Geek out with this romantic homage to fan culture.
The power of fan fiction becomes the romantic catalyst between an actor and a cosplayer.
Actor Marcus Caster-Rupp has shot his final scene as Aeneas in the TV series Gods of the Gates. Though the set has been home to him for seven years, he hasn't been particularly pleased with the direction the showrunners have taken his character. To work out his frustrations, he's secretly been writing fan fiction about his own character, giving Aeneas the storyline he deserves. The fanfic writing community has been a boon to him, leading him to “meet” one of his closest friends, Unapologetic Lavinia Stan, also known as Ulsie. Ulsie is really April Whittier, geologist and secret nerd determined to remain secret no longer. For too long, she’s hidden her love of Gods of the Gates and is now determined to be outgoing about her fanfic writing and cosplay projects. April starts by tweeting a picture of herself wearing a costume of Lavinia, a Gods of the Gates character and Aeneas' love interest. Fat-shaming trolls quickly make the picture go viral until Marcus himself sees it. His solution: invite April out for dinner as way to stick it to the toxic fan base. Will their in-person meeting reflect the anonymous connection they have online? Readers (and viewers) of Game of Thrones will undoubtedly catch the parallels, giving a healthy dose of fan service with a quasi fix-it feel. Both Marcus and April struggle with other people's perceptions of them: Marcus knows everyone views him as vapid while April is often first judged on her weight. While this is a sweet romance that unfolds partially through tweets and direct messages and fanfic storytelling, it’s also about the way the main characters learn to love themselves. The journey to self-acceptance is never easy, and Dade doesn’t shy away from that, but she makes it just as beautiful and gentle as the love that blooms between Marcus and April. One note is that the book is fandom heavy. If you’re entrenched in the community, you will feel right at home. If not, there’s a terminology learning curve.
Geek out with this romantic homage to fan culture.Pub Date: Oct. 6, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-06-300554-9
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Avon/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: July 28, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2020
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
BOOK REVIEW
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
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