An intoxicating romance with a strong lead.
The new CEO of a winery seeks to prove herself to her co-owner brother but fears her carefully crafted professionalism may crumble after she has a one-night stand with a new employee.
Since 34-year-old Margot Noble inherited half of her uncle Stan’s winery three years ago, she has been determined to prove her worth in the family business. After overhearing her brother, Elliot, say she didn't deserve her share of Noble Family Vineyards, she quit her marketing job and headed to Napa with a mission. With Elliot’s decadelong experience as a winemaker, Margot must work extra hard on the business side to prove her worth. Still, her competence as CEO doesn’t prevent Elliot from making decisions without her, like when he hires a new employee for the tasting room without consulting Margot first. Desperately in need of a vacation and a drink after confronting Elliot, Margot finds solace at The Barrel, her best friend Sydney’s bar. There, Sydney dares Margot to strike up a conversation with a handsome younger man. His name is Luke Williams, and he's a former software engineer who’s only temporarily in Napa to help his friend Avery get over a nasty breakup. One thing leads to another, and Margot and Luke spend a passionate night (and morning!) together. At work the next day, Margot is more than content to daydream about her memories with Luke…until he walks into her office as the winery’s new hire. Suddenly, Margot and Luke must navigate a relationship where Margot is Luke’s boss—a position she doesn’t have the luxury to jeopardize—while they try to deny feelings for one another that prove stronger than any wine. Guillory’s latest romance is bursting with mouthwatering sexual tension and desire: “But now he had to work under Margot Noble, while all the time thinking about what it had been like to be literally under Margot Noble.” Despite plenty of moments overrun with miscommunication, Margot is a powerful protagonist, and her dedication to her career, despite the numerous challenges, is absolutely refreshing.
An intoxicating romance with a strong lead.Pub Date: Sept. 20, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-593-10088-2
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Berkley
Review Posted Online: June 21, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2022
SEEN & HEARD
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
SEEN & HEARD
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