Karla Sorensen’s This Wild Heart serves as the poignant finale to her Wilder Family series, masterfully weaving together themes of grief, love, and healing. As Brittainy Cherry writes in The Problem with Falling, “[d]eath was the only life guarantee that humans had. We weren’t promised riches and fortune, or fame, love, or success, yet we were all promised a final chapter.” This sentiment echoes throughout Sorensen’s series, which is shadowed by the impending death of the Wilder family patriarch, Tim.
While each of Sorensen’s books explores how different siblings process their father’s terminal cancer, This Wild Heart focuses on Parker, the second-youngest Wilder child, who copes through avoidance. His struggle with grief forms the emotional core of this story, demonstrating Sorensen’s skill in portraying the varied ways people confront loss and how it shapes their journey toward love.
The novel gains additional depth through its connection to Sorensen’s Washington Wolves series. The female lead, Anya Hennessey, is the daughter of Aiden Hennessey and Isabel Ward from Forbidden in the Ward Sisters series. Anya proves to be the perfect match for Parker, possessing the emotional intelligence needed to help him confront his grief. Their story unfolds through compelling plot elements—a public breakup, an unexpected fake marriage, and the challenge of breaking through Parker’s emotional walls.
This Wild Heart showcases Sorensen’s greatest strengths as a writer: her nuanced understanding of human nature and her ability to craft emotionally resonant stories. As the final installment in the Wilder Family series, it delivers a satisfying conclusion while promising readers that Sorensen’s gift for creating impeccably written romances will continue in future works.
Tropes: FMC with secrets; anti-heroic vibes, protective MMC; football romance; insta-attraction; small town vibes; romantic suspense; serial killer fun
Honestly, Tijan is always a surprise. You’re never certain what you’ll get when you jump into one of her books, but there is a certainty that you won’t leave it the same person. Her newest book, My Anti-Hero, held me in its thrall. There are so many aspects to this book that engaged me from page to page. Let me count the ways…
Tijan has this way of changing her writing style. For this book, there was a starkness to her writing style. It contrasts with the secrets of the story, the quiet unraveling of Billie and Brett. Tijan’s intentionality in this is impressive.
The evolving storyline with its many twists and turns. I did see the book’s secrets, but Tijan moved it around enough that it kept me guessing and wondering if I had it all wrong.
I ADORE that Brett and Billie are endgame from almost the beginning. Their romance and eventual love are the foundation of a suspenseful thriller, which is really the focus of this book. Even when one of them considers pulling away, Tijan shuts that down through the power of their connection, reminding us that there are more serious issues in this book, say a serial killer.
My Anti-Hero is on trend with fans’ obsession with crime thrillers. Tijan deftly entwines parts of her Fallen Crest/Roussou universe with her Enemies football world, and she pins it with the suspense of the world of serial killers. All of this conspires to keep you turning each page whether it be for a glimpse of a former beloved character (Mason and Samantha) or the intricacy of the suspense plot (is Billie really safe?).
There is much to love about My Anti-Hero: their undying love, the Tijan universe nods, the spice, everything. I simply couldn’t put this story down. You don’t need to read any of those stories mentioned above to read this one. In fact, if you’re a crime junkie, you should pick this one up and get lost in its secrets. However, if you’d love to be in on Tijan’s Easter eggs, start reading her booklist. You will NOT regret it. Oh…and thankful that Brett and Billie got their happily ever after.
Tropes: opposites attract; he falls first; second chance romance; small town romance; hate to love
Jessica Peterson’s I Wish I Knew Then is the perfect beginning to her newest series, Harbour Village. Peterson has envisaged a world that captivates her readers and promises more enticing stories. In this new story, Riley and Louise “Lu” meet in their youth and fall madly in love, but circumstances and familial expectations pull them apart, changing their life plans. Ten years later, Lu finds herself back in the small town where they met for her best friend’s wedding. In one moment, she reconnect with Riley, but initially their situation is precarious. The longer Louise stays in town, the more she is drawn to Riley, and she realizes quickly that Riley never forgot “Lu.” Instead, he created the world he imagined for them, and he’s insistent on reminding her of and encouraging her to realize her dreams. Can Lu move past her hurt and anger towards Riley who left her heartbroken ten years earlier?
