A lighthearted romp for fans of romantic comedy about the benefits of working together for a community.
Residents of a small Georgia town compete for $10 million.
Waldon’s third romantic comedy is the first that doesn’t hinge on travel—the author works as a flight attendant—but it’s full of other popular rom-com tropes. There's a plucky small-town girl: Jessica Reid, a freelance book editor who gave up New York City to stay close to her dad in tiny Redford, Georgia. She meets a handsome stranger from the big city: Carter Barclay, a financial wizard in Atlanta. A mutual attraction threatens their carefully constructed lives: Should they get together when they don’t live in the same place? The story begins with the death of Jasper Wilhelm, Carter’s grandfather, a beloved but eccentric philanthropist, whose funeral has lured Carter to Redford. Jasper has concocted a unique solution to the question of who will inherit his millions: His will stipulates the entire town will be split into pairs to compete in a series of challenges, and whichever team earns the most points will win a life-changing $10 million. Sounds easy, but Jasper himself has paired everyone off, and almost no one is happy with their partner. Jess finds herself paired with her sworn enemy, Nikki Loughton, who is still mad that Jess kissed her boyfriend in high school. Carter is sure he’s being set up to win, but Jess has other plans, no matter how sexy he is. Waldon has a solid sense of humor, and her characters are engaging; even Nikki turns out to have unexpected depth. Jess and Carter’s will-they, won’t -they romance is never in doubt (their magical night in a leaky rowboat is a romantic and comedic highlight). A ham-handed side plot in which Jess’ dad suddenly announces he’s sick and may be dying feels unnecessary, but despite that puzzling misstep, romance fans should enjoy playing this game to the end.
A lighthearted romp for fans of romantic comedy about the benefits of working together for a community.Pub Date: March 21, 2023
ISBN: 978-0-593-54080-0
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Putnam
Review Posted Online: Jan. 24, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2023
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
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