Published by Berkley on September 22, 2026
Age/Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Rating:
Goodreads
It’s a second chance at first love at the Renaissance Faire, where the search for a new queen shapes a destiny, from USA Today bestselling author Jen DeLuca.
Caitlin Parker was a teenager when she fell out of love with the magic of the Willow Creek Renaissance Faire—the site of her first real heartbreak. But now, twenty-four and unemployed, she finds herself in her childhood bedroom and her childhood lady-in-waiting costume, assisting a rotating cast of substitute queens for the season. The very last person she wants to see is Alexander Wright—the sword-fighting, Shakespeare-spouting young man who won and broke her teenage heart. Yet there he is, older, annoyingly hotter, and back on stage at her Faire.
When Alex broke things off with Caitlin five years ago, he thought he was just ending a summer fling. He didn't realize how much he’d fallen for her until he let her go, and he certainly didn't know he’d tarnished her memories of her cherished Faire and worse, shattered her view on love and relationships. His need to right that wrong this summer brings them together again and again, and the four-year age difference that kept them apart years ago isn’t a big deal now. This time, it won’t be so easy to let go of this summer fling.
But as summer winds down, real life is catching up to both of them. Caitlin’s always thought that being an adult with adult responsibilities means leaving whimsy behind. Alex, with a life full of stage combat, songs, and sonnets, doesn’t know how to live any other way. Can they go after their dreams and find a future together where they can still say “huzzah”?
She thought she had left Willow Creek behind, but after losing her job, Caitlin returns to her childhood home to regroup. She may have said goodbye to the Ren Faire life after having her heart broken, but the Ren Faire wasn't done with her...and neither was Alex.
I am so happy that Jen DeLuca decided to return to this world! I had a marvelous time catching up with all the prior couples while getting to meet grown-up Caitlin. Everything that made me fall in love with the people of Willow Creek and the faire were omnipresent, and I loved the way DeLuca wove all the past couples into the story while also allowing Caitlin and Alex to take center stage.
The romance was definitely a big attraction, and I was a fan of this couple. It had been seven years since Alex and Cait's whirlwind romance. Caitlin had stars in her eyes that last summer before college, and Alex was more attached to Caitlin than he wanted to be. But for "reasons", he broke her heart, and that left Caitlin with tainted memories of the faire. This time around, they were older, wiser, and both at a crossroads in their lives. I was glad they had this second chance, and I was thrilled with the futures they found together.
The romance may have been center stage, but Caitlin's personal journey was a big draw. She was still pretty young and experiencing a big setback to her "plan", but the layoff seemed heaven sent. This break pushed Caitlin to reflect on her life, her wants, her needs, and her future. It made her face her disappointments and make a plan for something bigger, better. It also let her return to some things and people she missed which made her life bigger and better.
Overall: I was overjoyed to return to this world and get the opportunity to experience the faire once again.
Published by Berkley on September 15, 2026
Age/Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Rating:
Goodreads
Five years of history. Four weeks on the road. Two rival copywriters learning love is the hardest sell of all.
Mattie French has always known how to tell a good story. It’s why she stopped at nothing to land her dream career as a copywriter at a scrappy independent advertising agency. In fact, if it weren’t for one person, Mattie would probably be the most-talked-about rising star in town.
Campbell Porter is a senior copywriter at Chicago’s slickest agency. Absurdly talented, incredibly aware of it, and the bane of Mattie’s existence since they were interns together, Campbell is always just…there, with his golden-boy smirk and the familiar gaze that never fails to taunt her across a crowded room.
Mattie would love nothing more than to avoid Campbell forever. But when their agencies are pitted against each other to compete for a luxury resort account, it’s her chance to prove she can beat him—and earn the promotion she covets.
During the month of travel required for the pitch, Mattie and Campbell are thrown together as fierce competitors and, slowly, as unexpected witnesses to each other’s hidden wounds and softest parts. As their trip barrels toward its final pitch, Mattie is forced to confront the increasingly obvious the story she’s crafted for her and Campbell over the years might need a new ending.
Five years ago, he came between Mattie and her dream job, and now, Campbell and his team were the finalists for a big account that could propel Mattie's career to the next level. He was always her biggest obstacle, but he may also have wormed his way into her heart.
I became a fan of O'Clover via her young adult books, and she continues to win me over with her adult offerings. If Not You featured a rivalry that was years in the making. I love when characters have history and appreciated the way the story flipped between THEN and NOW to allow me better understand the dynamic between Campbell and Mattie.
I have to admit that I am not a huge fan of hate-to-love. Sometimes, the characters can come across as kind of harsh, maybe even mean, but O'Clover crafted her characters and story in such a way to help me understand the why of it all.
Mattie was extremely hard on herself, and she carried a lot of emotional bagged due to her parents. This affected her relationships but also made her drive to succeed so strong, maybe even a bit too strong. Perhaps this ambition sometimes distorted the situation making her reactions out of proportion.
I had a feeling about Campbell the whole time, and when they FINALLY opened up, I discovered there was some truth to my feelings. That really is the best moment in any rivals-to-lovers/hate-to-love romance for me. When the characters finally soften, acknowledge their feelings, and act on them.
The build up and wait with this type of romance can be a little painful for me, but there were so many things in If Not You that kept my mind off of that. First, the set up. A month long trip at luxury resorts where the tension can just build. Loved it! And then, these were talented copywriters. You know the banter was sharp and witty. But that reward! Watching Mattie and Campbell's feelings slowly change towards each other. It was a thing of beauty!
Overall: This was a wonderful slow-burn rivals-to-lovers romance coupled with meaningful personal journeys for characters I grew to care for.
*ARCS PROVIDED BY THE PUBLISHER
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