Stein’s delicious third Sex, Lies, & Forbidden Desires Regency romance (following Submitting to the Widow) pairs a saucy chef with one of high society’s most charming bachelors. Nathaniel Charpentier, the son of a lady’s maid, escaped the clutches of his violent, possessive master, Lord Banffshire, at age 16. Now, 10 years later, he’s the famed chef of London’s exclusive hedonist Club Ambrosios. The inspiration for his erotic cuisine comes from a set of pages he obtained from an erotica purveyor written by one “CB.” This is Lionel Carrington-Bowles, a well-to-do gentleman who’s been at wit’s end ever since he lost the journal in which he recorded his scandalous gay affairs. Lionel is desperate to get his journal pages back before they’re used against him, a quest that leads him straight to Nathaniel. The men are instantly struck by mutual desire. Haunted by their pasts and with everything to lose, the two must navigate society, their secrets, and their love. The sensual, often food-themed sex scenes are juicy and delectable in more ways than one. While Lionel makes a somewhat passive protagonist, the looming threat of exposure and the heinous Lord Banffshire’s return to London up the stakes, and a quirky supporting cast adds charm. Stein’s fans are sure to relish this steamy historical. (Self-published)

Reviewed on 05/17/2024 | Details & Permalink

Bestseller James (the Would-Be Wallflowers series) introduces her Accidental Brides series with this middling Regency romance. Victoria “Torie” Sutton, a dyslexic artist, suspects that her older sister Leonora and Leonora’s handsome fiancé, Viscount Kelbourne, are not truly in love, but she tries to dampen her own attraction to Kelbourne by focusing on his bad temper rather than his impressive physique. For her part, Torie is holding out for a love match, but finding an eligible suitor proves difficult when her inconsiderate father and sister have spread the fact that she’s illiterate throughout London society. After Kelbourne unexpectedly becomes the guardian of his late sister’s young twins, Leonora elopes with someone else, having not signed up to play mother. Kelbourne, whose affection has shifted from Leonora to Torie anyway, decides she’ll make a suitable replacement bride—if he and the meddlesome twins can convince her to say yes. Though plucky social outcast Torie is an admirable heroine, grumpy Kelbourne feels rather one-note and the obstacles keeping them apart are drawn out and repetitive. This is far from James’s best. Agent: Kim Witherspoon, InkWell Management. (July)

Reviewed on 05/17/2024 | Details & Permalink

An attorney faces the loss of the love of her life in Skye’s heart-wrenching latest (after The Hundred Loves of Juliet). Claire Walker is on track to make partner at her New York law firm when she meets Spanish artist Matías de León at a gallery opening. They fall hard for each other, but 11 months into their relationship, tragedy strikes when Claire bails on their trip to Spain and Matías goes without her, ending up in a coma following a speedboat accident. Though she’s in the middle of finalizing a merger that would cement her promotion, Claire leaves New York for Madrid to be at Matías’s bedside. At her hotel, however, she sees what she first believes is Matías’s ghost and worries she’s too late. But the comatose Matías is still alive; this is the astral projection of his soul. To reunite it with his body, she must remind him of his love for her—even though, in this form, he has no idea who she is. Skye has such a light touch with the supernatural elements that even skeptical readers will embrace the moving tale of Claire trying to woo back her soulmate. The flawed but memorable characters resonate and their love rings true. Readers won’t want to put this down. Agent: Thao Le, Sandra Dijkstra Literary. (July)

Reviewed on 05/17/2024 | Details & Permalink

A grieving woman finds love in this cozy small-town romance from Yardley (Role Playing). Cookbook ghostwriter Willa Lieu-Endicott is still picking up the pieces after her husband’s recent death when she inherits her great-aunt’s house in Marre Island, Wash. It seems like a good place for a fresh start, but adjusting to single life is challenging. When her handsome neighbor Hudson Clark comes over looking for his lost dog one stormy night, Willa is surprised to feel a spark. Handyman Hudson, a divorced father of adult twins, has long struggled with insecurities about his townie status, having never left the island. Willa hires him to restore her aunt’s house, and Hudson ends up also helping her develop recipes for her new assignment: writing a sex-themed cookbook for a hunky influencer. With each day spent together, it becomes increasingly impossible to deny their attraction, but to move forward with their reationship they must first let go of the past. Yardley’s characters are complex and dynamic, making it easy to root for Willa and Hudson to take the leap of faith toward love. Fans of slow-burn romances and the lovers from different worlds trope will find plenty to enjoy. Agent: Tricia Skinner, Fuse Literary. (July)

Reviewed on 05/17/2024 | Details & Permalink

YA author Sellet’s adult debut (after By the Book) attempts to raise the curtain on the world of over-the-top lifestyle influencers through comedic pratfalls but both the humor and the romance fall flat. Libby Lane, a sometimes waitress and aspiring writer living in Oahu, maintains an online persona named Lillibet, a vapid, rich influencer offering meaningless meditative clichés and silly skin care tips. When Lillibet is approached by semi-famous Hildy Johnson, a young professional from a media dynasty family, with an offer to expand Lillibet’s brand, Libby and friends scramble to make Libby’s life appear to match the one she posts online and keep Hildy from learning the truth. Their scheme is complicated by Libby’s attraction to Hildy’s travel companion, wildlife photographer Jefferson, who’s introduced as Hildy’s boyfriend. Unbeknownst to Libby, however, the relationship between Jefferson and Hildy is a ruse designed to lend Hildy credibility. The result is that everyone is lying to everyone else, leaving readers with no one to root for. Jefferson feels particularly one-dimensional, making it hard to see him as a romantic hero. The slapstick comedy attempts to emulate classic screwball romances, but without an emotional core to keep things grounded, this disappoints. Agent: Bridget Smith, JABberwocky Literary. (July)

