A thoroughly enjoyable Christmas romance that highlights the importance of perspective.
In Estep’s romance novel, a young woman returns to her hometown after years away and finds herself falling for a childhood friend.
As she prepares to head to college from her home in Coeur-de-Lac, Wisconsin, Ivy Weaver finally works up the nerve to confess her feelings to her crush, Austin Underwood. Unfortunately, she doesn’t realize that the Underwood boy standing with his back to her is Grant, Austin’s older brother and her longtime friend. When Grant turns around, revealing that Ivy has professed her feelings to the wrong brother, he bluntly tells her that she’d never stand a chance with Austin. (“If you didn’t live next door, he wouldn’t know who you are. You mean nothing to him, and you’re never going to mean anything to him.”) Then, after years spent jet-setting around the globe as a flight attendant and trying unsuccessfully to forget both Austin and Grant, Ivy is called home for one last Christmas to help her parents pack up their longtime home. Ivy’s grown more fashionable and sophisticated in the years she’s been away, and she’s ready for one more shot with Austin. To her delight, he asks her out almost immediately upon her return, but it turns out to be a disastrous date. Reconnecting with her old friend Grant becomes the highlight of her time back in town. Unbeknownst to Ivy, Grant’s been carrying a torch for her all these years, and he’s determined not to let this second chance slip away. The narrative’s point of view alternates between those of Ivy and Grant; the author renders both characters immensely likable as they muddle their way through their evolving feelings. This feel-good novel is entirely engrossing as it limns a supporting cast of lovably quirky family members, evocative Christmas traditions, and small-town charm. Full of fun details about life in Coeur-de-Lac, the book shines brightest when Ivy and Grant are alone together, engaging in witty banter and effortless flirtation; their chemistry jumps off the page. As the novel moves toward its inevitable conclusion, characters help each other accept important truths about themselves, leading to a satisfying emotional payoff.
A thoroughly enjoyable Christmas romance that highlights the importance of perspective.Pub Date: Sept. 29, 2026
ISBN: 9781682817049
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Entangled: Amara
Review Posted Online: July 21, 2026
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Fresh and upbeat, though not without flaws.
An earnest grad student and a faculty member with a bit of a jerkish reputation concoct a fake dating scheme in this nerdy, STEM-filled contemporary romance.
Olive Smith and professor Adam Carlsen first met in the bathroom of Adam's lab. Olive wore expired contact lenses, reducing her eyes to temporary tears, while Adam just needed to dispose of a solution. It's a memory that only one of them has held onto. Now, nearly three years later, Olive is fully committed to her research in pancreatic cancer at Stanford University's biology department. As a faculty member, Adam's reputation precedes him, since he's made many students cry or drop their programs entirely with his bluntness. When Olive needs her best friend, Anh, to think she's dating someone so Anh will feel more comfortable getting involved with Olive's barely-an-ex, Jeremy, she impulsively kisses Adam, who happens to be standing there when Anh walks by. But rumors start to spread, and the one-time kiss morphs into a fake relationship, especially as Adam sees there's a benefit for him. The university is withholding funds for Adam's research out of fear that he'll leave for a better position elsewhere. If he puts down more roots by getting involved with someone, his research funds could be released at the next budgeting meeting in about a month's time. After setting a few ground rules, Adam and Olive agree that come the end of September, they'll part ways, having gotten what they need from their arrangement. Hazelwood has a keen understanding of romance tropes and puts them to good use—in addition to fake dating, Olive and Adam are an opposites-attract pairing with their sunny and grumpy personalities—but there are a couple of weaknesses in this debut novel. Hazelwood manages to sidestep a lot of the complicated power dynamics of a student-faculty romance by putting Olive and Adam in different departments, but the impetus for their fake relationship has much higher stakes for Adam. Olive does reap the benefits of dating a faculty member, but in the end, she's still the one seemingly punished or taunted by her colleagues; readers may have been hoping for a more subversive twist. For a first novel, there's plenty of shine here, with clear signs that Hazelwood feels completely comfortable with happily-ever-afters.
Fresh and upbeat, though not without flaws.Pub Date: Sept. 14, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-593-33682-3
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Berkley
Review Posted Online: July 27, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2021
PERSPECTIVES
BOOK TO SCREEN
BOOK TO SCREEN
A lovely and moving romance that examines what it truly means to live.
Opposites attract when a Grim Reaper clashes with a Guardian Angel in this whimsical paranormal romance.
Darcy Moore is in a bit of a tough spot; she’s a Grim Reaper who’s grown tired of death. When she’s given her next assignment, Darcy decides to go rogue. Rather than reaping, Darcy is determined to save her mark, which only upsets the balance kept by the Department of Hauntings and Spirits. Nothing good comes from a Grim Reaper who’s gone AWOL. Bartender Gabriel Aetos works as a Guardian Angel. He doesn’t take kindly to the fact that a Grim Reaper is slinking around his territory. His role is to protect people, while hers is to usher souls into death. To him, their very natures are at odds and his sudden attraction to Darcy won’t change that. This is very much a grumpy-meets-grumpy romance. Gabriel tries hard to keep Darcy at arm’s length and is open about his mistrust of her. Darcy’s standoffishness, though, is born out of her feelings of isolation and loneliness. Dealing in death has taken an obvious toll on her, and she’s traveling her own introspective path on what it means to be human. Darcy’s fragility is what slowly convinces Gabriel to get close to her, despite the heady yearning he keeps under wraps. However, both view their jobs as central to their existence, for better or worse. While Darcy is actively wondering what it would mean to break free of her Grim Reaper responsibilities, Gabriel has never seemed to ponder being anything other than a Guardian Angel. Borison’s romances—most recently And Now, Back to You (2026)—always strike an emotional chord, with deep-seated conflicts that tap into themes of identity, connection, and grief. This addition is truly the epitome of a Borison romance.
A lovely and moving romance that examines what it truly means to live.Pub Date: Sept. 15, 2026
ISBN: 9780063430464
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Avon/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: July 6, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2026
BOOK REVIEW
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