“Time is precious. Waste it wisely.” Haddie Montgomery can’t forget those words after her beloved sister dies, but she can’t get far enough past her grief to think about anything more than the next moment. In K. Bromberg’s Slow Burn, burying the pain of loss in a whirl of high spirits, stiff drinks and hot sex is Haddie’s modus operandi—at least at first.   

That’s how Haddie winds up in bed with Beckett Daniels, the gorgeous, laid-back guy she met through her best friend. He’s Country to her City, the kind of well-mannered, boy-next-door type she’s always ignored in favor of the reckless bad boys who inevitably wind up breaking her heart. But one night with Becks, as Haddie calls him, is far from the no-strings fling Haddie was looking for, because afterward, she can’t get him out of her head.

Beckett is no better off, and Bromberg gives a look at the male’s point of view by offering him a few first-person chapters. The technique brings both voices vividly to life and allows the reader to see just how much blonde, bubbly Haddie has affected Becks, who suspects from the start that something serious is lurking under her party-girl facade. 

But what begins as a sexy romp—and continues that way, given the chemistry between Haddie and Becks—develops into something deeper early on. Bromberg isn’t afraid to address the kind of sobering issues that young women face, even if Haddie is. Haddie rarely thinks farther than the quick remedy of sensation—which sex with Becks admirably fulfills—to blot out worry and grief. It’s a time-honored panacea, but one that only works for so long.

Thinking past the present moment will only lead to acknowledging just how much can be lost.

And Becks is what Haddie calls a “forever” kind of guy. The kind who might want more than one steamy night between the sheets and who will expect a little more emotional honesty than “make me feel good.” But Haddie can’t do forever, not when both her mother and sister have been claimed by breast cancer. Thinking past the present moment will only lead to acknowledging just how much can be lost. In Haddie’s mind, “caring leads to devastation.” 

Bromberg gives Haddie’s voice plenty of humor and snark, but the brave face Haddie puts on every day masks real fear. And when Haddie herself is faced with a frightening diagnosis, she’s forced to face her future—and how she wants to spend it.

The romance serves up the physical intimacy between Haddie and Becks with lots of spice, but it never shortchanges the true emotion that underlies their developing relationship. In the end, Slow Burn is a perfect balance of heat and heart, and another fantastic addition to Bromberg’s Driven series.

Amy Garvey is a freelance editor and the author of several romances and two novels for young adults. 

Best-selling author Robyn Carr returns to Thunder Point, Oregon, in her latest novel, One Wish. Beautiful Grace Dillon walked away from stunning success as a champion figure skater to embrace an ordinary life as the owner of a flower shop in quiet Thunder Point. She changes her name, keeps her past a secret and refuses her imperious mother’s demands that she return to the skating world. Grace is happy with her choices and keeps busy with work and friends. However, every once in a while, she wishes she had a guy in her life.

Handsome local high school teacher Troy Headly has come to the conclusion that Grace works far too much. Therefore, he coaxes her into joining him for seaside hikes, impromptu movie nights and chaperoning teenage dances. Before long, their adventures are including kisses and romance. Grace is delighted, thoroughly enjoying everything about their fun, no-commitment relationship. Her training began at age four and continued until her abrupt departure from the skating world at 23, and there had been no time for school dances and boys. Grace is quite happy to revel in the growing connection with Troy.

Both Grace and Troy are falling in love, however, both are wary of confessing their feelings. Troy isn’t certain he wants the changes to his life that loving Grace will inevitably bring, and Grace has secrets she’s kept from Troy—will he be able to deal with her diva mother, celebrity past and all that it entails? As both struggle with accepting and confessing their growing feelings, a shocking letter arrives, forcing Grace’s hand: She must tell Troy who she really is, for danger is stalking her.

One Wish is the seventh novel in Carr’s Thunder Point series, and it doesn’t disappoint. Grace is strong, courageous, independent, sassy and endearing. Her struggle to build her life beyond her mother’s control and the pressure of fans is both admirable and touching, and Troy is the perfect match and counter-balance for Grace. While Grace’s life has been far outside the norm, Troy has a very ordinary, meat-and-potatoes background. Describing his relationship with his family, he says, “I’m crazy about them all the time—we just get on each other’s nerves. We’re typical, I think.” But Troy goes far beyond typical when Grace lands in trouble; Troy steps up and is able to give her exactly the support she needs. Fans of the series will love this latest addition and will be delighted with the glimpses into the lives of characters they’ve met and loved in earlier books.

Lois Dyer writes from Port Orchard, Washington

See more about One Wish in this blog post from Robyn Carr.

Tracy Solheim begins her Second Chances series with Back to Before, a multi-layered romance set in the aptly named town of Chances Inlet, North Carolina. A coastal community with charm to spare and the kind of small-town dynamics that mean gossip is a simple fact of life, Chances Inlet is home to the McAllister clan and the historic house that Gavin McAllister is renovating for a reality show.

The house itself is ripe for another shot at a source of happiness. Built in 1820 for an Englishman’s bride who died en route to America, its magnificence has suffered from years of neglect. Its restoration is the center around which all of the characters revolve, in one way or another, and those characters create a richly detailed, intergenerational cast.

