An engaging, lighthearted novel likely to appeal to all romance readers.
A straight-laced New York businesswoman inherits half of a sex-toy shop in Portland, Oregon, from her free-spirited aunt.
Cade Elgin seems downright conservative to her artistic family. Her parents own one of New York’s most famous art galleries, and although Cade has an eye for discovering new artists, she spends most of her time managing the business side of things. After her Aunt Ruth’s funeral, Cade learns she has inherited half of her quirky aunt’s sex-toy shop, Satisfaction Guaranteed. The other half was left to Selena Mathis, Ruth’s friend and tenant. The shop is in dire financial straits, and even though she knows it’s a lost cause, Cade agrees to work with Selena to try to turn it around. Cade has never had much luck with girlfriends or sex, so she finds Selena’s sensuality and playfulness hard to resist. Meanwhile, Selena admires Cade’s easy confidence and calm demeanor. Selena has her own personal struggles with ex-lover Alex, who wants to get back with Selena after finally leaving her husband. Alex was one of her professors, and after their affair ended, Selena dropped out of art school and burned all her paintings. Determined to stay celibate until she straightens out her life, Selena tries to avoid her strong attraction to Cade while dodging Alex’s high-pressure push to reconcile. Cade and Selena are likable characters in a sticky situation, and they respect each other’s faults and foibles. Cade learns to let loose while Selena rediscovers her love of painting. Much of the novel’s humor derives from the differences between Cade and Selena, but Stetz-Waters never makes either of them the butt of the joke. It’s a truly funny rom-com that’s full of heat and heart.
An engaging, lighthearted novel likely to appeal to all romance readers.Pub Date: June 1, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-5387-3552-7
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Forever
Review Posted Online: April 13, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2021
A romance that could have used significant rethinking.
Childhood friends, almost-sweethearts, a misunderstanding, and a funeral.
Blair Lang and Declan Renshaw were best friends who went on one date before a disagreement and an accident sent them in different directions after high school. Now Blair is back from college to be with her great-aunt Lottie, who’s dying, and to support her single mother in small-town Seabrook, California. Finding a job at a coffee shop puts her in the path of her former boyfriend, since he turns out to be its owner. Can the two get past their mistakes? The novel uses the popular second-chance romance trope, but Pham fails to energize it through interesting characters. Blair’s grief over her great-aunt’s death and her plan to help her mother are overshadowed by internal monologues about her feelings, the way her friends aren’t paying attention to her, and the novel she plans to write. Declan’s distinguishing characteristic, besides being a former high school quarterback, is his skill at building birdhouses. Unsurprisingly, the couple doesn’t have much chemistry; when they embrace, their “bodies meld like…memory foam.” The wooden characters, unusual word choices (“conglomerate of pedestrians,” “litany of plants”), and odd turns of phrase (“tension melting from his eyebrows like butter melting in a warm pan”) are almost enough to obscure the lack of plot development. What passes for stakes is easily defused when Blair comes into an inheritance that saves her from working as a consultant at Ernst & Young in New York—so she can write a romance novel.
A romance that could have used significant rethinking.Pub Date: March 3, 2026
ISBN: 9781668095188
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Atria
Review Posted Online: Feb. 16, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2026
A deep and moving portrayal of first love.
Two college students rekindle their relationship as they unravel the truth behind their breakup.
On the outside, college senior Bennett Reiner has it all. A goalie for Waterfell University’s hockey team, he lives with a group of friends in a luxurious off-campus house. He and his best friend, Rhys Koteskiy, have fathers who are retired hockey legends. But on the inside, he’s falling apart. Struggling with OCD, a shaky friendship with Rhys, and second thoughts about pursuing a future in hockey, the only thing keeping Bennett afloat is also the one thing breaking his heart: Paloma Blake. All dyed-hair and attitude, Paloma has built a bad reputation on the hockey scene since their relationship ended freshman year—but Bennett knows the real P. Underneath her promiscuous facade lies a scared and lonely girl running from a childhood of abuse. When they were together, it seemed like their romance was perfect, until Paloma broke it off without warning. Since then, Bennett has run to Paloma’s side whenever she needed him, whether she was drunk, lonely, or hurting, and now he’s determined to win her back. For Bennett, Paloma is his antidote, the cure for his compulsions; for Paloma, Bennett is her protector, her safe space. And though Paloma yearns to be with Bennett again, she’s not sure she’s willing to open old wounds and reveal the truth about her painful past. In the third installment of the Undone series, Corinne spotlights familiar characters as they navigate trauma, heartbreak, and first love. Bennett and Paloma’s relationship is raw and vulnerable, and their journey of relinquishing control is both necessary and inevitable. Their romance evolves as they open up to one another, and in return, the reader is rewarded with a love story that’s as lyrical, evocative, and emotional as poetry.
A deep and moving portrayal of first love.Pub Date: April 7, 2026
ISBN: 9781668219423
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Atria
Review Posted Online: Dec. 26, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2026
BOOK REVIEW
© 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.
