“A sexy, fun romance from an author who always delivers.” beauty and the baller
r om a n c e
THE ASTRONAUT AND THE STAR
Comfort, Jen Montlake Romance (347 pp.) $12.95 paper | March 1, 2022 978-1-5420-3260-5
LOVE, HATE & CLICKBAIT
Bowery, Liz Harlequin MIRA (336 pp.) $15.99 paper | April 26, 2022 978-0-778-31189-8
All’s fair in love and politics when two staffers fake date in order to save their boss’s presidential prospects. For Los Angeles–based political consultant Thom Morgan, who possesses “effortless confidence and a bottomless appetite for crushing his enemies,” nothing is more important than getting ahead. He ditched his girlfriend at her sister’s wedding for a Politico interview and gets off (literally) on orchestrating major political wins before noon. He works for ruthless California Gov. Leonora “Lennie” Westwood, and rumor has it she’s thinking of running for president. All that stands in Thom’s way of D.C. glory is Clay Parker, the campaign’s new data analyst, a Silicon Valley hopeful who was embarrassingly (and publicly) ousted from the multimillion dollar tech company he co-founded. Thom can’t stand how vulnerable Clay is; in fact, he literally throws Clay up against a wall and screams at him over a Wi-Fi mix-up. After footage leaks of Lennie murmuring something homophobic, Thom and Clay are inevitably thrust together to help salvage her diversity cred when pictures of their, er, intimate-looking office spat go viral. Perfect timing! The campaign uses the fact that the internet thinks Thom and Clay are dating as leverage, and despite their initial horror at being entangled with each other, the two soon realize they might feel something other than hatred under the surface. How are they supposed to decide when to end the charade if deep down they both wish it were real? Bowery’s debut novel offers all of the electric, budding sexual tension that comes with fake dating, but it’s hard to root for the relationship when Thom is rightfully described as a “charming sociopath.” He borders on scarily emotionless at times and repeatedly uses sex to avoid attachment in such a way that you can’t help but sympathize with Clay’s permanently dazed expression as Thom bulldozes in and out of his life. An enemies-to-lovers debut with a love interest who lacks public approval.
y o u n g a d u lt
A goth, bisexual astronaut takes on the task of training a himbo actor for his role in an Oscar-bait space movie. Reggie Hayes is determined to be the first woman on the moon, but her icy, anti-social tendencies may put her out of the running for the upcoming mission. To show she can be a team player, she agrees to work with actor and natural charmer Jon Leo. They’ll spend a month together at a NASA base in Arizona where he’ll get an immersive experience of astronaut life and be filmed for behind-the-scenes footage. Jon is most known for his lowbrow comedic roles; he took on this project in hopes of being seen as a serious actor. He’s both intimidated by and in major awe of Reggie. She’s easily frustrated by him, but, try as she might, she can’t ignore their sexual tension. The forced proximity increases their lust, putting their sexual cravings constantly at the fronts of their minds even as they try to be professional. As they continue to gravitate toward each other, Reggie learns Jon is smarter than she expected, and he discovers why she puts up emotional barriers. Fans of grumpy-sunshine pairings will revel in the banter and chemistry between these two even though the overall plot doesn’t flow smoothly. Inner conflicts are deftly handled as Reggie struggles with vulnerability and Jon learns of his ADHD, but some external dramas feel silly and unnecessary. A bumpy journey, but the delightful characters make it worthwhile.
BEAUTY AND THE BALLER
Madden-Mills, Ilsa Montlake Romance (315 pp.) $12.95 paper | March 29, 2022 978-1-5420-3478-4 A woman falls in love with the man she had a one-night stand with two years earlier. Nova Morgan loves her life in New York, but after the death of her mother, she returns home to raise her 15-year-old sister, Sabine. Unfortunately, Nova’s precarious financial state means she has to find a job fast, and there’s a dearth of jobs in Blue Belle, Texas. To add insult to injury, Nova discovers that her new next-door neighbor is Ronan Smith, the NFL player she had a drunken one-night stand with in New York years ago. Ronan has worked hard to overcome his tragic past. He lost his fiancee and his career after a car accident, and the one-night stand with Nova happened in a haze of post-accident drinking and depression. Now the town’s high school football coach, Ronan is hoping to |
kirkus.com
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romance
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15 february 2022
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39
