Sam Shoop, reclusive rock star and grump, really wants the whole town of Crane Cove to stop trying to matchmake him. So he makes up a fake girlfriend the next time a sweet old lady tries to set him up. The problem? He gave her the name of the new girl in town, Lacey, whose name he can never remember (oops) and who he's forgotten he had a one-night stand with years ago (also oops).
Lacey just wants to make enough money to get out of debt and then move on to pursue her dancing dreams. But she agrees to Sam's accidental fake relationship in order to get an ex of hers to stop annoying her. And pretty soon they've somehow adopted a dog, she's staying at his house, and she's sleeping in his bed. The fake relationship is becoming real, but what's it going to take to get either of them to admit it?
If you haven't been reading Sarah Estep yet, what are you even doing? This rom-com is legit hilarious AND sexy, and you will fall in love with all the Brunch Bros. Fret Me Not is out on KU today!
Seat Mates by Anna Harbom
After a very road-ragey airport meet-cute (meet-rage?), Daisy and Charlie find themselves sitting next to each other on a plane to D.C. Once they work past their initial animosity, they find themselves spilling much more than they intended to each other. (And there is some JUICY gossip that's revealed later.)
They also happen to be staying at the same hotel, which means they can continue their flirtation over the weekend of his work conference and her mom's wedding, which is a fraught topic for Daisy. Charlie offers himself up as her date for the wedding so she can avoid an ex and have a buffer with her...difficult mother.
Daisy really needs to confront her issues that all happen to be coming to a head at this wedding. But when Charlie gets tangled up in them, can she keep him as her one lifeline away from them?
Seat Mates is Anna Harbom’s debut rom-com, and it's available on KU now!
Deromanticizing romance writing - myths vs reality
Years in the Making by Megan McSpadden
Nellie’s doing great and everything’s falling into place for her--except for her love life. She never got closure on the guy she fell for one summer who seemed perfect and then ghosted her out of nowhere, and she hasn't been able to find something like that since then. But now that guy is back in her life via their mutual friends and they’re going to be spending the summer in a tiny town up north together. Now that she's seen him again, she’s TOTALLY over him...right?
Teddy has never forgiven himself for leaving Nellie without any explanation all those years ago. He ran all over the world to escape his grief and regret, but now that he’s back, he’s determined to show her that they’re meant to be.
Banter, second-chance romance, small town meddling, lots of dogs, and Megan’s fearlessness into diving into hard emotions = Years in the Making. It’s out now in KU!
Discretion and Avarice by Mary Alice Alexander
This one is playing with some different what-if scenarios for Pride and Prejudice: Darcy and Elizabeth are younger, Darcy's parents are alive, and Darcy is the youngest of three, with a wastrel older brother Andrew who's the heir to Pemberley. Without having the riches and responsibilities and pride of the heir, Darcy can approach Elizabeth with a lot more openness, and they fall for each other. But Darcy isn't established in a career and can't support a wife.
But Andrew's vices are catching up to him, and the Darcy parents have ensured that our Darcy is in control of the money and Pemberley. Elizabeth, meanwhile, also has to care for her family, who is on the brink of ruin (but not because of the sister you expect!). Can Darcy and Elizabeth ever manage to be together when Darcy's responsibilities (without the title or the money) and Elizabeth's family are keeping them apart?
Discretion and Avarice is ou
Darcy and Elizabeth's Dreams of Redemption by Melissa Anne
After Darcy leaves Netherfield, he begins having dreams of Elizabeth in which she rejects his proposal—but it gets him thinking about Elizabeth and if she might not be the exact match for him if he can get past his pride. Meanwhile, Elizabeth is also having dreams that are making her reconsider her opinion of Darcy.
By the time they meet up again at Kent, they’re both ready for each other—but their families aren’t necessarily ready for them together. With opposition from both sides, they only have themselves and their dreams to keep them together.
A teeny tiny bit of a paranormal spin on the classic P&P story, Darcy and Elizabeth’s Dreams of Redemption is available now in KU!
Whiskey in the Jar by Irene
All Jenny wants is to protect her sister Nell and get her away from Nell’s abusive husband. When a highwayman’s ransom means that she no longer has the money to fund her and Nell’s escape, she decides she’ll capture the highwayman herself to get the reward.
What she doesn’t bargain for is Adam, the highwayman, having faerie luck on his side and being too charming for his (and her) own good. But she’s already too deep into her plan when she starts falling for him and might have already destroyed their chance for happiness.
This story is based on an old English ballad, but Irene’s updated it to have a badass heroine who takes no shit, a bit of magic and romantasy, and a morally grey hero who makes even his unflappable heroine (and me) swoon. It’s available on KU now!
Summer on Butterfly Bay by Judith Natelli McLaughlin
Widow Ali needs to get out of the city and spend the summer away from her grief. The most beautiful house on Butterfly Bay is hers for the summer--except she has to share it with infuriating finance bro Brooker and his vapid model girlfriend.
Brooker has hidden depths, though, and starts Ali on a new path. With the help of Brooker, a rescue dog, and an old woman who keeps dropping wisdom and then disappearing, Ali might find herself again on Butterfly Bay.
This is a sweet romance about two people who have been mired in grief and need each other to push themselves out of it. It's available everywhere today!
When is it time to quit romance writing entirely?
The Gentleman Spy by Georgina North
Beau has been a spy for years, escaping all the expectations heaped on him as a future duke. He's abroad when his father dies and manages big things from away, but Emerald, his father's—now his—ward, has actually taken on the day-to-day operations in his absence. When he finally returns (after an injury), Emerald is pissed that he's swooped in and taken away her work, and that he's still as handsome as he was when she was younger and had a crush on him.
They're clashing all the time about the estate, and Emerald is curious and suspicious about why he keeps running off in the middle of the night. At the same time, they're fighting their attraction to each other. But will Beau's spy past come back to haunt him and threaten Emerald?
This slow-burn, suspenseful historical romance is swoony and delightful, and it's available on KU now!