A lively Regency romance that brings two lovable families together.
Two roguish children trap their parents within the happy ending the couple secretly wants.
Beckett Raines, Marquis of Hentrose, doesn’t want to get married again. He chose his first wife impulsively, and since she died in childbirth, he’s focused on raising their daughter, Rebecca. But his meddling mother continues to put women in his path, and she’s finally hit on an argument for remarriage that resonates: 9-year-old Rebecca is growing up and she’ll need a trusted woman to help. For once, Beckett’s not appalled by the woman his mother’s offering: Lady Pauline. However, moving back to London for the Season means he’s now living next door to Iris Silbern, a vivacious, opinionated, and penniless widow who’s also been thrust back onto the marriage market against her will. Rebecca and Iris’ 10-year-old son, Edmund, become fast friends, and though Iris and Beckett feel some sparks, they’re more focused on the realistic matches they’ve been roped into. After Rebecca learns that Lady Pauline is secretly awful and plans to send her to boarding school, she begs Edmund (and most of the household staff) to help her bring their parents together instead. But though Beckett and Iris grow increasingly close, it may be too late to extract themselves from their impending marriages. Enoch’s latest meets all the expectations of a classic Regency romance and then elevates the story by featuring the mischievous antics of Rebecca and Edmund. Though the story is primarily told from a standard, dual point of view, occasional extra perspectives add depth and whimsy. Don’t be mistaken; this is a story for grown-ups, containing several steamy scenes in addition to a serious consideration of the matrimonial trade-offs even privileged adults had to make in the era. But it’s an adult story that keeps one-upping its own hijinks as it goes along, culminating in an ending that would be ridiculously over-the-top if it wasn’t so satisfying.
A lively Regency romance that brings two lovable families together.Pub Date: March 3, 2026
ISBN: 9781250331205
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Bramble Books
Review Posted Online: Jan. 19, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2026
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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
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