Throughout I Wish I Knew Then, Jessica Peterson focuses on real-life situations through the course of her characters’ journeys. It’s what I love about her. It would be easy to write romance focused on crafting $ex scene after $ex scene. And Peterson lays it on “thick” in her newest book. Riley and Lu have chemistry and attraction in spades; however, Peterson has always infused her romance with real life truths. In her newest book, she untangles the difficulties of people from varied socio-economic backgrounds, the difficulty of choosing your dreams over the expectations of your family, the capacity for someone of a lower socio-economic class overcoming it to achieve success, and the balance of work and life in achieving dreams. Peterson creates characters who are female positive without giving up masculinity or being seemingly heavy-handed in its feminism. Riley is both alpha and beta. He strives to provide the means for Lu to imagine and live her dreams. He’s meant to raise her up, and this is a decided character trait, intentionally drawn by Peterson’s deft writing hands.
While Lu might be portrayed as indecisive about her future, this isn’t the case. Lu makes the greatest strides as she must buck her family’s expectations for her, pushing back against decades of familial tradition. To realize her dreams, she must choose herself. While it might seem that Peterson crafts Riley to give Lu her dreams; instead, Riley is drawn in such a way as to provide the space for her. Lu makes her own choices in her own time in her own way. Riley is simply there to protect Lu’s dreams. And that is the beauty of this romance. Riley doesn’t explain them to her; he doesn’t gift them to her; Riley simply encourages her to embrace her most truest self. My favorite moments in this book were the ones when Riley’s internal life reflects on his love for all parts of Lu. His love provides Lu with bravery because she can buck her family’s expectations for her own future.
Whether it’s the steam of her story or the intellectual insights threaded throughout her stories, Jessica Peterson has written I Wish I Knew Then to both titillate and test our perceptions. Riley and Lu’s romance will make you laugh, make you cry, and make your glasses fog. Ultimately, it will ask you to believe that love can transcend the challenges of life.
From New York Times bestselling author Penelope Ward comes a new forbidden, enemies-to-lovers story…
It all started with an unexpected phone call.
Two years after my fiancé passed away in an accident, his father died suddenly, leaving Brad’s adult, special-needs brother with no one to care for him.
The next thing I knew, I was on a cross-country drive to New Hampshire where I’d be moving in to look after Scottie until I could get him into a group home.
The last thing I ever expected?
I wouldn’t be taking care of him alone.
Josh Mathers, my fiance’s best friend—who also happened to be my sworn enemy—insisted he was the better person for the job. He told me to go back to California, and I told him where he could stick that demand.
Our disdain for each other wasn’t anything new. It dated back to a text I’d accidentally read years ago.
We hated each other. But we both loved Scottie, so neither of us budged.
Now we were living together in a tiny house—with one available bedroom. Thank goodness it was only temporary.
Over time, I realized the broody jerk I thought I knew was different than I’d imagined.
I found myself slowly growing attached to someone I once considered the enemy…and growing attracted to him.
Sure, both of us were guilt-ridden over Brad. We were also two grown people with pent-up frustration toward one another—stuck in a cabin in the woods.
Penelope Ward is a New York Times, USA Today and #1 Wall Street Journal bestselling
author of contemporary romance.
She grew up in Boston with five older brothers and spent most of her twenties as a
television news anchor. Penelope resides in Rhode Island with her husband, son,
and beautiful daughter with autism.
With over two million books sold, she is a 21-time New York Times bestseller and the author of over twenty novels. Her books have been translated into over a dozen
languages and can be found in bookstores around the world.
After failing my last semester for my masters degree, I decided to come back to my hometown of Almond Bay and wallow in self pity while my boyfriend told me everything was going to be okay. To my dismay, instead of open arms, he greeted me with a box to move my things.
Now I’m not a petty person, but when he told me he broke up with me because I was boring, there’s only so much of the higher road I can take. Hence the box of memorabilia I took from him.
The plan? To give it back to his boss, who happens to be my brother’s nemesis, and get the ex fired. But plans never go the way you want them, because instead of dropping off the box with a note, I’m pinned with the crime by Hayes Farrow himself.
And because my life is so pathetic, he gives me two options: turn me into the police and press full charges or . . . work it off. How could I possibly work for someone I can’t stand? Easy, I don’t look good in orange.
But working for Hayes isn’t as horrible as I thought it would be. The hate I had for him begins to turn into something else – something deeper, something I never thought I’d feel.
Unfortunately there are still old grudges and family drama to deal with. And what happens when my brother finds out that I’m working for the guy he hates more than anyone else in the world? Will I be able to follow my heart or will the way I hate him blind me from the love I feel?
