A charming contemporary romance that doesn’t shy away from tackling big issues.
Two contestants on a reality dating show start falling for each other—instead of the guy they’re meant to be competing for.
Former rodeo queen Krystin spent most of her early dating years devoted to competitions, which didn’t leave much time to prioritize romance. When she realizes she’s exhausted all the options in her Montana hometown, she decides to sign up as a contestant on the reality dating show Hopelessly Devoted. While her best friend is vocally skeptical about the odds of her finding anything resembling true love, Krystin is trying to go into the experience as optimistically as possible. If only one of her fellow contestants didn’t give her more butterflies than the guy she’s meant to be winning over! Lauren knows she isn’t appearing on Hopelessly Devoted for the right reasons—she’s more interested in using the show’s visibility to grow her brand as an influencer than in finding a boyfriend. The truth is that she’s not even romantically interested in men, but somehow, she’s securing herself a spot on the show week after week—and getting ever closer to earning a proposal from Josh Rosen, the season’s Hopeless Romantic. While Krystin and Lauren aren’t really sure what they want to get out of this experience, they both know it’s becoming increasingly difficult to ignore their growing feelings for each other. Paulsen and Wang have co-authored a romance that tackles the world of reality competition shows honestly without becoming too cynical about the behind-the-scenes experience. Through Krystin and Lauren’s evolving relationship, which brims over with chemistry; the two women’s individual journeys to exploring their identities; and a fearlessness in introducing morally complex characters, this debut contributes bold new aspects to the romance genre while embracing that all-important happily-ever-after.
A charming contemporary romance that doesn’t shy away from tackling big issues.Pub Date: May 21, 2024
ISBN: 9781639107094
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Alcove Press
Review Posted Online: March 23, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2024
With captivating dialogue, angst-y characters, and a couple of steamy sex scenes, Hoover has done it again.
After being released from prison, a young woman tries to reconnect with her 5-year-old daughter despite having killed the girl’s father.
Kenna didn’t even know she was pregnant until after she was sent to prison for murdering her boyfriend, Scotty. When her baby girl, Diem, was born, she was forced to give custody to Scotty’s parents. Now that she’s been released, Kenna is intent on getting to know her daughter, but Scotty’s parents won’t give her a chance to tell them what really happened the night their son died. Instead, they file a restraining order preventing Kenna from so much as introducing herself to Diem. Handsome, self-assured Ledger, who was Scotty’s best friend, is another key adult in Diem’s life. He’s helping her grandparents raise her, and he too blames Kenna for Scotty’s death. Even so, there’s something about her that haunts him. Kenna feels the pull, too, and seems to be seeking Ledger out despite his judgmental behavior. As Ledger gets to know Kenna and acknowledges his attraction to her, he begins to wonder if maybe he and Scotty’s parents have judged her unfairly. Even so, Ledger is afraid that if he surrenders to his feelings, Scotty’s parents will kick him out of Diem’s life. As Kenna and Ledger continue to mourn for Scotty, they also grieve the future they cannot have with each other. Told alternatively from Kenna’s and Ledger’s perspectives, the story explores the myriad ways in which snap judgments based on partial information can derail people’s lives. Built on a foundation of death and grief, this story has an undercurrent of sadness. As usual, however, the author has created compelling characters who are magnetic and sympathetic enough to pull readers in. In addition to grief, the novel also deftly explores complex issues such as guilt, self-doubt, redemption, and forgiveness.
With captivating dialogue, angst-y characters, and a couple of steamy sex scenes, Hoover has done it again.Pub Date: Jan. 18, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-5420-2560-7
Page Count: 335
Publisher: Montlake Romance
Review Posted Online: Oct. 12, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2021
SEEN & HEARD
BOOK TO SCREEN
BOOK TO SCREEN
A book that will wolfishly appeal to the most heated fans of omegaverse erotica.
Tess Covington is a talented, successful contractor who just learned that she’s a late-in-life omega wolf shifter. Her new boss, surly innkeeper Hunter Barrett, is an alpha who’s opposed to the remodeling she’s there to do.
Tess hasn’t made it public that she’s being considered for her own HGTV makeover show, but she runs her career like a well-oiled machine. She posts a lot of her remodels on social media, granting her a certain level of celebrity, and leans on her brothers to help run the business she took over after a stroke made it impossible for her father to keep working. Hunter’s last serious relationship with an omega 10 years ago left him deeply wounded, ending when his parents were killed in a car accident and he moved back home to take care of their lodge—hence his resistance to change. With few exceptions, Tess keeps her newly diagnosed omega status to herself. Unfortunately, as an alpha, Hunter sniffs her out and seems to be the only person capable of helping her with her sudden heats, so there’s a lot of very smutty caretaking. The specificity of omegaverse hierarchy might be new to some readers, but Ferguson’s worldbuilding is quick, easy, and deeply horny. General romance readers might enjoy the grumpy-meets-sunshine and stranded-in-a-snowstorm tropes, although for a book about shifters, the characters spend surprisingly little time in wolf form. There’s not much danger of character development or surprising plot elements here, but for fans excited to read about animalistic mating, that might be enough.
A book that will wolfishly appeal to the most heated fans of omegaverse erotica.Pub Date: Dec. 2, 2025
ISBN: 9780593953693
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Berkley
Review Posted Online: Oct. 25, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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