This wickedly entertaining debut fully embraces every bit of its own magic.
When a woman makes a bargain with a demon to save her family, she gets pulled into an even greater fight for survival.
Eda Shaw and her brothers have made a living by arranging illegal Pacts between humans and demons in which desperate citizens of Blackbridge agree to trade years of their lives for the fulfillment of their deepest desires. The Shaws themselves will be bound to a demon known as Mr. Night until they’ve delivered the required number of years from other people. In an act of desperation, Eda attempts to orchestrate a Pact of her own, but the situation quickly goes awry, her brothers are arrested, and she’s forced to go on the run. Freeing her brothers is Eda’s priority, but she won’t be able to get anywhere near their prison without help. Enter Kit’rath, a demon who’s been living by his own rules in Blackbridge and has no intention of getting pulled into someone else’s problems. When Eda approaches him to make a Pact, though, he forges a reluctant agreement with her. As the two race against the clock to save Eda’s family before they’re executed, their journey takes them into the darkest corners of the city, unearthing their individual vulnerabilities and forcing Eda to realize that a demon might be one of the most human individuals she’s ever met. Plumb’s romantasy debut has significantly sharper edges than are often found in the genre, and it embraces darker, more violent elements, especially as the narrative gradually adopts even bigger stakes once the conflict between demons and humans emerges from the shadows. Eda and Kit’s evolution from unwilling allies to romantic partners is the book’s beating heart; they have chemistry that sizzles on the page before ultimately giving way to even more emotional depth. While the story satisfyingly wraps up almost every loose end, there’s enough potential left in this rich world that a sequel would be welcome.
This wickedly entertaining debut fully embraces every bit of its own magic.Pub Date: Oct. 6, 2026
ISBN: 9798217239689
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Berkley XO
Review Posted Online: May 18, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2026
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 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
SEEN & HEARD
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