8 minute read
TWO WRONGS MAKE A RIGHT by Chloe Liese
two wrongs make a right
with impressive efficiency. And when her world is so quickly and easily understood by the reader, Roanhorse has plenty of space to engage with noir storytelling and the trope of the “tragic mulatto,” as she mentions in her acknowledgements. Too much description of her excellent plot would risk spoiling an inventive and propulsive narrative, but readers accustomed to Roanhorse’s richly detailed characters and beautifully executed action sequences will not be disappointed.
A superb dark fantasy.
romance
A VERY MERRY BROMANCE
Adams, Lyssa Kay Berkley (368 pp.) $17.00 paper | Nov. 1, 2022 978-0-593-33279-5
Another member of the Bromance Book Club finds love in this fifth series outing. Country star Colton Wheeler can’t get Gretchen Winthrop out of his head. A year ago, they had a steamy, satisfying one-night stand after a wedding, but when Colton asked to see her again, Gretchen bolted out the door. Gretchen comes from the wealthiest family in Tennessee but has turned her back on her family’s money and influence to start her own small practice providing legal expertise for immigrants. When her oldest brother asks her to reach out to Colton to be the brand ambassador to her family’s whiskey distillery, she agrees; in return, she asks for her rightful seat on the family’s charitable foundation board. When Gretchen approaches Colton, she’s surprised that he has some conditions of his own. He agrees to consider her offer if she’ll go out on three dates with him. When Colton discovers that Gretchen is a verifiable Scrooge, he’s determined to use their dates to show her the joy of the Christmas season. With the help and advice of his buddies in the Bromance Book Club, Colton will show Gretchen his sunshiny personality is the perfect match for her grumpy one. Longtime readers of the series won’t be surprised when the plot takes a turn toward more serious and somber topics. In this case, Colton discovers that Gretchen is aloof and prickly as a coping mechanism from having grown up in an abusive home. Colton’s instant love and devotion for Gretchen is a fact of the book rather than something that develops over time, and the result is a relationship that doesn’t feel fully developed. The novel is jammed full of scenes with characters from earlier installments and charming meetings of the Bromance Book Club, which will please fans of the series.
A solid but unremarkable effort in this long-running series about men who read romance.
ASTRID PARKER DOESN’T FAIL
Blake, Ashley Herring Berkley (400 pp.) $15.50 paper | Nov. 22, 2022 978-0-593-33642-7
A driven interior designer finds herself in new territory when she unexpectedly falls for a carpenter. After breaking things off with her perfect-on-paper fiance, Astrid Parker throws herself into her work as an interior designer. Astrid might seem uptight to her loud and lovable group of friends, but she knows she just holds herself to a high standard—one set years ago by her overbearing, critical mother. But one thing Astrid never counted on was carpenter Jordan Everwood, whom she runs into—literally—before realizing the two of them will have to work together on Astrid’s latest renovation, the Everwood Inn. Astrid is tasked with redesigning the inn for an HGTV show called Innside America, and she’s hoping the job will help revitalize her career. But Jordan isn’t just the carpenter on the job—she’s also the granddaughter of the inn’s owner, and her sentimentality makes Astrid’s job harder. Astrid wants to make every room sleek and modern, while Jordan wants to keep the inn quirky and dark. But their on-camera clashes lead to an off-camera attraction, and eventually Astrid begins to realize that her carefully laid plans might not be what she wants after all. In the second book in her Bright Falls series, following Delilah Green Doesn’t Care (2022), Blake tenderly explores Astrid’s journey to becoming more herself—which involves interrogating her career dreams and realizing that she’s bisexual. Astrid and Jordan are both appealing characters, and Astrid’s boisterous and endearing group of queer friends will make Bright Falls a town readers won’t want to leave.
A steamy, emotional, and charming romance about defining success on your own terms.
TWO WRONGS MAKE A RIGHT
Liese, Chloe Berkley (336 pp.) $14.99 paper | Nov. 22, 2022 978-0-593-44150-3
When two polar opposites get paired up by their meddling friends, their plan to fake a relationship ends up fooling everyone—including themselves—in this riff on Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing. Bea Wilmot isn’t prioritizing the dating scene—especially not after she trips and falls drink-first into the stuffed shirt otherwise known as Jamie Westenberg at a party where his friend and her twin sister have just announced their engagement. From their first conversation, it seems that they couldn’t have anything in common. She’s a struggling artist covered in beautiful tattoos; he’s the buttoned-up, glasses-wearing type who packs
an extra set of clothes just in case. When their well-meaning friends plot to pair them off without their knowledge, it doesn’t take long for Bea and Jamie to find out they’ve been set up, but rather than admit defeat and go back to surviving singledom, they decide to get back by getting even. The solution? Pretend they’re desperately into one another in a fake-dating scheme to end all fake-dating schemes—but the longer it goes on, the harder Bea and Jamie begin to fall for each other for real. From a meet-cute that crackles with wit and humor to pages upon pages of scorching tension, Liese has crafted a warm, delightful novel that emphasizes acceptance, communication, and the self-worth we can discover by both daring to love and letting ourselves be loved.
