Swoons, sighs and secrets await in this month's best new romances.

★ Bayou Baby

Southern delight awaits in Bayou Baby, Lexi Blake’s second Butterfly Bayou romance. Single mom Seraphina Guidry is focusing on her young son when a handsome newcomer arrives in her hometown. Harry Jefferys, nephew to the town’s wealthy queen bee, is an Army veteran looking to find his way in the world. One look at Sera and he thinks he’s discovered the answer, but there are bad feelings between his aunt and the young woman who’s captured his fancy. Will secrets and past grievances break Sera and Harry apart? This charming small-town drama is as smooth and sweet as a Louisiana drawl, with a good-guy hero who more than deserves his happily ever after.

ALSO IN BOOKPAGE: Lexi Blake on how the villain's perspective unlocked the story.

Highland Gladiator

Medieval romance flourishes in Scotland in Kathryn Le Veque’s Highland Gladiator. Young Lor Careston is smitten when he meets Isabail Keith, a brash Highland lass. But his romantic dreams are dashed when his village is burned and he declares vengeance. He joins an infamous fight guild, Ludus Caledonia, where he trains as a warrior, gaining the skills he’ll need to enact his revenge. There, Isabail reenters his life and they find love—and a common enemy. Well-drawn characters and heart-thumping fight scenes give readers a lot to relish in this series starter. Lor is a hero made for swoons and sighs, evolving from callow youth to driven fighter-with-a-cause. And broadsword-wielding Isabail never waits to be saved, which is the hallmark of the very best kind of heroine.

Emerald Blaze

Ilona Andrews’ Hidden Legacy series continues to dazzle with Emerald Blaze. In this alternate universe, magical families known as Houses dominate the world. Catalina Baylor is a Prime, a particularly powerful magic user, and also the Deputy Warden of Texas, whose job it is to protect humanity from those who unscrupulously wield their magic. Tasked with tracking down the murderer of another House’s Prime, Catalina must partner with assassin Alessandro Sagredo, who recently broke her heart. There’s conflict galore in this wryly written story, but what appeals most are the relationships between the Baylor family members and the growing trust—and romance—between Catalina and Alessandro. Emerald Blaze sizzles with imagination, making this paranormal a true gem of the subgenre.

More than any other category in the romance genre, small-town romances promise warmth and comfort, the narrative equivalent of a security blanket in anxious times. Three  romances deliver on that mission while also incorporating a surprising amount of contemporary social reality into the mix. They retain many hallmarks of the traditional small-town romance: conventional couples; tight-knit, if mostly culturally homogenous communities; and towns so tiny and remote they take extra effort to reach. But much like Sarina Bowen’s popular True North series, they avoid presenting the small town as a bucolic paradise that renders a prodigal son or daughter whole. Instead, these towns have their own struggles and challenges, much like the books' protagonists. These are stories about communities and how they adapt and change in order to thrive.

The Cowboy Says I Do, Come Home to Deep River and Paradise Cove all begin with significant disruptions: a threatened real estate development, the discovery of oil, the closing of a factory, the death of a loved one or the scourge of new, deadlier drugs. These changes threaten relationships, livelihoods and the way of life. The path to happy ever after, which is the right of every couple in the romance genre, requires learning to cope with that change. In each of these books, that means both respecting the old ways and embracing the new; after all, there’s as much comfort to be found in change as in tradition, and all three books skillfully negotiate this balance. All three are softly, swooningly romantic in traditional ways, but the modern and even feminist flourishes are clear too. The men may wear cowboy hats and work boots, but not a single one strictly embodies the traditional alpha male archetype. The women know how to lead, and the men know how to nurture.

In The Cowboy Says I Do, Dylann Crush explores the seamier side of small-town life, demonstrating that not all traditions are good, and sometimes you have to break with the past to secure a better future.

In Idont, Texas, corruption has been the custom for a very long time, and prospects are looking grim. The newly elected mayor, Lacey Cherish, is digging her way out from under the public embarrassment her father, the disgraced former mayor, created, and a major employer has just shut its doors. Lacey is determined to save both her family name and her town by rebranding Idont as “Ido,” and transforming it into a one-stop wedding destination. It’s a long shot, and Lacey is a real underdog—she’s a waitress with no relevant experience, a shaky reputation and a chip on her shoulder—but she’ll do just about anything to turn things around. Her older brother’s best friend Bodie, the deputy sheriff, is her greatest ally and former crush, but she’s not sure she can trust him.

With that setup, Crush effectively anchors the story in several familiar tropes that work well together. Bodie and Lacey grow from childhood frenemies to lovers, and there’s also a fake relationship/fake engagement with a significant dose of best friend’s little sister tension woven in. Lacey and Bodie's connection is undeniable, but so too are their conflicts, and it all makes for excellent banter. There’s also an interesting subplot involving a pitbull rescue and suspected dog-fighting ring. It’s a nice touch as it brings out Bodie’s nurturing side as he takes on a foster dog whom he showers with loving care, and it begins a thread that will carry on through further books in the series.

What distinguishes this book the most, however, is its unexpected intrigue. For reasons that aren’t at all transparent to her at the start, Lacey faces a lot of friction from Bodie’s ethically challenged family members as she proceeds with her revitalization plan. Bodie’s family is definitely hiding something and it’s clearly not good. This creates a tug of war as Bodie is torn between his professional responsibilities, his burgeoning attraction to Lacey and family loyalty. As the deputy sheriff, Bodie must break from the way the good old boys in his family have used their stature and family name to skirt the law. With divided loyalties and high stakes, these external conflicts complicate an already fragile connection, and the crime and corruption provide a nice contrast to the novel’s otherwise frothy romantic comedy vibe. There are no real cowboys in this story, just a well-crafted cocktail of romantic comedy and suspense in a struggling Texas town.