Reviewed on 05/10/2024 | Details & Permalink

A flirtatious collision between an Olympic athlete and a summer intern ignites Mazarura’s fun and wholesome debut. Overachieving recent college grad Olivia Nkomo lands an internship with the Olympic Organizing Commission at the summer games in Athens, which she hopes she’ll be able to turn into a full-time dream job by the end of the season. Meanwhile, dreamboat British track star Zeke Moyo is determined to metal, but he’s thrown off his practice regimen by his recent, very public breakup with a fellow Olympian, which keeps making headlines. When Olivia and Zeke literally bump into each on the first day of training, an undeniable chemistry forms between them. But in the pressure cooker of the games, with both of their dreams on the line, can they make a relationship work? Olivia and Zeke’s romance is ridiculously cute and their mutual crushing lightens up the stress of whether they’ll achieve their professional goals. Mazarura is a writer to watch. Agent: Allison Hunter and Natalie Edwards, Trellis Literary Management. (July)

Reviewed on 05/10/2024 | Details & Permalink

Patel (Isha, Unscripted) makes computer coding sexy in this winning enemies-to-lovers romance. Washington State computer programmer Bhanu is looking forward to a quiet vacation in Hawaii, away from work stress and her office nemesis, Sunny. As it happens, Sunny is also in Hawaii for a friend’s wedding. When Bhanu stumbles upon Sunny and witnesses his toxic ex-girlfriend cruelly berating him, her sense of justice forces her to step in, pretending to be Sunny’s new girlfriend to get the woman to go away. To keep up the ruse, she’ll have to attend all of the wedding festivities at Sunny’s side. Patel builds some serious sexual tension as the duo’s barbed banter turns increasingly flirtatious. With well-meaning yet meddlesome relatives conspiring to push these two together, their fake relationship soon turns very real. The supporting cast of Indian aunties charms, and the saltiness between the protagonists loses none of its oomph when it turns into sweetness. Readers will cheer for these two to find their well-deserved happily ever after. (July)

Reviewed on 05/10/2024 | Details & Permalink

Gamez puts a saucy twist on the fake-dating trope in her fun and flirty debut. Librarian Marcela Ortiz, 27, has harbored feelings for her friend Ben since college, when they briefly dated. When Ben announces his engagement to his girlfriend and Marcela’s ex-friend, Alice, Marcela realizes she needs to finally put her feelings to rest. Her solution appears the night of the couple’s engagement party in Theo Young, Ben’s hot NFL player older brother. Marcela prevents disaster when she stops a drunk Theo from confessing his own long-held feelings for Alice and, when the pair leave together, it sparks a rumor they’re dating. Marcela and Theo agree to go along with it, hoping to conceal their real feelings from both bride and groom. Fake dating leads to authentic chemistry and they agree to rebound with each other. As feelings change and grow, however, the lines of their situationship start to blur and the love quadrangle demands to be untangled. Marcela and Theo’s emotional journey to overcome past baggage and messy family dynamics adds depth to this swoony read. Marcela is the sole narrator, leaving Theo feeling a bit less developed by comparison, but he’s still a worthy hero. Readers will enjoy the ride. Agent: Samantha Fabian, Root Literary. (July)

Reviewed on 05/10/2024 | Details & Permalink

Ottoni’s fast-paced debut follows a Brazilian game designer who must jump through hoops to land her dream job, including fake dating her attractive roommate. Sol Carvalho is eager to get ahead in her career, even if it means relocating to Denmark. To land a promotion, she must prove to her boss that she’s willing to put down roots in Copenhagen by finding a stable living situation and starting a serious relationship with a Dane. The solution to both problems comes when she matches with burly Erik Storn on a dating app. Erik has a spare room for rent, but he’s been burned before by getting involved with a roommate. Making a pact to let no real feelings develop, the pair agree to fake date. But when they’re in close proximity 24/7, how long can their resolve last? Ottoni has a light and humorous touch with the fake-dating shenanigans, but the romantic development between Sol and Erik feels a bit rushed, making their connection marginally less convincing. Still, this lighthearted contemporary should scratch the itch for die-hard fans of the fake relationship trope. Agent: Ginger Clark, Ginger Clark Literary. (July)

Reviewed on 05/10/2024 | Details & Permalink

Putting a tongue-in-cheek twist on the enemies-to-lovers trope, Holton (The Secret Service of Tea and Treason) opens the Love’s Academic series on a gloriously madcap intellectual adventure tinged with a hint of whimsical fantasy. In 1890s England, socially awkward bluestocking Beth Pickering, a young professor of ornithology at Oxford, must cater to the whims of her male colleagues and the university’s wealthy donors. While on an expedition in Spain with Mrs. Hippolyta Quirm, a wealthy birding enthusiast, Beth runs afoul of handsome rogue Devon Lockley, an ornithologist from rival Cambridge University. The quarrelsome pair cross paths again when the International Ornithological Society launches a contest to name the International Birder of the Year—and sparks, and feathers, fly. Faced with scheming publicists, unscrupulous fellow bird lovers, and reality show levels of machination, the pair fly across countries via mechanized parasol to solve the mystery of a rare (and possibly mythological) bird, falling deep in love along the way. The charming supporting cast provides a zany counterpoint to what is ultimately a sweet, wholesome love story. Readers will find it an irresistible confection. Agent: Taylor Haggerty, Root Literary. (July)

Reviewed on 05/10/2024 | Details & Permalink