An appealing historical romance with enchanting touches.
A Gilded Age grifter makes good, eventually.
Josie Smith does what she needs to get by, after having been abandoned as an infant and raised at the Boston Children’s Asylum. She takes care of herself and her best friend and looks for every opportunity to sing, in the hopes that her extraordinary talent might make her famous someday. And indeed, singing on the street does bring attention her way, but it’s from one of Boston’s many con men: Leo Hardy. His father died after having been unfairly accused by the wealthy Pendelton family of having kidnapped their baby, and now he’ll do anything to keep his mother and sisters off the streets. When the desperate Leo hears Josie sing, he’s immediately drawn to her voice, and then, when he realizes she has an uncanny resemblance to the lost Pendelton child, he puts together a swindle that could make them both rich. Leo convinces Josie to let him be her manager, then insists on taking her to New York City to audition for her big break; unbeknownst to her, he’s also plotting to get her near the Pendeltons, in the hopes they’ll believe she’s their daughter and he can collect the reward for finding her. Neither of them counts on what will happen when their purposely platonic relationship starts to heat up in the middle of Central Park, or what else will happen after the Pendeltons finally learn about Josie. Shupe’s newest Gilded Age romance builds on the framework of the movie Anastasia, which is a good match for the extreme inequality of the era. This inspiration explains the fantastical nature of the story; though Shupe includes the historical details that always set her romances apart, and it’s not her first time adapting a fairy tale, it becomes hard to suspend disbelief at certain points. Her writing is as saucy and spicy as ever, however, and combined with some thoughtful consideration of class and wealth in the era, Shupe’s fans will find much to enjoy.
An appealing historical romance with enchanting touches.Pub Date: Aug. 26, 2025
ISBN: 9780063310315
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Avon/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Dec. 12, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2025
A powerfully strong romance for readers who like their love stories full of torment and passion.
Best friends confront feelings for each other when they take a honeymoon trip together.
Francesca Gardiner and George Saint James have always been best friends—just like Jo and Laurie from Little Women, which they both love. Frankie has a big, complicated family and George was the boy next door who’d moved in with his eccentric grandmother. Their friendship survived childhood, awkward teenage years, and living together as young adults without ever venturing into the romantic—well, except for one kiss, but they don’t talk about that. When Frankie gets engaged to an older professor named Nate, George isn’t happy and a huge fight ensues. Despite his misgivings, George shows up to be her best man, but Nate leaves Frankie right before the wedding with only a cryptic letter. Devastated, Frankie goes to a friend’s house to recuperate, but her honeymoon is already planned and paid for—so she decides to travel to Tofino, a picturesque town on the coast of Vancouver Island, with George taking Nate’s place. Frankie wants to fix her friendship with George, but now that they’re in a romantic suite in a beautiful location, things are more complicated than ever. She’d always thought a relationship would be a bad idea, but she’s slowly beginning to realize they’ll never be able to go back to being kids. Maybe the only way forward involves forging a new kind of relationship. Fortune, the author of romances like This Summer Will Be Different (2024), returns with another love story full of longing and intense angst. The many allusions to Little Women are charming, and Frankie is a delightfully headstrong, feisty character. She and George have explosive chemistry, and Fortune manages to make the “will-they-or-won’t-they” nature of their relationship feel like life-or-death stakes.
A powerfully strong romance for readers who like their love stories full of torment and passion.Pub Date: May 5, 2026
ISBN: 9780593953242
Page Count: 432
Publisher: Berkley
Review Posted Online: Feb. 2, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2026
BOOK REVIEW
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
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