get in major trouble if she uses it—but what’s she supposed to do, not save her husband’s life? The compound has only been tested on animals so far, and there’s no guarantee it will even work for humans. It does, though, and Luca comes back to life—with one small caveat. He can’t remember most things, including his marriage to Emery. After almost losing Luca, Emery is now grateful for what she has, and she’s determined to show him that she can be a better, more attentive partner. While Luca may not remember her, their magnetic chemistry is still there. This may be the do-over they needed to save their marriage—that is, if Emery can keep the life-reviving measures she took hidden from everyone around them, including nosy neighbors and her own company. Lauren—the pen name of the duo behind rom-coms like The Paradise Problem (2024)—has created a unique hook that feels genuinely refreshing. Emery and Luca’s unconventional second chance is emotionally compelling, and the slight thriller edge as Emery tries to cover up her actions keeps the pages turning.
An extremely fun, fast-paced, and unusual addition to the marriage-in-trouble romance canon.Pub Date: July 14, 2026
ISBN: 9781668017753
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Gallery Books/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: April 6, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2026
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
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