For the first time in four years, Levi Matthews is returning to the winter wonderland that is Carrigan’s, the inn and Christmas tree farm where he grew up. The oldest child of the inn’s handyman and cook, Levi’s childhood was spent alongside Carrigan’s heir apparent, Hannah Rosenstein. Hannah visited her great-aunt’s inn as often as possible, much to the bemusement of her globe-trotting documentary filmmaker parents. Hannah’s only dream was to permanently live in the place she loved best, stable and settled with Levi, the person she loved most. But one person’s safe haven is another person’s stifling prison: The pansexual Levi was bullied as a child for all the ways he diverged from the small-town norm, whether it was his love of cooking or flamboyant appearance. Hence a painful, messy break ensued when Levi left to find himself and Hannah stayed behind. As For Never & Always begins, Levi, now a successful celebrity chef, returns home for Passover, knowing that he doesn’t want to contemplate a future without Hannah. But before they can find happiness, they’ll have to grapple not just with baggage from the past but also with an age-old question: A bird may love a fish, but where would they build their home?

Anyone familiar with the vibrant cast of characters at Carrigan’s, who were introduced in author Helena Greer’s debut, Season of Love, will know to expect plenty of humor and warmth baked into powerfully sweet relationships. In addition to its central romance, For Never & Always tells many love stories about friendship and family—by choice as well as by birth—all flawlessly illustrated in small, telling gestures. Even more to its credit, it doesn’t shy away from the things that love can’t fix. When Hannah and Levi were younger, they would default to sex to paper over the cracks in their relationship, whether it was Hannah’s anxiety or Levi’s increasing desire to leave Carrigan’s. Growing up means admitting that they need to address their problems openly, talk about what they’re feeling and really listen to each other.

For Never & Always is a wonderful example of what readers love about second-chance romances: a couple that is now ready for happily ever after in a way that they weren’t before. A forever love takes time, commitment and a level of maturity that you may not have when that first rush of love sweeps you away. The fact that Levi and Hannah are willing to wait and work for it is exactly what makes their happy ending feel so joyful and blessed.

Jo Segura’s debut, Raiders of the Lost Heart, harkens back to foundational adventure films like Romancing the Stone and The Mummy as well as the action-packed, globe-trotting romance novels of the ’80s and ’90s. Archaeologist Dr. Socorro “Corrie” Mejia travels to Mexico in hope of unearthing the remains of her ancient Aztec ancestor during a once-in-a-lifetime archaeology dig. Unfortunately, the dig in question is being led by Corrie’s academic rival and fellow archaeologist, Dr. Ford Matthews. Both need this dig to succeed for personal and professional reasons, but they’ll have to battle the harsh jungle environment and their own lingering feelings first. 

A tenacious heroine is a must for any good adventure rom-com, and Corrie fits the bill and then some. She’s fiery, nerdy and a little quirky, with a knack for getting into the most chaotic of situations. Corrie’s career advancement has often been hampered by a white man taking all the glory, and she’s not about to let that happen again. While Ford may be an intelligent archaeologist, Corrie feels he relies too much on his own charisma and avoids getting his hands dirty. Corrie, however, craves adventure and being in the field, and is most at home trudging through the elements instead of sitting behind a desk. 

Ford needs this dig to work out, as the great press would ensure more jobs to help him pay for his mother’s medical treatment. But he also knows the privilege he wields and has begun to reckon with that. He doesn’t quite know what to do with his complicated emotions towards Corrie—other than physically surrender to them and sort it all out later. If the tension of an archaeological deadline and all the different ways the jungle can kill weren’t enough to keep the momentum at a steady pace, Ford is also doing his best to hide a sizable secret, one that could jeopardize his professional integrity and whatever goodwill he is slowly winning from Corrie. 

Both the romance and action are slow burns, with Segura taking her time to develop both before a dramatic third act. Someone in the camp is sabotaging the dig and Corrie and Ford need to find out why, but they’re distracted by their quick banter and the looming sexual tension of having to share a tent. While slightly disjointed at times, this is a fun romance that clearly appreciates its adventure romance predecessors. It’s a hopeful sign of good things to come, both by Segura and possibly the genre as a whole: There’s been a dearth of adventure romance novels for far too long, and Raiders of the Lost Heart is a thrilling addition to the canon that will hopefully kick off a new wave of the subgenre.

Samira Abdel-Aziz might be in want of a husband but she’s definitely not in want of suitors, having received a slew of what she calls “doorknock appeals” arranged by her traditional Muslim family. But finding one with actual appeal—one who isn’t too “fundy” or too secular, too stylized (she nicknames an excessively gelled suitor “Manga Boy”) or too frumpy, too judgmental or too indifferent—is quite another matter entirely. Things finally start falling into place after a meet cute with the surprisingly charming Menem, but the road to happiness is still long, winding and stuffed with awkward family dinners, nosy relatives and unexpected jealousy from her friend (and former crush), Hakeem.

Amal Awad’s Courting Samira might be best described as an Australian Muslim Bridget Jones. Like Bridget, Samira is a wry, endearing woman with big dreams of what love should look like (e.g. the final kissing scene in The Princess Bride) but minimal success when it comes to figuring out how to get what she wants. Awad warmly displays the formal propriety of Arab Muslim courtship while still highlighting the humor of it all, along with an amused appreciation of its parallels to the Regency world of Jane Austen. (Let’s face it, if Elizabeth Bennet or Emma Woodhouse magically came to life in our modern world, a doorknock appeal would make a lot more sense to them than Netflix and chill.) However, while the love story Samira experiences may be chaste, it doesn’t feel dated or old-fashioned. Searching for romance is never easy and happiness is never where you expect to find it, but somehow, love will always manage to find a way.