A spunky romance that may delight Brontë fans if they can ignore several cringeworthy elements.
When a Brontë-loving English professor moves back to her hometown with hopes of identifying an anonymous romance novelist, the last thing she expected was to end up working at her ex-boyfriend’s cafe.
“Publish or perish” is the unfortunate term for assistant professor Athena Murphy's current predicament. After a meltdown at work forces Athena into a probationary sabbatical, she has until the end of the semester to submit a groundbreaking book for tenure, or she can bid her academic career at San Francisco’s Wyatt College farewell. Determined as any laudable Jane Eyre or Catherine Earnshaw would be, Athena treks back to her farming hometown in hopes of writing a biography about Laurel, Illinois’ very own celebrity: the elusive C.L. Garland, a pseudonymous bestselling author known for spinning well-known classics into page-turning erotica. In the meantime, Athena hopes to spy on any potential Garlands by working at a family friend’s coffee shop only to find that the store has been transformed into the As You Like It Café and bought by none other than her hero-slash-heartbreaker ex-boyfriend, Thorne Kent. College sweetheart and fellow English major Thorne embodied all of Athena's fantasies of her “one true love,” and despite lacking any darkly handsome or brooding qualities, he was her Heathcliff…until he inexplicably broke her heart three years ago. Can Athena navigate her still-simmering relationship with Thorne and uncover Laurel’s best-kept secret in time to save her job, or will her happily-ever-after remain unwritten? Sereno’s novel is witty and entertaining, and fans of the Brontë sisters will undoubtedly appreciate the fun she has nodding to their books. There is, however, some awkward writing (“horny in the morny”; “saucy damsel”), constant discussion of Thena’s “bounteous” and hip-swaying curves, and an array of questionable moments, like the mayor’s barely protested public auction of a "night on the town" with Athena at the community's Oktoberfest.
A spunky romance that may delight Brontë fans if they can ignore several cringeworthy elements.Pub Date: May 3, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-5387-2143-8
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Forever
Review Posted Online: March 1, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
A powerfully strong romance for readers who like their love stories full of torment and passion.
Best friends confront feelings for each other when they take a honeymoon trip together.
Francesca Gardiner and George Saint James have always been best friends—just like Jo and Laurie from Little Women, which they both love. Frankie has a big, complicated family and George was the boy next door who’d moved in with his eccentric grandmother. Their friendship survived childhood, awkward teenage years, and living together as young adults without ever venturing into the romantic—well, except for one kiss, but they don’t talk about that. When Frankie gets engaged to an older professor named Nate, George isn’t happy and a huge fight ensues. Despite his misgivings, George shows up to be her best man, but Nate leaves Frankie right before the wedding with only a cryptic letter. Devastated, Frankie goes to a friend’s house to recuperate, but her honeymoon is already planned and paid for—so she decides to travel to Tofino, a picturesque town on the coast of Vancouver Island, with George taking Nate’s place. Frankie wants to fix her friendship with George, but now that they’re in a romantic suite in a beautiful location, things are more complicated than ever. She’d always thought a relationship would be a bad idea, but she’s slowly beginning to realize they’ll never be able to go back to being kids. Maybe the only way forward involves forging a new kind of relationship. Fortune, the author of romances like This Summer Will Be Different (2024), returns with another love story full of longing and intense angst. The many allusions to Little Women are charming, and Frankie is a delightfully headstrong, feisty character. She and George have explosive chemistry, and Fortune manages to make the “will-they-or-won’t-they” nature of their relationship feel like life-or-death stakes.
A powerfully strong romance for readers who like their love stories full of torment and passion.Pub Date: May 5, 2026
ISBN: 9780593953242
Page Count: 432
Publisher: Berkley
Review Posted Online: Feb. 2, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2026
BOOK REVIEW
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
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