A cute, quick escapist read.
When a marketing executive for a winery returns home for the wedding of two childhood friends, her carefully planned life is turned upside down in Vido’s romance novel.
Delaney Huger is running late—a last-minute phone call from her boss delayed her departure. She has already missed the sunset wedding ceremony on the beach; she slips into the reception tent and meets up with her younger sister, Haven, who leads her to the singles table. Delaney grew up on the island and knows most of the attendees, but across the table is an attractive new man, Luke Sullivan, who, she learns, is Gull Island’s most eligible single dad. Luke arrived at the island a year ago and runs a burgeoning charter business, Sullivan’s Lark. But Delaney now lives in Virginia, is visiting for only 48 hours, and has an on-again off-again attorney boyfriend back home, so she dismisses any idea of getting into a relationship with the admittedly handsome newcomer (although “She had to admit this hunky, self-assured guy’s entrepreneurial spirit piqued her interest”). Delaney and Haven are co-owners of a wine shop on the island called Wine Haven. When Delaney learns that their business is in serious need of her marketing expertise, her plans to leave change, jeopardizing her position as marketing director at an award-winning winery in Virginia—and so the fun begins. Haven entices Luke to include the charcuterie boards, as well as tackle boxes filled with finger food, as an up-charged extra to his charters, adding the intrigue and creativity of a new business venture to the drama of a potential Luke/Delaney romantic relationship. This is Vido’s third entry in her Gull Island series, and her simple, conversational prose deftly captures the evocative atmospherics of life on the small, Lowcountry island off the coast of South Carolina—the salty sea breezes, the old lighthouse, Southern comfort food, the few sun-basking alligators. Although there are few surprises in narrative’s trajectory, there are enough miscommunications, jealousy, and self-doubts to keep Luke and Delaney off balance and readers engaged.
A cute, quick escapist read.Pub Date: Jan. 26, 2026
ISBN: 9781509264216
Page Count: 280
Publisher: Wild Rose Press
Review Posted Online: Dec. 15, 2025
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
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
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
