A sweet faux suitor romance between two scientist friends who find a new passion in one another.
Frothy first in a series of historical romances inspired by classic 1980s teen movies.
In this Regency romance with a decidedly modern feel, Leigh (Dare To Love a Duke, 2018, etc.) pairs the bluestocking daughter of an earl with a bookish commoner. Lady Grace Wyatt is a scientist, content studying reptiles and amphibians until her ailing father begs her to find a husband. She has a man in mind: handsome, charming Mason Fredericks, a naturalist whose viscount father generously bankrolls his research. Alas, Grace’s womanly virtues are lost on Mason, so she enlists the help of anthropologist Sebastian Holloway to generate some attention-getting buzz. Seb finds it all too easy to “pretend” to be infatuated with the confident, intelligent, and lovely Grace, but, in a gender-swapped Pygmalion, he needs lessons in etiquette before anyone will believe he is a serious rival. As he puts it, “I’m just a tongue-tied scholar in scuffed boots. The idea that anyone could mistake me for a suave man about town is ludicrous.” Grace and Seb show off their fauxmance at the usual Regency romance haunts, growing closer every day. The friends-to-lovers plot always requires a certain obliviousness, but both protagonists are ignorant to a credibility-stretching degree. Otherwise, Grace and Seb are delightful together, and Seb is a breath of non-alpha-hero fresh air. When the dashing Duke of Rotherby, Seb’s boarding school chum, arrives to impart some roguish lessons, he almost ends up outshining his pupil. Luckily, his book is next in The Union of the Rakes. Should be satisfying for readers of Courtney Milan and Tessa Dare.
A sweet faux suitor romance between two scientist friends who find a new passion in one another.Pub Date: Nov. 26, 2019
ISBN: 978-0-06-293240-2
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Avon/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Sept. 29, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2019
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A well-written but not especially engaging entry in London’s contemporary cowboy series.
In Book 3 of the Princes of Texas series (The Devil in the Saddle, 2019, etc.), a restless rancher is torn between the family business and bigger dreams.
Nick Prince’s dreams of becoming a commercial airline pilot were dashed when he inherited the family’s struggling business, Saddlebush Land and Cattle Company, after his father’s death 18 months ago. Deeply unsatisfied with the cattle rancher life, Nick is grumpy and brooding. His capable office manager, Charlotte Bailey, is a bubbly extrovert who enjoys needling Nick over their differing organization styles and his general moodiness. Sexual tension simmers just below the surface of their banter ever since their steamy encounter at the company Christmas party two years ago. Nick tries to put Charlotte out of his mind so he can focus on fixing up the family finances and leaving for flight school, but neither can resist flirting. Charlotte is funny, loving, and adores their little town of Three Rivers. She likes her job and wants to settle down and start a family, but she knows Nick is not ready: “Why did it have to be so hot and tense between them when he was the one guy who would never be the man she wanted?” Eventually, they give in to their desires and spend more time together, but the central conflict remains. Nick’s dithering and complaining wear thin, but he is surrounded by a lively group of family and friends who offer advice he mostly ignores. An engaging subplot, especially one that foregrounds life on the ranch, might have generated more excitement.
A well-written but not especially engaging entry in London’s contemporary cowboy series.Pub Date: March 3, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-451-49239-5
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Jove/Penguin
Review Posted Online: Jan. 26, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2020
A strong debut that’s fun and funny, perfect for lovers of modern romantic comedies and light mysteries.
A young woman with amnesia must use social media to figure out who she is in this quirky mystery.
Mia wakes up in an LA hospital dressed in Prada and a tiara with a massive head wound and no idea who she is. The trauma of the injury has caused amnesia, and the doctor says time in familiar surroundings will help her remember. Unfortunately, the only reason she even knows her own name is because of her phone. Having retained a wide knowledge of pop culture and Twitter muscle memory but no clue about herself, she takes to her social media profiles to discover who she is. An Instagram photo of a house with the hashtag #homesweethome leads her to think she might be on the right track. Upon entering the house, however, she meets Max, a grad student who says he's housesitting for a French billionaire, not Mia. With Max at her side, Mia attempts to figure out what exactly is going on before she runs out of money or the true owner of the house comes back. Tschida’s debut shines in its prose, maintaining a light, chatty tone as Mia narrates her struggles, complete with footnotes when appropriate. Despite not knowing who she is, Mia has a strong personality that will endear her to the reader, who will worry for her as the plot twists and turns. The dynamic between Mia and Max is playful and fun, keeping the mood light even when things start getting darker. Tschida’s a deft hand at characterization and dialogue; characters jump off the page and interact in interesting ways. The mystery isn’t easily solved, and the journey to the solution is clever and enjoyable.
A strong debut that’s fun and funny, perfect for lovers of modern romantic comedies and light mysteries.Pub Date: May 5, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-68369-168-6
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Quirk Books
Review Posted Online: Feb. 9, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2020
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