An engaging tale that shows how thin the line between love and hate really is.
Sworn enemies down on their luck realize they might not be so different in this romantic comedy.
In this genre, tropes reign supreme. The tension of the love story is not if the two leads will get together, but how. Sarah Webb and Brian Hawkins have been nemeses for years, since Sarah became best friends with Jess, Brian’s sister, in college. Now in their mid- and late-20s, both Sarah and Brian find themselves on the receiving end of proposals, she from her surgeon boyfriend, Tyler Ackerman, and he from his girlfriend, Hannah Abbott-Thorne (who appears in one of Dembowski’s previous books). Both reject the proposals and end up holed up in Jess’ guest bedroom while they sort out their next moves. Like many supposed enemies, they bicker, especially when it comes to who will get the bedroom—all the while tamping down their mutual attraction: “His eyes widened as he took her in…urging his nether regions to calm the fuck down”; “Not that Brian himself had ever given her an orgasm, but the dream version of him certainly had.” Then a work gala for the nonprofit that Sarah works for requires a date to avoid humiliation by Tyler, who’s bringing a model. Sarah’s choice of Brian as her escort proves fortuitous; they make a great impression and leave Tyler seething with jealousy. They also kiss, but Sarah, believing her friendship with Jess is at stake, puts a pin in it. Thus begins the book’s middle section of mounting tension and red herrings as other potential partners and distractions skillfully enter the picture. Additional threads keep the protagonists busy, such as Brian’s desire to return to New York City and Sarah’s still having to work with Tyler. Each of the leads has some humanizing quirks—Brian loves the Star Wars saga and Sarah adores Zumba classes—but neither character feels particularly unique. Still, for fans of more adult romances, Dembowski ensures the intimate scenes hit their marks. The author believably conveys two people who ultimately care deeply about each other.
An engaging tale that shows how thin the line between love and hate really is.Pub Date: July 18, 2023
ISBN: 9781958231197
Page Count: 310
Publisher: Red Adept Publishing
Review Posted Online: June 27, 2023
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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 thoughtful and pensive tale with intelligent characters and a satisfying romance.
A promise to his best friend leads an Army serviceman to a family in need and a chance at true love in this novel.
Beckett Gentry is surprised when his Army buddy Ryan MacKenzie gives him a letter from Ryan’s sister, Ella. Abandoned by his mother, Beckett grew up in a series of foster homes. He is wary of attachments until he reads Ella’s letter. A single mother, Ella lives with her twins, Maisie and Colt, at Solitude, the resort she operates in Telluride, Colorado. They begin a correspondence, although Beckett can only identify himself by his call sign, Chaos. After Ryan’s death during a mission, Beckett travels to Telluride as his friend had requested. He bonds with the twins while falling deeply in love with Ella. Reluctant to reveal details of Ryan’s death and risk causing her pain, Beckett declines to disclose to Ella that he is Chaos. Maisie needs treatment for neuroblastoma, and Beckett formally adopts the twins as a sign of his commitment to support Ella and her children. He and Ella pursue a romance, but when an insurance investigator questions the adoption, Beckett is faced with revealing the truth about the letters and Ryan’s death, risking losing the family he loves. Yarros’ (Wilder, 2016, etc.) novel is a deeply felt and emotionally nuanced contemporary romance bolstered by well-drawn characters and strong, confident storytelling. Beckett and Ella are sympathetic protagonists whose past experiences leave them cautious when it comes to love. Beckett never knew the security of a stable home life. Ella impulsively married her high school boyfriend, but the marriage ended when he discovered she was pregnant. The author is especially adept at developing the characters through subtle but significant details, like Beckett’s aversion to swearing. Beckett and Ella’s romance unfolds slowly in chapters that alternate between their first-person viewpoints. The letters they exchanged are pivotal to their connection, and almost every chapter opens with one. Yarros’ writing is crisp and sharp, with passages that are poetic without being florid. For example, in a letter to Beckett, Ella writes of motherhood: “But I’m not the center of their universe. I’m more like their gravity.” While the love story is the book’s focus, the subplot involving Maisie’s illness is equally well-developed, and the link between Beckett and the twins is heartfelt and sincere.
A thoughtful and pensive tale with intelligent characters and a satisfying romance.Pub Date: Feb. 26, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-64063-533-3
Page Count: 432
Publisher: Entangled: Amara
Review Posted Online: Jan. 2, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2019
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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