Published by G.P. Putnam's Sons on August 11, 2026
Age/Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Rating:
Goodreads
Sparks fly as the leaves fall this autumn…From the superstar romance author of The Boston Bolts hockey series comes a swoony friends-to-lovers fake dating delight.
These old flames are ready to catch fire.
For Penny Darling, love is best enjoyed between the pages of a book. After a very public failed engagement, she’d rather cozy up by the fire with a book boyfriend than a real one any day. And as the owner of Bonfire & Bliss Bookstore, she has her pick.
Then Jake “Monty” Montgomery returns home. Her high school best friend, now a struggling author with inked forearms and wicked green eyes. And he needs her help.
His proposal is She’ll teach him to write the perfect book boyfriend and he’ll pose as her real boyfriend, keeping Hope Harbor’s busybodies—and their obsession with Penny’s love life—at bay.
But when their lessons begin, the line between fiction and reality grows dangerously thin. As pretend kisses in the apple orchard turn into searing ones beneath the autumn moon, Penny begins to wonder if Monty could really love her, or if she’s destined for another broken heart.
Penny had sworn off men following her broken engagement, but everyone in Hope Harbor insisted on playing matchmaker. In an effort to discourage any more matchmaking, Penny and her high-school-bestie/crush Monty agreed to fake date in exchange for Penny helping him punch up the romance in his book. Unfortunately, Penny's feelings were far from fake, and now she must decide if she should protect or follow her heart.
My return trip to Hope Harbor was as good as the first. This time, I got to celebrate autumn with the wild and wacky inhabitants of this town. Fall is my favorite season, so I reveled in each and every fall-themed fete. From the apple dessert baking contest to the hayride, it was a delight to enjoy all the revelry.
One of the things I adored in the previous book was the townspeople, and they did not disappoint. They may have even turned the shenanigans up a notch. All I am going to say is Daisy Darling. Wait until you meet her. Every scene featuring Daisy had me laughing out loud. A worthy addition to the cast, if you ask me.
But, as always, I came for the romance. This was a friends-to-lovers situation. Monty and Penny were very close in high school and shared so many wonderful memories. But, Monty left town for college following his parents divorce and seldom returned. He was struggling with his latest book and displaced from his apartment, and with few options, he decided to come home to wait for inspiration to strike. Little did he know that inspiration would come in the form of Penny, and I loved them together! They shared such a strong friendship and so much history. They just needed to make peace with their pasts in order to give this a real chance.
Monty was afraid to commit after seeing what he thought was the perfect marriage fall apart with no notice. I was happy he was able to come to terms with this, but it was Penny who I really wanted to see heal. She had been in such a terrible relationship, and here was Monty who loved her, as is. He celebrated her love of books, rooted for the success of her shop, reveled in her curves, and thought she deserved the sun, the moon, and the stars. Needless to say, I was very invested in this relationship.
A bookish heroine plus a hero working to be the best book boyfriend ever was a winning combination for me. The addition of hilarious hijinks and lots of autumnal love made this a warm, wonderful, and cozy read.
Published by Dell on July 28, 2026
Age/Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Rating:
Goodreads
The hunt for fossils—and love—is on in this steamy, STEMinist romance about two paleontologists who join forces to prevent a fraudulent dinosaur discovery, but accidentally dig up feelings for each other along the way.
Renegade paleontologist Ripley Adams is this close to digging up a fossil treasure and vindication. She’s spent the last three years in academic exile after her ex-boyfriend stole her work, betrayed her trust, and broke her heart in one fell swoop. If she can unearth a complete specimen of her newest discovery—a never-before-seen missing link between dinosaurs and birds—it will put her back on the map and finally restore her ruined reputation.
But when unfairly hot Oxford professor James Smithson crashes Ripley’s dig site, she realizes she’s not the only one searching for redemption in the Montana dirt. James is convinced a splashy new fossil is a fraud, and he needs Ripley’s help to prove it. She’d tell the buttoned-up Brit where to stick his suspicions, but the fake fossil is eerily similar to hers . . . and the fraudster is her ex.
The race is on to reveal a T-rex-sized discovery. Polar opposites Ripley and James will have to find common ground if they’re going to take down a hoax that could ruin them both. And as they dig deeper into their unlikely attraction, Ripley’s excavation boots won’t be the only things getting a little dirty. . . .
This was Ripley's second chance to prove herself to the paleontology community. She was *this* close to a major discovery when her donor pulled his support. Scrambling to find new financial backing, Ripley joined forces with renown paleontologist, James Smithson. He would find a new donor, and she would help him investigate her ex while they tried to resist falling for each other.
As a STEM girl, I adore books that feature science, and this one actually had quite a bit. It was paleontology which is not my area of expertise but still very interesting to read about. The suspected fraudulent discovery was a great subplot, and you know I was rooting for them to nail her ex.
As with all books that involve academia, Ripley was a victim due to being a woman. The things that were done to her left scars, but she didn't totally abandon her paleontology dreams. She found a way to live them out in the private sector, and I was excited by the prospect of her finding something BIG that would help her leave her mark. I can picture her going back to her professors and doing a Pretty Woman-esque "Big Mistake!" to them. The race against the clock and the shenanigans surrounding the dig added a nice element of drama which bonded Ripley and James.
Seriously, I could not have found anyone better to be by Ripley's side as she made this big discovery. James was a peach. They had met several years before, and James did not make a great impression. But here, on the dig, he showed what a lovely man he was. He was supportive and helpful, and his actions spoke volumes. It's those little gestures that always get to me.
Aside from the science, romance, and nefarious actions of her ex, the story had a great supporting cast. There was a strong found-family feel on the dig site. They really banded together to help Ripley achieve her dreams. I loved Ripley's dad too. He gave her that push she needed to follow her heart, and I was glad he did.
Overall: I loved being on the dig site with these two! The combination of science and romance was a winning one.
*ARCS PROVIDED BY THE PUBLISHER
Let us know in the comments!
No comments:
Post a Comment