An effervescent reimagining of the Bard packaged in an opposites-attract romance.
PRINCESS AND THE PLAYER
Madden-Mills, Ilsa Montlake Romance (287 pp.) $12.95 paper | Nov. 8, 2022 978-1-5420-3846-1
A football player and an artist find true love after a one-night stand. On Tuck Avery’s 35th birthday, his best friends surprise him with a trip to Manhattan’s most exclusive sex club. Tuck is happy for the distraction: It’s also the anniversary of his father’s death, and he’s worried that he might be aging out of professional football. He meets a beautiful young woman, and the two have a night of anonymous, sizzling sex in a private room at the club. Ten weeks later, Francesca Lane is experiencing multiple crises: A vengeful boss just fired her from her job as a tattoo artist and she realizes she’s pregnant from her one-night stand with the mysterious stranger. Having grown up bouncing among foster homes, being left behind over and over, Francesca decides to keep the baby. Coincidentally, she discovers that her mystery lover has been living in her apartment building for years. They’ve never crossed paths before because he has his own private elevator to the penthouse. Tuck can’t believe his luck—the woman he can’t stop thinking about has been right under his nose all along. Francesca decides to keep the baby a secret from Tuck despite the fact that her roommates, several other building residents, and even the doorman know about her pregnancy. Eventually, Tuck and Francesca can no longer resist each other, and they begin a passionate affair that lasts for months. The book steams merrily forward with this common sense–defying plot. Tuck, a wide receiver who can sight and catch a football from anywhere on the field, somehow fails to see the baby bump right in front of him. Increasingly more dramatic storylines are introduced, perhaps with the goal of creating a chaotic, happy whirlwind of a book, but instead it feels tired and sloppy.
A contrived plot and underdeveloped characters keep this one on the bench.
PRIDE AND PROTEST
Payne, Nikki Berkley (416 pp.) $15.99 paper | Nov. 15, 2022 978-0-593-44094-0
A spirited activist and a real estate CEO clash in a battle of heads and hearts in this inventive Austen retelling. When Alizé Bennett, otherwise known as Liza B., isn’t showcasing international hip-hop on her radio show, she can be found protecting the housing rights of her tightknit D.C. community. News has spread about the imminent eviction of all residents from the low-income Longbourne Gardens complex due to Pemberley Development’s newest creation, Netherfield Court. Liza, her three siblings, their mother, and Granny— along with dozens of other longtime inhabitants—face losing their homes to make way for vegan bakeries and high-end pet spas. Liza has more than one bone to pick with the man behind the gentrification of her home: Dorsey Fitzgerald, Pemberley’s acting CEO. After the tragic death of his adoptive parents and older brother, Dorsey became the heir to his family’s billions despite his feelings of inadequacy and general dislike of the very foundations of real estate development. Adopted from the Philippines at age 9 by the White Fitzgerald family, Dorsey has long felt as if he didn’t belong, and Liza’s fervent public protests of Netherfield do little to grant him credibility. As the two nemeses find themselves constantly in one another’s orbit, however, and as Liza and Dorsey squabble over politics and pride, their burning hatred starts to transform into passion. Soon, simple moments shared in snowstorms and innocent grocery store visits reverberate with their desire. Amid rising sexual tension, viral memes, and distractions from other potential mates, how will Liza and Dorsey make their love last? Payne’s version of Pride and Prejudice deftly explores themes of racism and idealism while providing deep insights into her characters. The author crafts a thoroughly modern update to Austen’s novel and even offers a confident replacement for the untying-of-the-corset trope with the satisfying snap of shirt buttons.
A lively, sexy, and fresh take on a beloved classic.
BEFORE I LET GO
Ryan, Kennedy Forever (400 pp.) $15.99 paper | Nov. 15, 2022 978-1-5387-0679-4
A divorced couple finds love again. Yasmen and Josiah Wade have been divorced for two years. They met in college, and after marrying, they opened a successful restaurant in Atlanta and started a family. Their seemingly rocksolid marriage went off course after two tragic losses: Josiah’s beloved aunt died, and their much-desired third child was