Because I like to do things my way, I pour the creamer in the mug first, stick it under the coffee maker, and press start once I load it with one of his pods. I smile to myself as I watch the brown liquid mix with the creamer, stirring itself. See, genius and I’m not dirtying a spoon.
Satisfied, I pick up the mug and carefully walk it down to his bedroom. Such a lazy ass that he makes me do this. Just his way of holding control over the situation. When I reach his bedroom door, I part it open and stick my head in.
“Coffee delivery.” I push the door all the way in just as Hayes walks into the bedroom from the bathroom, wearing nothing but a low-slung towel around his waist.
Dear.
Mother.
Of.
God.
I feel my jaw slack as my eyes fall on his wet, toned body. Still wearing the necklace he doesn’t seem to ever take off, my eyes scan over his thick pecs, his toned, sinew-covered shoulders and biceps, and his stack of abs covered in droplets of water. Water that slides down each curve and bump of his fit stomach, all the way to the light patch of hair just below his belly button that extends to . . .
Oh God.
There’s a bulge.
My eyes snap up to his, and my mouth goes dry as his wet hair falls over his forehead and a light smirk plays on his lips.
Damn him.
Damn him and his sexy, mouthwatering body.
And damn that knowing smirk.
Yup, he’s not going to let that once-over slip by.
I can only imagine what he’s conjuring in his head.
Vanessa Edwin and Teddy Hamilton narrate in duet this sexy, enemies-to-lovers romance and they’re in the studio now! THE WAY I HATE HIM will be released on August 1st in a live release on Audible!
ABOUT MEGHAN QUINN:
USA Today Bestselling Author, wife, adoptive mother, and peanut butter lover. Author of romantic comedies and contemporary romance, Meghan Quinn brings readers the perfect combination of heart, humor, and heat in every book.
Never miss another NEW RELEASE, text READ to 474747.
Cover Design: Sarah Hansen Cover Photo: Wander Aguiar Photography
RELEASE DATE: JUNE 1ST, 2023
A swoony, heart-wrenching small-town romance from USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestseller Sarina Bowen!
Leila: What I meant to do: quietly divorce my lout of a husband and then have a child all on my own.
What happens instead: my crush comes back to town when I’m at my most vulnerable. After too many cocktails, I ask him to be my baby’s father.
In my defense, it’s been a rough couple of months. Seeing Matteo Rossi again after fourteen years has done a number on my emotions. And my libido.
In the morning, I’m hoping he’s forgotten the whole thing. But no such luck. In fact, Matteo has a few clarifying questions. And a few naughty ideas, too…
Matteo: What I meant to do: visit Vermont for my brother’s wedding. Make amends to my family, and mourn the loss of a friend.
What happens instead: a hot affair with the one who got away. But it can’t last. My life is two thousand miles away, and Leila deserves everything. She’s as good as gold.
Tropes: grump/sunshine; age-gap; best friend’s little sister; brother’s best friend; workplace romance; death and grieving
Jessica Peterson’s return to the writing world, The Troublemaker, is an apt reminder of her capacity to write steamy, beautiful romances with a sense of responsibility. This newest book in her Sex & Bonds series balances humor, spice, and a small amount of angst. But this is what Peterson does best. In The Troublemaker, the initial tension revolves around her hero, Brooks, trying to avoid his attraction to his best friend George’s little sister, Greer. But she is too much of a temptation. Once Greer and Brooks fall down the rabbit hole of all things romance, the rest of the story’s tension involves Brooks’s father’s approval.
However, much of this story focuses on Brooks’s unresolved grief about his sister’s death. In one of the many ways that authors reconcile an age gap, Greer is the more emotionally mature of the two at times, and she helps Brooks voice his grief. Similarly, Brooks helps Greer see she doesn’t always have to be a people pleaser. Both of these messages feel necessary, and Peterson marries them well with the burgeoning love between Brooks and Greer. The story’s gravity becomes profound as Greer and Brooks walk through their challenges hand in hand.
Even more, I LOVED that Peterson didn’t fall into the trap wrought with a best friend’s little sister/brother’s best friend trope. I detest it when the hero who falls in love with his best friend’s little sister forgoes the uncomfortable talk and allows his friend to talk him out of the relationship. Peterson is deft in creating a storyline that maintains Brooks and Greer’s agency of choice. Peterson crafted these two with a decidedness, allowing the reader to enjoy their journey and grow in their character.
Jessica Peterson’s The Troublemaker is a delight to read, and there is nothing better than a “grump” falling adoringly in love with his “sunshine” heroine. I cannot wait for more stories in this world if books 1 and 2 are any indication.
