Christmas cheer and storybook romance combine in this uneven but charming holiday tale.
An unlucky-in-love arts educator goes on 12 dates before Christmas in Miller’s romance novel.
Jane Norwell believes she’s nothing special. Despite living in Snow Bridge, New York, where fairytale figures and other legendary characters roam the streets and prowl on dating apps, Jane is a non-magical, often-overlooked musical theater teacher. After giving up her own dreams of performing, she has settled for years of cohabitation with her immature high school sweetheart, Peter (Pan). Despite her beloved job and close relationship to her magically perfect sister Celeste’s family, Jane laments the passion missing from her life. Desperately dreaming of finding someone special to share Christmas with, Jane finally breaks it off with Peter. With Celeste’s pushy encouragement, she agrees to re-enter the dating pool, encountering a plethora of less-than-charming storybook suitors, each with their own entertaining fairytale foibles. Jane’s hopes begin to lift when her students are chosen to perform as the opening act for the Northpole Palace’s annual Holiday Benefit Production. Jane feels an instant spark with the gorgeous and powerful Nikolas, a suave and tender reimagining of Santa Claus (“The name isn’t just tradition: it’s legacy, a line of men, each chosen not just by blood but by something deeper, something magical”). This holiday romance effectively leverages the author’s expertise (Miller herself is an educator) to capture the importance of arts education and encouraging adolescents to find their voices. However, the deluge of storybook references often overpowers these themes and the quieter moments in Jane’s journey. The compressed, pre-Christmas timeline foreshortens Jane’s emotional maturation, speeding through and past moments for reflection. Still, the genuine and vibrant Christmas cheer that suffuses this book goes down as smoothly as hot cocoa and will satisfy fans of holiday romance.
Christmas cheer and storybook romance combine in this uneven but charming holiday tale.Pub Date: Oct. 30, 2025
ISBN: 9798990923621
Page Count: 126
Publisher: Evergrove Media
Review Posted Online: Nov. 17, 2025
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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
An extremely fun, fast-paced, and unusual addition to the marriage-in-trouble romance canon.
A marriage on the rocks gets a second chance—with a science-fiction twist.
Dr. Emery Martín is happily married to her husband Luca…mostly. She’s been madly in love with him since the moment they met, but in the three years they’ve been wed, she hasn’t been able to focus much on him. To the world—including Luca—Emery’s job involves developing medical-grade lasers. In reality, she works at a supersecret San Diego lab that’s engineering a compound to bring mammals back from the dead. Although Emery doesn’t want to admit it, she can tell that Luca feels pushed aside, but she believes so deeply in her work that she has a hard time leaving the lab. When Emery is late for dinner—yet again—on their anniversary, she rushes home only to see Luca get hit by a car. She has the secret compound in her car, and she knows she could get in major trouble if she uses it—but what’s she supposed to do, not save her husband’s life? The compound has only been tested on animals so far, and there’s no guarantee it will even work for humans. It does, though, and Luca comes back to life—with one small caveat. He can’t remember most things, including his marriage to Emery. After almost losing Luca, Emery is now grateful for what she has, and she’s determined to show him that she can be a better, more attentive partner. While Luca may not remember her, their magnetic chemistry is still there. This may be the do-over they needed to save their marriage—that is, if Emery can keep the life-reviving measures she took hidden from everyone around them, including nosy neighbors and her own company. Lauren—the pen name of the duo behind rom-coms like The Paradise Problem (2024)—has created a unique hook that feels genuinely refreshing. Emery and Luca’s unconventional second chance is emotionally compelling, and the slight thriller edge as Emery tries to cover up her actions keeps the pages turning.
An extremely fun, fast-paced, and unusual addition to the marriage-in-trouble romance canon.Pub Date: July 14, 2026
ISBN: 9781668017753
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Gallery Books/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: April 6, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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