A by-the-book high school romance with a main couple that’s hard to root for.
While searching for clues to her father’s whereabouts, a young woman falls for a fellow student at an elite boarding school.
Emma Wiley and Henry Bennington first meet while catching the same flight from Frankfurt to Edinburgh, neither knowing as they sprint toward their gate that they’ll soon be classmates at Dunbridge Academy. Henry is a returning student and Emma is studying abroad for the year. Emma’s parents met at Dunbridge, but since their divorce, Emma’s father has essentially dropped off the face of the planet and she wants answers. She hopes that attending Dunbridge will offer some insight into her dad and where he’s gone. This is a standard high school drama, like something one might see adapted for the CW: New girl feels like a fish out of water among her popular and/or wealthy classmates while trying to solve a personal mystery. Something worth mentioning is that Henry already has a girlfriend, who arrives at the Edinburgh airport to pick him up. Grace is immediately welcoming to Emma, the newcomer, which makes the central romance hard to accept. Henry and Emma’s friendship quickly becomes romantic; both are overnight boarders at the academy, while Grace lives at home and attends school during the day. There are the usual scenes of Henry and Emma sneaking out of activities and having clandestine meetings at night, but keep in mind that both are aware that Henry has a girlfriend. It can be hard to root for a romance when infidelity is at its foundation, even though Emma and Henry are only 18 and especially since Grace is so supportive and likable. The only compelling part of the book is the inviting community environment cultivated at Dunbridge. There are touching scenes of mentorship, tearful reunions, and blossoming friendships.
A by-the-book high school romance with a main couple that’s hard to root for.Pub Date: Oct. 14, 2025
ISBN: 9798893310832
Page Count: 464
Publisher: LYX
Review Posted Online: July 4, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2025
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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