A strong historical romance that combines diverse experiences with classic storytelling.
A composer finds his muse on the other side of the Thames.
Georgina Wilcox, second-eldest daughter of a wealthy coal magnate, has gotten herself in a bit of trouble. In an impulsive moment, she kissed a man she barely knows in a garden that wasn’t as private as she thought, and now she’s in danger of being ruined. This isn’t as troubling for the man she kissed, Lord Mark Sebastian, a marquess’ “spare’s spare.” His primary passion and struggle in life have always been composing music, and after Georgie inspires him in more ways than one, he wonders if she could be his muse. Despite this, he doesn’t want her to be forced into marriage, so both agree to a convoluted plan to pretend to be engaged while he serves as her music teacher and then allows her to throw him over for a more advantageous match. Though the plan is proposed by the Duke of Torrance—who has a mysterious history with Georgie’s widowed sister, Lady Hampton—it can’t fully protect her from the gossip mill. Rumors start spreading about Georgie and Mark, most focused on the fact that Mark is a white nobleman and Georgie is a “Blackamoor woman” whose father was a man of trade, not title. When their fake betrothal starts to lead to complicated romantic feelings for both of them, the threats intimated by the rumors start to feel all too real. The first in a new series from Riley builds on her reputation for depicting authentic diversity in the Regency era, including depictions of sickle cell anemia and its devastating impact, as well as the complicated experience of Black Russians in London society. Though Georgie and Mark have chemistry, their encounters are relatively chaste, which combined with a traditional writing style gives the story a pleasingly retro feel even as it broadens representation in the genre. The early chapters are a jumble and the plot feels disjointed at times, but when the book hits its stride, it’s a satisfying story that also lays out a promising setting for future entries.
A strong historical romance that combines diverse experiences with classic storytelling.Pub Date: May 21, 2024
ISBN: 9781420154856
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Zebra/Kensington
Review Posted Online: April 22, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2024
An extremely fun, fast-paced, and unusual addition to the marriage-in-trouble romance canon.
A marriage on the rocks gets a second chance—with a science-fiction twist.
Dr. Emery Martín is happily married to her husband Luca…mostly. She’s been madly in love with him since the moment they met, but in the three years they’ve been wed, she hasn’t been able to focus much on him. To the world—including Luca—Emery’s job involves developing medical-grade lasers. In reality, she works at a supersecret San Diego lab that’s engineering a compound to bring mammals back from the dead. Although Emery doesn’t want to admit it, she can tell that Luca feels pushed aside, but she believes so deeply in her work that she has a hard time leaving the lab. When Emery is late for dinner—yet again—on their anniversary, she rushes home only to see Luca get hit by a car. She has the secret compound in her car, and she knows she could get in major trouble if she uses it—but what’s she supposed to do, not save her husband’s life? The compound has only been tested on animals so far, and there’s no guarantee it will even work for humans. It does, though, and Luca comes back to life—with one small caveat. He can’t remember most things, including his marriage to Emery. After almost losing Luca, Emery is now grateful for what she has, and she’s determined to show him that she can be a better, more attentive partner. While Luca may not remember her, their magnetic chemistry is still there. This may be the do-over they needed to save their marriage—that is, if Emery can keep the life-reviving measures she took hidden from everyone around them, including nosy neighbors and her own company. Lauren—the pen name of the duo behind rom-coms like The Paradise Problem (2024)—has created a unique hook that feels genuinely refreshing. Emery and Luca’s unconventional second chance is emotionally compelling, and the slight thriller edge as Emery tries to cover up her actions keeps the pages turning.
An extremely fun, fast-paced, and unusual addition to the marriage-in-trouble romance canon.Pub Date: July 14, 2026
ISBN: 9781668017753
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Gallery Books/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: April 6, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2026
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
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