First is Gavin, an architect whose dreams of a big-city career in New York have been put on hold while he salvages the family construction business from disaster after his father’s death. Then there’s Ginger Walsh, a dancer whose dreams of a life as a ballerina were derailed by an accident, and whose part in a popular soap opera has townspeople convinced she’s just as conniving and bratty as her soap character. She’s in Chances Inlet strictly to earn some cash as a production assistant on the renovation reality show, and she’s counting down the days till she can leave.

The way Gavin and Ginger fall for each other—and what happens after they do—makes Back to Before as refreshing as the North Carolina surf.

Gavin and Ginger make a truly unlikely couple, but from the day they first meet, the attraction between them sizzles. Gavin’s not looking for love—his fiancée dumped him days before their wedding earlier in the year—and Ginger’s unsure about tangling with the “star” of the show, but as circumstances force them together again and again, the heat crackling between them is hard to deny. But could it be more? Solheim does a great job creating characters with realistic goals as well as obstacles, and Gavin and Ginger’s status as a couple is never a foregone conclusion. 

The same realism gives great texture to the supporting characters. Gavin’s mother, Patricia, is enjoying running an inn, but she feels guilty about her romance with the new sheriff after so many years as her husband’s wife. A born mother, she also takes in “strays” like Cassidy Burroughs, a goth teen from a trailer park with attitude to spare who needs a chance to make friends. Lori Hunt, one of Patricia’s employees at the inn, is clearly hiding from something or someone in her past. Even Diesel Gold, the reality show’s inexperienced producer, is licking his wounds and hoping to finally make his father proud. 

Gavin and Ginger are the funny and flirty focus of the book. The way they fall for each other—and what happens after they do—makes Back to Before as refreshing as the North Carolina surf, and just as rewarding.  

Amy Garvey is a freelance editor and the author of several romances and two novels for young adults. 

New York Times best-selling author Kristen Proby returns to the vast, rugged majesty of Montana with her third book in the Love Under the Big Sky series, Falling for Jillian. Jillian Sullivan spent the majority of her adulthood in Los Angeles, but she’s back in Whitetail Mountain, Montana, to rebuild her life and lick a few wounds in the wake of her imploded marriage. She’s there for the comfort she’ll get from her brother and her best friend, Cara, but what she’s not looking forward to is running into Zach King. She shared the hottest one-night-stand of her life with him—and the worst morning after in the history of hookups. She knows too well that Zach will be impossible to avoid, however, since Cara is married to his twin and her own brother is his friend. 

Zach is thrilled that Jillian is back in town. He has long regretted the way he handled the aftermath of his one night with her, and when Cara sends him out on a cold winter’s night to check the wonky furnace in the house Jillian is renting, he grabs the opportunity to reconnect. 

The physical urgency they experienced during their previous encounter is even stronger than before, and they quickly give in to their need for each other. Zach finds himself falling hard and sees no reason to dodge his emotions. Jillian is a tougher sell, yet there’s just something about the way she fits so seamlessly into Zach’s life on his ranch that she can’t ignore. She certainly is unable to deny not only her feelings for Zach, but for his sweet son Seth as well. But Jillian and Zach could stock an airport with their baggage, and she simply cannot visualize how this thing between them could possibly work in the long run. She can’t help but hope, however, that it somehow will. 

Falling for Jillian is a sizzling, contemporary story full of scorching sex, family dynamics and fabulous friends. Although many of the characters’ family lives are less than functional, these friends have built a tight tribe with the people who matter most to them: each other. Hang onto your hats, because it’s a fast ride on the journey to happily ever after.

New York Times best-selling author Catherine Bybee delivers an emotional story with Not Quite Forever, the latest installment in her Not Quite series.

Successful romance author Dakota Laurens attends a writers’ conference as a scheduled lecturer but gets more than she anticipated when she meets the handsome doctor Walt Eddy. Both Dakota and Walt are slotted to use the same classroom, and the accidental double booking leads to shared drinks, conversation and mutual attraction. Their time is cut short when Walt’s work with Doctors Without Borders calls him away. It’s not until they both return to their homes in Southern California that they have the opportunity to explore their attraction.

While Walt’s work in a hospital ER is exhausting and time consuming, Dakota’s schedule is a bit more flexible. The two manage to see each other sporadically, but when Dakota accompanies Walt to Colorado for his father’s birthday party, things really heat up. Unfortunately, the intense physical connection between them is in direct contrast to Walt’s mother’s chilly reaction to Dakota. Mrs. Eddy doesn’t like Dakota, and she doesn’t try to hide her feelings. Walt’s support of Dakota, however, is unqualified.

Just when it seems that all will go smoothly for the two lovers, Walt’s past experiences make him question—and fear—his deepening feelings for Dakota. The two have a rocky road ahead of them, fraught with surprises and life-threatening peril, and whether they will find their way through their difficulties is anyone’s guess. This leads, of course, to deeply emotional, wonderfully written scenes that readers will relish.

Bybee has created an interesting and refreshingly adult heroine in Dakota Laurens. A strong woman with certain undeniable flaws, Dakota remains honest, admirable and sympathetic, and readers will find themselves rooting for her. Walt Eddy, too, is a man of strong character who balances Dakota very well. The couple is surrounded by a supporting cast of interesting friends and family, while the worlds of medicine and romance writing provide intriguing detail. The plot is well conceived, with a few surprising twists that are sure to keep readers engaged and eagerly turning pages.

Lois Dyer writes from Port Orchard, Washington