An offbeat and well paced account of a relationship in youth and adulthood.
Ingram offers a romantic novel about former young lovers turned political rivals.
It’s June 2021 and Democrat Tess Murphy, a career public servant, is campaigning to become the governor of Virginia. Her Republican opponent is wealthy hedge fund manager Grant Alexander. As it happens, Tess and Grant know each other quite well. Back in 1996, Tess’ mother got a job managing the country estate of lobbyist Madeline Milton. Tess was 17 at the time and eager for something to do for the summer. She wound up assisting Madeline’s neighbor, Kay Alexander, with her garden; Kay’s teenage son Grant happened to be around, and a summer relationship took shape, despite Tess and Grant having little in common. Grant, with his boarding school education and wealthy, commandeering father, came from money; Tess, by contrast, witnessed firsthand her mother’s constant struggles to make ends meet. In 2021, Tess and Grant are both married to other people, so it’s apparent that their teen relationship did not last. So what happened all those years ago—and what does this now mean for the commonwealth of Virginia? Ingram’s narrative alternates time periods, as well as narrators: Roughly a third of the way through the novel, the perspective shifts from Tess’ side of the story to Grant’s, before later shifting back again. It’s an altogether enticing setup. As more people in 2021 learn of Tess and Grant’s past, the uncertainty and suspense enjoyably builds. Likewise, there’s much more to discover about the characters’ early days than readers might initially expect. Along the way, the characters speak directly to the reader, as well as to each other; as a result, they sometimes blandly state their feelings, rather than showing them through action: “Everything about him infuriates me,” says Grant about his father. Yet, for career politicians, Tess and Grant are rather likable figures and readers will find themselves engaged by their stories.
An offbeat and well paced account of a relationship in youth and adulthood.Pub Date: June 3, 2025
ISBN: 9798989923052
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Zibby Books
Review Posted Online: April 30, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2025
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
