A delectable romance.
A small-town deli owner strikes a deal with a handsome real estate mogul when her family’s company is threatened by a food department store.
When Ellie Greco left for New York with dreams of costume design, she never imagined that five years down the line, her life would consist of deli meat, indecisive elderly patrons, and more deli meat. But when her father died and Ellie volunteered to take over the family business back in Milborough, Massachusetts, any plans she had of couture fell by the wayside. Then Ellie learns about Mangia: a new Italian food mega-market heading to town with enough charcuterie baskets to put Greco’s Deli out of business for good. It turns out that Ellie’s former high school classmate Theo Taylor is leading the project on behalf of his tycoon father. With Theo’s trust fund and his all-business manner, he couldn’t be more different from Ellie, but she’s willing to do just about anything to save Greco’s—even if it means buddying up with the enemy. Then, when a construction accident leaves Theo with temporary amnesia, Ellie fibs to his nurse and pretends to be his fiancee. What starts as a good-natured ploy to assess Theo’s concussion turns into way more than Ellie bargained for once he regains his memory. It turns out that Theo doesn’t want to build Mangia, which will destroy the historic buildings he’d love to preserve. If they stay “engaged,” Theo can save the buildings, and Ellie’s deli will remain unscathed…because, of course, what man would put his future wife out of work? If Ellie and Theo can prove their “love” to Mr. Taylor and the rest of Milborough, their ruse might just work. Gagnon’s latest novel has a trope for every romance lover: fake dating, amnesia, and even an ex thrown into an already complicated jumble of feelings, and yet it all works just fine. Gagnon’s characters are vulnerable and motivated, and there are just enough steamy scenes to keep you rooting for a delicious happily-ever-after.
A delectable romance.Pub Date: April 30, 2024
ISBN: 9780593722961
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Dell
Review Posted Online: Feb. 17, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
A wallowing, emotionally wrenching family drama that leaves little time for romance.
Two people with bad luck in relationships find each other through a popular Reddit thread.
Emma Grant and her best friend, Maddy, are travel nurses, working at hospitals for three-month stints while they see the country. Just a few weeks before they’re set to move to Hawaii, Emma reads a popular “Am I the Asshole” Reddit thread from a Minnesota man who thinks he’s cursed—women he dates find their soulmates after breaking up with him, and the latest one found true love with his best friend! Emma has had a similar experience, which inspires her to DM the man and commiserate. She’s delighted by her witty, lively interactions with software engineer Justin Dahl, and is intrigued when he suggests that if they date each other, maybe they’ll each find their soulmate afterward. Emma upends the Hawaii plan and convinces Maddy to move to Minneapolis for the summer so she can meet Justin in person. The overly complex setup brings Emma and Justin together and the two hit it off, with Justin immediately falling head over heels for Emma. Jimenez then pivots to creating romantic roadblocks and melodramatic subplots centering on each character’s family of origin. Justin’s mother is about to serve six years in prison for embezzlement, which means Justin must move back home to care for his three much younger siblings. Emma was traumatized by her own mother for much of her childhood, left to fend for herself and eventually abandoned in the foster system. When her mother shows up in Minnesota, Emma must face her traumatic childhood and admit that she has prioritized her mother’s well-being over her own. There is little time devoted to Emma’s painful efforts to heal herself enough to accept Justin’s love, which leaves the novel feeling unsatisfying.
A wallowing, emotionally wrenching family drama that leaves little time for romance.Pub Date: April 2, 2024
ISBN: 9781538704431
Page Count: 432
Publisher: Forever
Review Posted Online: Feb. 3, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2024
SEEN & HEARD
A wistfully nostalgic look at endings, beginnings, and loving the people who will always have your back.
Exes pretend they’re still together for the sake of their friends on their annual summer vacation.
Wyn Connor and Harriet Kilpatrick were the perfect couple—until Wyn dumped Harriet for reasons she still doesn’t fully understand. They’ve been part of the same boisterous friend group since college, and they know that their breakup will devastate the others and make things more than a little awkward. So they keep it a secret from their friends and families—in fact, Harriet barely even admits it to herself, focusing instead on her grueling hours as a surgical resident. She’s ready for a vacation at her happy place—the Maine cottage she and her friends visit every summer. But (surprise!) Wyn is there too, and he and Harriet have to share a (very romantic) room and a bed. Telling the truth about their breakup is out of the question, because the cottage is up for sale, and this is the group’s last hurrah. Determined to make sure everyone has the perfect last trip, Harriet and Wyn resolve to fake their relationship for the week. The problem with this plan, of course, is that Harriet still has major feelings for Wyn—feelings that only get stronger as they pretend to be blissfully in love. As always, Henry’s dialogue is sparkling and the banter between characters is snappy and hilarious. Wyn and Harriet’s relationship, shown both in the past and the present, feels achingly real. Their breakup, as well as their complicated relationships with their own families, adds a twinge of melancholy, as do the relatable growing pains of a group of friends whose lives are taking them in different directions.
A wistfully nostalgic look at endings, beginnings, and loving the people who will always have your back.Pub Date: April 25, 2023
ISBN: 9780593441275
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Berkley
Review Posted Online: Feb. 23, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2023
SEEN & HEARD
SEEN & HEARD
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