Heavy themes and uneven pacing might surprise readers expecting a flirty rom-com.
An education professor falls in love with the consultant who holds the fate of her department in his hands.
Dr. Naya Turner is deeply fulfilled by her job as an education professor at Thurmond University in Chicago; unfortunately, her personal life is not so perfect. Three years earlier, she escaped an abusive relationship with a colleague who trashed her name and reputation in the university community, and she’s been trying to recover ever since. Naya is determined to put her fears behind her and, on a rare night out, meets a handsome man in town for a work trip and family wedding. Their bar flirtation turns into a weeklong, no-strings affair. Naya is euphoric at her own daring and delighted with her new lover, so she is crushed when she realizes that Jake has been hired by her university to evaluate which departments can be restructured or eliminated. Unable to resist her attraction to Jake, she continues seeing him even though she fears it’s a conflict of interest. Even more troubling, her ex is back on campus and has started to text her threatening messages that leave her feeling vulnerable and afraid. Williams’ debut is a strong character study of Naya, a deeply sympathetic character who is worried about her professional future and personal happiness. However, the pacing is off-kilter. Although big conflicts are introduced, they stay on the back burner for most of the book. Naya worries about her job, perseverates about her decision to date Jake, and ignores the rising threats from her ex, but she doesn’t take action until she has no other choice. Jake seems like a nice guy, but without his point of view, he’s a cipher with less clear motivations and feelings.
Heavy themes and uneven pacing might surprise readers expecting a flirty rom-com.Pub Date: Dec. 1, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-593-10190-2
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Berkley
Review Posted Online: Sept. 1, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2020
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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