Tropes: grump/sunshine; single dad; small-town romance; age-gap; family feuds; romantic suspense; insta-attraction
Tia Louise’s A Little Taste has some of the magic highlighted in its pages. I’ll be honest. I liked Louise’s last series, Hamiltown Heat, but I didn’t love it. It was missing the levity you find in A Little Taste. There is something charming about Aiden, her MMC in this newest book, and Britt, the erstwhile FMC who steals his heart. I find the grump/sunshine or grumpy single dad tropes to be fairly charming, as a character such as Britt easily wins Aiden’s stubborn heart. And, honestly, it happens quickly in this book, a marker of Louise’s romances.
In fact, it’s one of the aspects of Tia Louise’s books of which I’m not a fan. I prefer stories that require a bit more physical restraint initially, but Louise loves raising her steam level quickly. And boy, does she do it with Aiden and Britt. From apartment hallways to trucks to bedrooms to any available surface, Tia Louise’s requisite spice level doesn’t disappoint.
Steam-level aside, A Little Taste charms its readers through a small-town feud between the town’s mystics and the town’s legal arm. It engages with a story couched in romantic suspense, as Britt finds herself embroiled in the secrets of her father’s death. Overarching all of this is the chemistry between Aiden and Britt, and the sweet ways Britt loves Aiden’s son giving him reasons to fall hard for her.
I found myself entertained and titillated in equal measure with Tia Louise’s newest offering, A Little Taste. I’m very excited about the next book in the series because I loved Britt and Aiden’s story.
Tropes: second chance romance; sports romance; workplace romance; forbidden romance; single dad; friends to lovers
Devney Perry + Montana + Football is the perfect romance equation. Add to it the wounds of a spurned love, and it becomes a 3-dimensional geometric shape of love. I had long awaited this story because, to date, Perry has eschewed sports romances. However, given her penchant for small-town romance set in the “wilds” of Montana, it feels like a good fit. And her book, Coach, truly lives up to this hype. For as much as I pined for this book, it didn’t disappoint.
For one, Devney Perry paints the disappointment of lost love in so many shades of angst. Both Ford and Millie encounter this loss in different ways, but it is painful nonetheless. Perry doesn’t dive deep into the angst bucket, but she provides enough of it to tug at heartstrings and draw us deeper into her story.
Additionally, Ford’s tenacity in winning Millie’s heart is exactly what you need from a story such as Coach. That he’s willing to pursue her is the antidote to Millie’s broken heart (and it makes Perry’s readers swoon too). This is the dream of women everywhere: for a man to admit his mistakes and take action to win a heart. And this is my favorite part of this story.
Through Millie’s story arc, Perry shows the power of grieving and letting go. She walks Millie carefully through her acceptance of Ford’s choices in the past, and she sets her up to move on. However, Ford’s interest is simply too much to ignore. Even more, Perry highlights the disparity in how men and women are treated in the workplace as Millie must confront the trials associated with pursuing a relationship with Ford in the face of strict workplace rules.
Finally, Perry adds a precocious daughter to Coach’s mix. Here’s my challenge to romance writers everywhere, though: write a romance with an average kid…or even one that’s fairly awful. Ford’s daughter, Joey, binds Millie and Ford together through her insistence on developing a relationship with Millie. Of course, Ford’s ex must add complications to the mix of this book, but it allows Ford to choose Millie when it counts the most.
Devney Perry’s Coach was exactly the book I needed this week to remind me why I love her stories so much. Even when her hero is a former NFL football player, the actions and reactions of her characters and their stories feel real, and I found myself lost in the dreaminess of their reconciliation and eventual happily ever after.
From USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Ashley Jade comes a gritty, off-limits romance about mistakes, choices, and love conquering all.
He was the mysterious dark knight always swooping in to save me when I needed it most.
I was the troubled girl with scars and a bleeding heart.
He was the gifted guitarist destined for big things.
I was the small-town girl battling her demons.
He was my earth….always keeping me grounded.
And I was his sky…always just out of his reach.
Our love was everything I wished for.
Until I destroyed it.
I never thought I’d see Memphis Payne again after I broke his heart, but the stars had other plans.
Because here he is…needing me to clean up his mess this time.
Only problem is…
Doing so will break both our hearts.
They say only the strongest love can survive an apocalypse.
That if two people are meant to be, they’ll find their way back to each other.
Professor Romance 