Dolly R. Sickles

Rosie Danan returns with The Intimacy Experiment, a steamy contemporary romance that is every bit as enjoyable as her debut, The Roommate. It’s a triumph of feminist fiction, supporting the importance of healthy emotional and physical intimacy and showing how to make the world a better place with love.

Startup executive Naomi Grant thinks of herself as something of a superhero. She’s a former porn star who left behind her previous name and identity to build an enormous platform and take-no-prisoners public image, which she has used to transition into a career as a sex educator. But given the cultural stigma surrounding sex work, she isn’t welcome in the lecture circuit or in higher education.

She’s the perfect foil to Rabbi Ethan Cohen, one of the city’s hottest bachelors, who’s been tasked with attracting a younger generation to the faith. His own background is somewhat nontraditional, in that he was a career academic before devoting his life to his faith.

Faced with budget woes and low participation, Ethan decides to pursue a controversial initiative with Naomi by asking her to co-host a seminar series on modern intimacy. Rather than judging her former career as a sex worker, he focuses on her intelligence and the successful company and message she’s created. Not only does he acknowledge the brain behind Naomi's beauty, he also understands that the things she’s talking about are important to the millennial generation his congregation needs to survive.

The Intimacy Experiment is sexy and modern and fun, but also thoughtful and authentic. Danan avoids tired stereotypes: Ethan isn’t the least bit squeamish about sex, and Naomi is vulnerable and open when considering their budding romance. There’s a lot at stake for both of these flawed, richly layered characters. For them to love each other, openly and without reserve, is a risk to their professional reputations. And even without all of that, it takes a brave person to tell another, “I think I could be good at loving you,” and mean it. It takes a brave person to believe they’re worthy of that love. Danan crafts a beautiful arc as Naomi learns to stand in the real world and let her true self shine through, reconciling both her “superhero” and “secret” identities, and trusting that Ethan will love all of who she is.

Elle Wright kicks off her new Pure Talent series with a bang in The Way You Tempt Me. This friends-to-lovers contemporary romance is sexy, addictive and deliciously dramatic.

Xavier Starks is the heir apparent for the new sports division of his family’s talent agency, Pure Talent. As a former child star, Xavier is no stranger to life in the limelight. In fact, the reformed playboy seems perfectly suited to deal with athletes who, collectively, are a dramatic bunch. But right as Xavier is about to propose to his Hollywood starlet girlfriend, she dumps him. And while heartbreak is no more severe for famous people, the situation is amplified because the world is watching, and the internet is forever.

Also watching is his father, Jax, and his childhood friend Zara Reid, a high-powered sports agent. When Zara returns to Atlanta after her own professional disappointment, Jax is delighted to bring her on board at Pure Talent. Zara never imagined she’d be competing with (and outplaying) Xavier for the same position, and the stakes have never been higher. Because sometimes when you’re not paying attention, you miss the good things that are right in front of you. Late nights, stressful deadlines and a lifetime of camaraderie come to a head as the two try to win the job . . . and maybe each other.

Workplace romances, both in the real world and in fiction, have the potential to cause maximum damage to those involved in a relationship. Aside from the perennial question of consent, Wright explores a quagmire of supervisors and subordinates, breaking up and remaining professional, and nepotism. But as The Way You Tempt Me realistically acknowledges, when you work 24/7 at a high-pressure career, where else will you find a partner?

Wright has crafted a compelling world of strong, complex characters. Our fearless Zara is no pushover in a man’s world. And on the flipside, Xavier is not steeped in the toxic masculinity that could so easily define his character in the competitive arena of athletes and sports agents. This is a fantastic start to a new series by one of romance’s rising stars.

Jill Shalvis is back with the fourth installment of her contemporary Wildstone series, Almost Just Friends. Just like every other book she’s written, you can count on this one to make you feel good. Shalvis has a knack for creating charming characters who are vulnerable yet strong. They’re likable, relatable and possess the ability to face any challenge head-on.

On her 30th birthday, at a celebration she neither asked for nor wanted, the reality of Piper Manning’s life rings true: She is responsible for “gathering and keeping all us misfits together and sane.” That’s her friends talking, but the same goes for her family—Piper is the glue that holds them together. She’s raised her siblings, built a career as an EMT and has started refurbishing her grandparents’ lake house. Once she sells the valuable property, she’ll finally have the money to pursue her dreams of becoming a physician’s assistant.

But change is scary. Despite the responsibilities Piper has had for over half her life and now her yearning for the next chapter, taking the first step is harder than she thought. And despite all the planning, hoping and wishing she holds close in her heart, falling in love doesn’t factor into the chaos of her life.

Then she meets Camden Reid, a secretive DEA agent and Coast Guard reservist. Camden, a man in search of an anchor but with no interest in romance or love, finds Piper to be both a conundrum and irresistible. He’s drawn to her strength and vulnerability (which we’ll call the “Shalvis specialty”), and Piper challenges him more than anything he’s ever experienced.

I know it’s only January, but Almost Just Friends is my favorite book of the year so far. It’s the message we need for this new decade: Everybody struggles with change and challenge and hardship, but if you’re brave and take a leap of faith, you can be happy.

Alexa Martin is back with the third installment of her Playbook series, Blitzed. As the real-life wife of a former NFL player, Martin brings insight and experience to a fun, enjoyable series about the fictional Denver Mustangs. Reader, she knows her football! Martin captures the reality of the sexy, exciting and volatile culture of professional sports.

So far in the series we’ve seen a Hail Mary, a second-chance romance and now we’re in for a slow burn with defensive back Maxwell Lewis and local bar owner Brynn Larson. Readers of the previous two books will know that Brynn is Max’s dream woman. But while on their first date, he gets a phone call from his brother Theo, a police officer, that changes the trajectory of their still-new relationship. And rather than opening up and telling Brynn about it, he admits to not trusting Theo and acknowledges that his brother’s “little bit of power makes it easier for him to be the worst kind of person.” Theo soon catches Brynn alone to let her know what he told Max: that the rape allegations from the Lewis brothers’ past are coming back into the spotlight. And rather than listening to Maxwell’s explanation, she sides with Theo and ends her relationship with Max.

The stakes are high in dating nowadays. And when you’re with someone who’s twice your size, and a professional athlete in a sport rife with scandal from violence and spousal abuse, it’s smart to stay skeptical. But do you trust your heart and your intuition, or gossip and hearsay? Brynn poses the question best to herself: “Either I believe the man I love or I believe a woman who had no reason to lie.”

Brynn works through her relationship frustrations with her tight circle of friends (known jovially as the Lady Mustangs), and so I would’ve enjoyed a more open glimpse into Max as he worked through his issues. He’s a fun character and I rooted for him from the start. But despite all of his great qualities, he kept a very big piece of his past a secret. When it comes to light in the worst of ways, Brynn has no depth of information from which to help draw her conclusion. Sure, Maxwell is a wonderful guy. He’s handsome and kind and caring and, Brynn thought, a marvelous boyfriend—but that’s probably what Ted Bundy’s dates thought, right?

The rape allegations that come to light are obviously very serious, so tread lightly with this book if you have triggers. But if you can look forward to truth prevailing and characters who eventually find their way to better communication with one another, Blitzed is worth it.