This month's best romances cover difficult topics with warmth, wit and (of course) a happily ever after at the end.
★ Any Rogue Will Do
Bethany Bennett combines two beloved tropes in Any Rogue Will Do. In this Regency-set enemies-to-friends-to-lovers story, a reformed rogue finally gets the lady of his dreams. Ethan, Viscount Amesbury, tried to win Lady Charlotte Wentworth’s heart before, but the attempt ended in gossip and disaster. Years later, Ethan now has a chance to help the woman he once maligned. Self-aware, never self-indulgent and ready to go after what she wants, Charlotte knows she’s no longer the simpering miss that Ethan first met. But the two must also address disparities in class, wealth and gender autonomy. This is a fast-paced and spicy debut, with likable characters and a feel-good finale that boasts a just-right blend of tenderness and groveling.
ALSO IN BOOKPAGE: How Bethany Bennett nailed her debut romance's tricky plot progression.
The Love Study
An involvement-wary pair forges a relationship in Kris Ripper’s The Love Study. Declan is instantly intrigued by Sidney, the nonbinary host of a popular advice channel on YouTube. Sidney convinces Declan to participate in a series they bill “The Love Study” by going on arranged dates and discussing his experiences for Sidney’s audience. But Sidney is the one he truly wants. Can he convince them both that it will be worth their while? In a wry first-person voice, Ripper captures all the awkwardness of first dates. Dec is a self-deprecating and endearing protagonist, and readers’ hearts will ache for him and Sidney. Their many friends add to the fun in this dialogue-driven and warmly appealing romance.
Ties That Tether
Cultures clash in debut author Jane Igharo’s Ties That Tether. Azere knows that marrying a Nigerian man is her destiny, and she accepts her domineering mother’s setups in hopes that the right man will come along. But attraction knows no boundaries, and when she meets Rafael Castellano at a bar, she’s instantly smitten. Hot love scenes commence, but Azere knows this affair can only be fleeting. Rafael, the son of Spanish immigrants, has sympathy for Azere’s plight, but he’s not ready to give up on their romance. Azere’s anguish is clear, and readers will feel her wrenching conflict as she ponders how far she should go to please her mother and preserve her heritage. This exploration of identity, love and loss in the context of an interracial relationship feels authentic and bittersweet, yet hopeful all the same.
