A flimsy take on the second-chance romance trope.
Old passions—and problems—resurface for Rachel Dang at her 20 year high school reunion.
Rachel has spent the past 11 years of her life focusing solely on her work at Los Angeles–based streaming service FreeStream, to the detriment of her personal life. So, when she’s unceremoniously laid off, she’s sent into a tailspin. Single and childless, she still lives with a roommate—her high school best friend, actress Natalie Huang—and has now been relegated to a temporary gig as Nat’s personal assistant in order to pay rent. Floundering is a new feeling for Rachel; a go-getter in high school, she was voted Most Likely to Succeed, and imagined she’d have her life figured out by now. When she receives an invitation to her class reunion from Danny Phan, a former frenemy and secret crush, she realizes it was in high school that she last felt truly accomplished. She decides to attend the reunion, hoping to relive a little of her glory days—and see Danny again. As Rachel and Danny get reacquainted throughout the night, deal with a series of ridiculous mishaps, and rehash the misunderstandings that led to the dissolution of their friendship, they might have a chance to turn a night of reminiscing into romance. Rachel is a relatable character whose career setbacks, relationship letdowns, and general inability to reach society’s predetermined adult milestones will endear her to many readers. But the romance between Rachel and Danny feels forced, manufactured from interstitial flashbacks consisting largely of online chats and study sessions from their high school days that don’t contain the on-page chemistry necessary to build real investment in their adult reconnection. The present-day plot also leans heavily on misadventure and mayhem, to the detriment of building true tension.
A flimsy take on the second-chance romance trope.Pub Date: Feb. 18, 2025
ISBN: 9780063245235
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Avon/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Nov. 23, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2025
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.
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