A poignant love story with a satisfying mix of thoughtfulness and humor.
A corporate executive reconnects with her family and finds an unexpected chance at love in Bass’ contemporary romance.
At 58, Elizabeth “Beth” Rhinehart, the Chicago-based CFO of a Fortune 500 company, should be basking in the rewards of her success; instead, she’s in the throes of a major midlife crisis. In need of a change, Beth resigns from her company, sells her luxurious penthouse, and returns to her family’s Cape Cod home to help her sister Katherine (“KK”) navigate a series of crises, including the sudden death of her best friend, Chickie Madeira. She even finds a renewed sense of purpose as a part-time school crossing guard as she connects with students from all walks of life, including Priya Deshmukh, a star student intent on pursuing an Ivy League education, and Malachy Doyle, a fifth grader from a troubled family. It’s in her capacity as crossing guard that Beth catches the eye of police chief Mike Ponce, a childhood acquaintance. As Beth becomes an integral part of the community, an attraction grows between her and Mike, although both are wary of romance after past failed relationships. When tragedy strikes, Beth and Mike must reevaluate their places in the community—and in each other’s lives. Bass’ novel is a sharply written sequel to her Happy Hour (2024) replete with well-developed characters and incisive writing that smoothly alternates between Beth’s and Mike’s perspectives as they process their unexpected romance. Beth loves poetry, and the author skillfully includes quotes from poets like Robert Frost and William Carlos Williams to emphasize key moments in the story. Bass’ writing offers a striking balance of humor and insight (“After decades of therapy, it took nine months of working as a school crossing guard to figure out what I needed”). Underlying the novel’s briskly paced narrative is a deeply empathetic exploration of grief, loneliness, and the quiet struggles of children living on society’s margins. In Bass’ skilled hands, what could be a simple breezy romance becomes a tender portrait of a community and all of its joys and sorrows.
A poignant love story with a satisfying mix of thoughtfulness and humor.Pub Date: Sept. 2, 2025
ISBN: 9781665783354
Page Count: 280
Publisher: Archway Publishing
Review Posted Online: Nov. 11, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2026
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
An extremely fun, fast-paced, and unusual addition to the marriage-in-trouble romance canon.
A marriage on the rocks gets a second chance—with a science-fiction twist.
Dr. Emery Martín is happily married to her husband Luca…mostly. She’s been madly in love with him since the moment they met, but in the three years they’ve been wed, she hasn’t been able to focus much on him. To the world—including Luca—Emery’s job involves developing medical-grade lasers. In reality, she works at a supersecret San Diego lab that’s engineering a compound to bring mammals back from the dead. Although Emery doesn’t want to admit it, she can tell that Luca feels pushed aside, but she believes so deeply in her work that she has a hard time leaving the lab. When Emery is late for dinner—yet again—on their anniversary, she rushes home only to see Luca get hit by a car. She has the secret compound in her car, and she knows she could get in major trouble if she uses it—but what’s she supposed to do, not save her husband’s life? The compound has only been tested on animals so far, and there’s no guarantee it will even work for humans. It does, though, and Luca comes back to life—with one small caveat. He can’t remember most things, including his marriage to Emery. After almost losing Luca, Emery is now grateful for what she has, and she’s determined to show him that she can be a better, more attentive partner. While Luca may not remember her, their magnetic chemistry is still there. This may be the do-over they needed to save their marriage—that is, if Emery can keep the life-reviving measures she took hidden from everyone around them, including nosy neighbors and her own company. Lauren—the pen name of the duo behind rom-coms like The Paradise Problem (2024)—has created a unique hook that feels genuinely refreshing. Emery and Luca’s unconventional second chance is emotionally compelling, and the slight thriller edge as Emery tries to cover up her actions keeps the pages turning.
An extremely fun, fast-paced, and unusual addition to the marriage-in-trouble romance canon.Pub Date: July 14, 2026
ISBN: 9781668017753
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Gallery Books/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: April 6, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2026
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
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