A flawed but entertaining rom-com.
A mistakenly sent text message leads to romantic complications for a woman and her brother’s best friend.
Where Olivia Marshall goes, bad luck tends to follow. But even a lifetime of mishaps and faux pas can’t prepare her for the disaster she’s gotten herself into. First, she loses her job, and her boyfriend, Eli, dumps her for the co-worker Olivia introduced him to. Then, while drunkenly burning Eli’s old love letters, she accidentally sets fire to her apartment building. Now unemployed, single, and homeless, she’s forced to crash with her brother and his roommate, Colin Beck. Ever since they were kids, Colin has treated Olivia like a total screw-up, his best friend’s annoying little sister he loved to verbally spar with but never took seriously. But he’s also handsome, successful, and smart, and Olivia would be lying if she said she didn’t find him attractive. Meanwhile, her texting relationship with Mr. Wrong Number, an anonymous man who accidentally sent her a saucy message, has grown from lighthearted banter to what might be a real connection. The only problem? Colin is Mr. Wrong Number. When he finds out Olivia’s the woman he’s dubbed Miss Misdial, he decides to ghost her before she can find out. But while Mr. Wrong Number can keep Miss Misdial at arm’s length, Colin is having a hard time ignoring his growing interest in Olivia. Romance lovers will fall for the flirty banter and physical connection between Olivia and Colin, but the book has flaws. Several sources of tension—especially Olivia’s new job as a mommy columnist, for which she must lie about her childless status to her editor—come to a head early at the expense of a propulsive plot, while other conflicts are too easily and unrealistically resolved.
A flawed but entertaining rom-com.Pub Date: March 1, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-593-43726-1
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Berkley
Review Posted Online: Dec. 14, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2022
A book that will wolfishly appeal to the most heated fans of omegaverse erotica.
Tess Covington is a talented, successful contractor who just learned that she’s a late-in-life omega wolf shifter. Her new boss, surly innkeeper Hunter Barrett, is an alpha who’s opposed to the remodeling she’s there to do.
Tess hasn’t made it public that she’s being considered for her own HGTV makeover show, but she runs her career like a well-oiled machine. She posts a lot of her remodels on social media, granting her a certain level of celebrity, and leans on her brothers to help run the business she took over after a stroke made it impossible for her father to keep working. Hunter’s last serious relationship with an omega 10 years ago left him deeply wounded, ending when his parents were killed in a car accident and he moved back home to take care of their lodge—hence his resistance to change. With few exceptions, Tess keeps her newly diagnosed omega status to herself. Unfortunately, as an alpha, Hunter sniffs her out and seems to be the only person capable of helping her with her sudden heats, so there’s a lot of very smutty caretaking. The specificity of omegaverse hierarchy might be new to some readers, but Ferguson’s worldbuilding is quick, easy, and deeply horny. General romance readers might enjoy the grumpy-meets-sunshine and stranded-in-a-snowstorm tropes, although for a book about shifters, the characters spend surprisingly little time in wolf form. There’s not much danger of character development or surprising plot elements here, but for fans excited to read about animalistic mating, that might be enough.
A book that will wolfishly appeal to the most heated fans of omegaverse erotica.Pub Date: Dec. 2, 2025
ISBN: 9780593953693
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Berkley
Review Posted Online: Oct. 25, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Henry fans, rejoice: This is her best yet.
A recently dumped librarian finds herself fake dating her polar opposite.
When Daphne Vincent’s fiance, Peter, dumps her, she’s shocked—but the worst part is that he’s leaving her for his gorgeous best friend, Petra, the woman he’d always told Daphne not to worry about. Now Daphne has to move out of Peter’s home and restart her life in the small Michigan town where she’d moved to be with him. Salvation comes in the form of Miles Nowak, Petra’s ex—he has a tiny spare room in his apartment, and he understands what it’s like to wallow in heartbreak. Daphne feels lucky to have her dream job as a children’s librarian, but other than that, she feels adrift and friendless in Waning Bay—and then she and Miles get invitations to Peter and Petra’s wedding. In a momentary lapse of judgment, Daphne not only says she’ll attend the wedding, but tells Peter she’s dating Miles. It would be the perfect way to show Peter and Petra that they’ve moved on…if only it were true. In the grand tradition of fake-dating romances, Daphne and Miles pretend to be in love, getting to know each other while having various adventures and misadventures. Daphne quickly learns that although she’d dismissed Miles as a pothead with a lack of direction, he’s actually a good time—and a loyal friend. But Daphne knows she needs to get out of Waning Bay, so this fake relationship can’t lead anywhere…can it? Reliable bestseller Henry has written another surefire hit that manages to be dramatic, sexy, and fun. Miles and Daphne have chemistry that leaps off the page, and their will-they-or-won’t-they energy propels the story to its satisfying conclusion. Daphne is an immensely likable character, one whose past realistically informs her current relationships. The world of Waning Bay is charmingly quirky, and Daphne’s co-workers at the library are endearing. As always, Henry’s biggest strength is the sharp, often hilarious dialogue that makes the story a joy to read.
Henry fans, rejoice: This is her best yet.Pub Date: April 23, 2024
ISBN: 9780593441282
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Berkley
Review Posted Online: Feb. 17, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2024
PERSPECTIVES
BOOK TO SCREEN
SEEN & HEARD
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