A suspenseful, erotic romance that’s hard to put down.
In Cove’s spicy romance novel, love blooms between an elite corporate consultant and one of her new clients: an assassin.
Eden Abbott is a young, highly skilled consultant who facilitates the growth of tech companies by helping their employees feel happier and more comfortable. She’s proud of her work and her success, but everything changes when she finds out that the company she works for is selling information about people, which is both illegal and immoral. Eden blows the whistle on the wrongdoing and instantly becomes a pariah. She thinks her life as she knows it is over, and fears that she might be in physical danger as well. Then she receives an offer from the FBI: They want to hire her to run human relations for PALADIN, an independent group of black-ops assassins who operate outside the law to find and kill criminals (“law enforcement and government agencies have some limitations, and that’s why they call upon us”). Chandler Janey, alias “Linc,” was recruited into PALADIN at the age of 16; now, Linc is notoriously lethal in his work, even among his PALADIN friends. He doesn’t consider himself fit for any kind of relationship, much less love. But when Eden shows up to PALADIN, he can’t take his eyes off her—she’s smart, beautiful, and capable, yet innocent; she’s never seen anyone being tortured and assassinated, much less done it herself. Eden, for her part, is immediately attracted to Linc. He’s a “big, bad wolf” on the outside, but gentle and kind on the inside. The central romance is convincing and appealing, even when the plot and writing go a little bit over the top. The sex is all enthusiastic and consensual, and it’s easy to see why Eden and Linc fall for each other. Eden sometimes seems to carry a sense of trauma with her that the book doesn’t explore—she sees simple acts of kindness and reciprocity as signs of Linc’s unique specialness. Although Linc is an excellent, truly loving match for Eden, it might’ve been nice for Eden to ask for more for herself. Linc seems like he’d be happy to provide.
A suspenseful, erotic romance that’s hard to put down.Pub Date: June 23, 2026
ISBN: 9781964264547
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Page & Vine
Review Posted Online: Feb. 20, 2026
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
A particularly nasty villain heightens the stakes in this thriller about a woman learning how to be her own hero.
An author is targeted by a fan who just can’t let her go.
Arden Bowie has had plenty of tragedy in her life, but now she’s finally on top. After her parents died when she was a teenager, she moved from Brooklyn to Ohio to live with her aunt, uncle, and cousins. She soon became part of their loving family and grew up to become a writer and bookseller. When her debut novel is published, she meets Dustin Dubecki at her first event. He showers her with praise, asks for writing advice, and wants to take her out for coffee. Arden tells herself he’s just a little awkward, but then he keeps showing up at her local events—and, even stranger, she’s sure she sees him lurking at her event in New York City. When he bursts into her apartment one night and assaults her, Arden’s calm life is shattered. Dustin gets a five-year sentence at a psychiatric facility; Arden spends most of that time rebuilding her sense of stability. Eventually, she moves to Oregon to start a new life where Dustin can never find her. But even though she has a beautiful home, a thriving career, a doting family, new friends, and even a potential love interest in a former cop named Gideon Riley, Arden can’t escape Dustin’s rage when his sentence is finally up. Roberts toggles between Arden’s point of view and Dustin’s, giving the reader occasional glimpses into his extremely twisted mindset. Although Arden’s attempts to escape Dustin are engrossing, the story stalls in the middle when far too many pages are dedicated to Arden purchasing and decorating a house. But the excitement picks back up when Dustin, a truly odious villain, re-enters the story. It’s also satisfying to see Arden grow into someone who refuses to be a victim, even as she deals with horrifying circumstances.
A particularly nasty villain heightens the stakes in this thriller about a woman learning how to be her own hero.Pub Date: May 26, 2026
ISBN: 9781250413581
Page Count: 432
Publisher: St. Martin's
Review Posted Online: April 20, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2026
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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