| Ben and Beatriz by Katalina GamarraWhat it is: a "steamy and thorny" (Publishers Weekly) retelling of Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing.
Starring: pansexual Afro-Latina Harvard student Beatriz Herrera and her nemesis, wealthy, white Ben Montgomery, who must endure each other's company during a spring break trip to Cape Cod with Ben's roommate Claudio and Beatriz's cousin Hero.
For fans of: Shakespeare-inspired contemporary romances such as Alana Quintana Albertson's Ramon and Julieta or Nisha Sharma's Dating Dr. Dil. |
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| Husband Material by Alexis HallWhat it's about: Two years after the events of Boyfriend Material, Luc and Oliver are still happy and in love. But suddenly, it seems like everyone's getting married. Should they tie the knot?
Why you might like it: Well-matched leads find their relationship tested in this witty romantic comedy that pays homage to Four Weddings and a Funeral.
Want a taste? "So there I was in the roped-off VIP area of an affordably swanky cocktail bar wearing a crocheted vulva hat." |
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| Always Be My Duchess by Amalie HowardWhat it's about: Lysander Blackstone, the wealthy Duke of Montcroix, hires out-of-work ballet dancer Geneviève "Nève" Valery to pose as his fiancée in exchange for enough money to make a fresh start.
Why you might like it: This 1st Taming of the Dukes novel puts a Victorian spin on Pretty Woman.
You might also like: Virginia Heath's Never Fall for Your Fiancé or Tessa Dare's Any Duchess Will Do. |
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| Long Past Summer by Noué KirwanThen: Before she left for college, Mikaela Marchand enjoyed a magical summer romance with aspiring photographer Cameron Murphy...until her best friend, Julie, decided she wanted Cam for herself.
Now: Mikaela, a lawyer, must defend Cam, Julie's ex-husband, when Julie sues him for selling a photo of her and Mikaela to a magazine.
Why you might like it: Narrated by Mikaela, this emotionally intense second chance romance shifts between past and present as it delves into a complicated love triangle that destroyed a friendship. |
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| After Hours on Milagro Street by Angelina M. LopezThe plan: After burning her bridges in Chicago, volatile mixologist Alejandra "Alex" Torres returns to her hometown of Freedom, Kansas, with dreams of putting Loretta's, her grandmother's bar, on the map.
The man: College professor Jeremiah Post wants to turn Loretta's into a museum honoring Freedom's Mexican American community. And as Alex soon discovers, this mild-mannered historian is no pushover.
For fans of: Natalie Cana's A Proposal They Can't Refuse or Erin La Rosa's For Butter or Worse. |
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| Mr. Perfect on Paper by Jean MeltzerMatchmaker, matchmaker: Years ago, third-generation shadchanit Dara Rabinowitz, creator of the dating app J-Mate, made a "Perfect Jewish Husband" checklist, which her bubbe has just revealed on TV.
Mr. Wrong? In need of a ratings boost, Good News anchor Christopher Steadfast proposes an ongoing segment following Dara's quest for her beshert -- which is definitely not him, a widowed single dad who is also (gasp!) a gentile.
Reviewers say: a "sweet, quirky, and enjoyable romance" (Kirkus Reviews) by the author of The Matzah Ball. |
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| Twice a Quinceañera by Yamile Saied MéndezA last-minute cancellation: Lawyer Nadia Palacio may have just called off her wedding, but she's not about to waste a perfectly good venue -- even if it means working with the venue's new manager and her college fling, Marcos Hawkins.
A change of plans: With her 30th birthday on the horizon, Nadia, inspired by a magazine article, decides to throw herself a "Double Quinceañera" to celebrate her accomplishments.
For fans of: K.M. Jackson's To Me I Wed, Taj McCoy's Savvy Sheldon Feels Good as Hell, and other stories of women unapologetically putting themselves first. |
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| Nobody's Princess: A Wild Wynchesters novel by Erica RidleyWhat it's about: Kunigunde "Kuni" de Heusch of Balcovia has made it her life's work to become her nation's first Royal Guardswoman. But how can she prove herself when handsome acrobat-turned-spymaster Graham Wynchester insists on helping her?
Read it for: the diverse cast of adopted siblings who comprise Regency London's best heist crew, and their rollicking escapades.
Series alert: Nobody's Princess is the 3rd book in the Wild Wynchesters series, which begins with The Duke Heist. |
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| The Hookup Plan by Farrah RochonWhat happens: Pediatric surgeon London Kelley encounters her former high school nemesis, hedge fund manager Drew Sullivan, at their class reunion and decides he's the perfect man...for a no-strings-attached fling.
Can you start here? Although this enemies-to-lovers romance, the 3rd in author Farrah Rochon's series, stands on its own, the incident that brings London and her friends together occurs in The Boyfriend Project.
For fans of: Jasmine Guillory's The Wedding Party. |
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| Circling Back to You by Julie TieuIntroducing: Quiet analyst Cadence Lim and affable, outgoing Matt Escanilla, her favorite coworker (and secret crush) at Prism Realty, who asks Cadence to pretend to be his girlfriend at a family gathering.
Why you might like it: This "endearing, unabashedly tropey" (Publishers Weekly) workplace romance by the author of The Donut Trap boasts likable Asian American leads, a well-drawn supporting cast, and a slow-burning opposites-attract love story. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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