A countess falls for her daughter’s beau in a surprising and charming Regency romance.
Delia’s mom has got it going on.
Lady Gertrude, the Countess of Chatham—known in the ton as the Cold Countess—is pleased. Her daughter, Cordelia, has debuted and has already merited a mention in a gossip rag sure to attract attention. The Countess, or Tru to her friends, knows how to play high society’s games, and she'd rather use her skills to help her daughter land in a happy marriage than focus on her own loneliness. Unfortunately, that same mention has reminded her absent lout of a husband that he has a daughter he might use to generate an infusion of funds, and though the season has barely begun, the Earl of Chatham immediately arranges for Delia to marry Jasper Thorne, who “has very deep pockets” but lacks a title and a wife. Tru prepares to push Jasper from their lives, but on meeting him, she finds that from behind he is “virile and strong,” and from the front, he's the same man who propositioned her just the evening before. It turns out that Jasper wants to marry because he has a 10-year-old daughter in need of a mother, but despite the potential consequences, he is compelled to keep pursuing Tru. He even arranges with Delia—who has no wish to marry him—to pretend there's a continued suit between them so he can visit the Chathams' country house simply for the chance to seduce Tru; after an entire adulthood in a loveless marriage, this means Tru finally has the chance to experience real affection and passion. But despite their magnetic attraction, she remains the Countess, and he remains in need of an actual wife—making their happily-ever-after dependent on fate alone. This is the first entry in a new series for Jordan, and it’s a strong start built on a slow burn and a forbidden love. Though the ending feels a bit contrived, the rest of the story is fresh and engaging, and Jordan writes a more mature heroine thoughtfully. The rest of the scandalous ladies of the series are seemingly introduced throughout the book, which slows it down at times but is rewarding in the end—and fans of this installment will look forward to reading their stories next.
A countess falls for her daughter’s beau in a surprising and charming Regency romance.Pub Date: March 28, 2023
ISBN: 9780063270701
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Avon/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Jan. 11, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2023
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
A deliciously dramatic look at how one woman’s past influences her future.
A happily engaged woman is pulled back to her hometown—and her first love—when tragedy strikes.
Billie Wright is living her dream, running a thriving fertility clinic in New York City and engaged to a wonderful trauma surgeon named Dean. Her happily-ever-after meant giving up her life in Wisconsin, where she left behind many friends as well as her high school sweetheart, Mick. Although they’d been deeply in love, when Billie’s ambition pulled her away from home and toward the city, Mick couldn’t handle either the distance or her busy schedule. Billie has finally moved on from that heartbreak—but then she receives a phone call from Mick, the first communication between them in years. Her best friend, Erin, died in a car accident, leaving behind an 11-year-old daughter, Phoebe. Now Billie must return home to help sort Erin’s affairs and provide some kind of comfort to Phoebe while grieving the loss of her best friend. Of course, being back home also means being in close contact with Mick. Their feelings for each other may not have ever gone away, and their proximity leads to big decisions for Billie. Can she ever reconcile her current life in Manhattan with her past in Wisconsin? And which one will be her future? Giffin knows how to do drama, and she ratchets up the stakes with every page as she continues to reveal new obstacles for Billie. The ending wraps up quite neatly, but the nostalgia-filled ride is full of twists and turns that will keep readers flipping the pages.
A deliciously dramatic look at how one woman’s past influences her future.Pub Date: July 7, 2026
ISBN: 9780593600320
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Ballantine
Review Posted Online: April 6, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2026
SEEN & HEARD
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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