Opposites attract in this sweet Sapphic romance.
After she wins the lottery, a woman’s spontaneous purchase of a flower farm lands her a surprise roommate, too.
Opal Devlin is known for being a people-pleaser, the type of woman who will do any favor a friend asks of her. When she unexpectedly wins the lottery, her phone starts blowing up with long-lost connections trying to get a piece of the pie—and making her wish she could get away from it all. When she finds an ad for a flower farm for sale in Asheville, North Carolina, it seems like the perfect solution to her problems. She buys Thistle and Bloom convinced she’s making the right decision for her future, not only acquiring a place to get away from the demands on her time and wallet but giving herself the space to pursue the full-time art career she’s always wanted. The biggest wrench in her plan? Thistle and Bloom already has an occupant: Pepper Boden has been keeping the farm afloat since her grandmother died, and she thought she owned the place—until her estranged mother sold it out from under her. Although Opal and Pepper hardly get off on the right foot, they agree to cohabitate until they can figure out who’s moving where. While Opal wants to use the farm as a backdrop for her painting business, she knows she needs Pepper’s knowledge and skill with flowers to ensure Thistle and Bloom keeps turning a profit. Living under the same leaky roof has its complications, however, not least of which is the women’s budding interest in one another, and their forced proximity leads to several delightful scenarios. Eddings’ latest romance is evidence of the author’s own blossoming, as she uses Opal’s and Pepper’s individual struggles and stark personality differences to explore important discussions about mental health and neurodivergence that don’t feel out of place. The characters have easily distinguishable voices, and their alternating perspectives offer a deeper look into this endearing, emotional love story.
Opposites attract in this sweet Sapphic romance.Pub Date: April 16, 2024
ISBN: 9781250847089
Page Count: 400
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Review Posted Online: March 23, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2024
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
A powerfully strong romance for readers who like their love stories full of torment and passion.
Best friends confront feelings for each other when they take a honeymoon trip together.
Francesca Gardiner and George Saint James have always been best friends—just like Jo and Laurie from Little Women, which they both love. Frankie has a big, complicated family and George was the boy next door who’d moved in with his eccentric grandmother. Their friendship survived childhood, awkward teenage years, and living together as young adults without ever venturing into the romantic—well, except for one kiss, but they don’t talk about that. When Frankie gets engaged to an older professor named Nate, George isn’t happy and a huge fight ensues. Despite his misgivings, George shows up to be her best man, but Nate leaves Frankie right before the wedding with only a cryptic letter. Devastated, Frankie goes to a friend’s house to recuperate, but her honeymoon is already planned and paid for—so she decides to travel to Tofino, a picturesque town on the coast of Vancouver Island, with George taking Nate’s place. Frankie wants to fix her friendship with George, but now that they’re in a romantic suite in a beautiful location, things are more complicated than ever. She’d always thought a relationship would be a bad idea, but she’s slowly beginning to realize they’ll never be able to go back to being kids. Maybe the only way forward involves forging a new kind of relationship. Fortune, the author of romances like This Summer Will Be Different (2024), returns with another love story full of longing and intense angst. The many allusions to Little Women are charming, and Frankie is a delightfully headstrong, feisty character. She and George have explosive chemistry, and Fortune manages to make the “will-they-or-won’t-they” nature of their relationship feel like life-or-death stakes.
A powerfully strong romance for readers who like their love stories full of torment and passion.Pub Date: May 5, 2026
ISBN: 9780593953242
Page Count: 432
Publisher: Berkley
Review Posted Online: Feb. 2, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2026
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