A paper-thin conflict is partially saved by a chaotically cute cast and cozy setting.
A woman reunites with her high school crush due to an accidental obituary.
Molly Dearborn and Karl Dean were high school friends who harbored crushes on each other. Nothing happened between them and then a big misunderstanding drove them apart, and they haven’t spoken in 22 years. Molly moved away and wound up married, while Karl stayed in their hometown of Harlot’s Bay, Maryland, and opened a bakery. Now Molly makes a living as an audiobook narrator for steamy monster erotica, not realizing that her old friend and crush is her biggest fan. He diligently listens to all of her work as a way of being close to her, which is an adorably sweet secret given his outwardly gruff demeanor. When Molly hears that Karl’s obituary has run in the hometown paper, she immediately flies back, only to find Karl very much alive and well. Dade’s romances are always a mix of exaggerated humor and body positivity, and this one is no different. Both main characters have major issues vocalizing their feelings, which is exactly what led them to cut contact after high school. With more than two decades apart and Karl still very much in love with Molly, you might expect things to have improved. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen—they’re still just as emotionally stunted as ever. Molly is guarded and slow to trust, while Karl is borderline monosyllabic. The characters’ chemistry feels described, rather than seen. Harlot’s Bay, previously seen in At First Spite (2024), is alive with quirky characters, and their shenanigans tend to take over the spotlight. Fans of the series will rejoice at returning to town, while readers starting here may be overwhelmed by the tweeness of it all.
A paper-thin conflict is partially saved by a chaotically cute cast and cozy setting.Pub Date: Nov. 25, 2025
ISBN: 9780063215979
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Avon/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Sept. 27, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2025
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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