Jackie Ashenden’s Come Home to Deep River strikes a more somber tone. In this second-chance romance, a bush pilot returns to his isolated Alaskan hometown for the first time in 13 years after the death of his closest friend. When Silas Quinn left Deep River to join the Army with his best friend Cal West, they both left their childhood friend, Hope, behind. Cal’s connection, though, was never severed. The Wests have effectively owned the town for generations, and in the years since, Cal returned multiple times, while Silas intentionally stayed away. For Si, good memories were overshadowed by familial loss and unrequited love. But when Cal dies, he leaves Silas and their business partners both ownership of and responsibility for stewardship of the town.

The discovery of valuable oil reserves in Deep River further complicates the situation, putting the town on the cusp of change with the potential to destroy the environment and the very nature of the community as outside developers try to purchase the residents’ property. It also thrusts Hope and Silas back into each other’s lives. Thirteen years of absence means 13 years of simmering resentment and loneliness. There is a lot of drama there, but there’s also deep, abiding (though unacknowledged) love and a chemistry that has been simmering and left unsated for over a decade. Silas is the most traditional of the three men in these small-town stories. He’s got a subtly dominant streak, and it turns out that Hope likes it. But even in the most traditional of this trio of small-town stories, Silas puts Hope’s future above his own.

Silas and Hope's story has a haunting tone. In their years without each other, it’s unlikely that either Hope or Silas has ever felt whole or wanted, even though Hope stayed behind in Deep River to take care of her mother. She put every dream she ever had for herself aside, but it was never enough. This is a story about coming to terms with ghosts and grudges that no longer serve any purpose. The book's greatest strength is the chemistry between Hope and Silas. Alone, each one makes a semi-tragic figure. Together they ignite. Their love scenes are what romance writers dream of—arresting and affecting, sensual explorations of a deep emotional connection.

Jenny Holiday’s Paradise Cove is the most personal and poignant of the three books, as both of its leads are recovering from life-changing loss. After a soul-crushing betrayal by her longtime partner, Dr. Nora Walsh leaves her big-city job and her expensive apartment to become the local family doctor in tiny Moonflower Bay. There she meets Jake, a grieving father who’s short on words but generous in spirit. Holiday writes beautiful prose, and while her story is incredibly emotional, she leavens its heaviness with quirky secondary characters and generous helpings of humor.

Holiday also devises the most adorable of meet-cutes for her leads:

"The first time Nora Walsh saw Jake Ramsey, he was getting his hair braided. He was sitting in one of the chairs at Curl Up and Dye reading a copy of Field & Stream while a stylist did some kind of elaborate Maria von Trapp cross-scalp braiding thing to his long brown hair. The image was almost comical: this giant, beefy man sitting on a chair that looked like a piece of dollhouse furniture compared to him. It was like Jason Momoa’s paler twin had shown up to play beauty parlor."

For that moment on, in Nora’s eyes, the taciturn Jake is both Aquaman and man-god. She soon finds, however, that Jake is much more than his looks, and Moonflower Bay is more than a place to hideout and regroup. Jake becomes Nora’s best friend and the community becomes her home. He cooks for her. He builds a deck for her. He takes care of her in every way he can, even as he still reels from the loss of a child.

Though the bones of this story are familiar, Jenny Holiday makes them fresh by giving Nora and Jake's friends to friends-with-benefits to lovers arc a rock-solid emotional rationale on both sides. Plus, the town has real, recognizable public health problems that Nora commits to helping solve. Jake and Nora’s chemistry is red hot, and they suit each other more than a little right from the start, so their primary quest is overcoming their pasts to come together whole. Their love story will break your heart and put it back together again better than before, and you’ll be grateful for having experienced it all.

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.

Prank wars, a country house murder and a passel of irrepressible children add zing to three very sweet romances.

★ My Last Duchess

Eloisa James pens a truly delightful prologue to her popular Wildes of Lindow Castle series in My Last Duchess, the love story of the family’s patriarch and matriarch. Hugo Wilde has eight children from two duchesses and is now in need of a third wife. There’s all those children, after all, ranging in age from 2 to 18. He had planned to make a sensible choice until he took one look at widow Lady Ophelia Astley. In keeping with Wilde family tradition, he falls in passionate love at first sight. But what does he have to offer her except the stultifying life of a duchess, not to mention those eight children? Their path to happiness is mostly smooth—who can resist a sexy, kind, besotted duke?—yet the journey is great fun all the same. The banter is witty, the secondary characters are exquisitely well drawn, and the glimpses of the children will cause readers who have read their stories to smile and entice those who have not.

ALSO IN BOOKPAGE: Eloisa James reveals how she made instalove work.

A Lady’s Guide to Mischief and Mayhem

Manda Collins smoothly blends romance and an English country-house whodunit in A Lady’s Guide to Mischief and Mayhem. Newspaper owner Lady Katherine Bascomb pens an article critical of Scotland Yard’s investigation into the murders attributed to the “Commandments Killer,” causing Inspector Andrew Eversham to be pulled off the case. But he gets a second chance at stopping the villain when a similar killing occurs in a small village near the estate where the very curious and very stubborn Kate currently resides. Despite the class barrier between them, the pair realizes they have equally clever minds and an undeniable physical chemistry. The twists and turns of the plot will keep readers guessing, but Kate’s independent attitude and the interesting friends she gathers around her bring the story to vivid life.

The Cul-de-Sac War

Two neighboring houses, a big, slobbering dog without boundaries and one unwelcome attraction add up to a madcap romance in The Cul-de-Sac War by Melissa Ferguson. From the moment hunky, stubborn contractor Chip moves in next door to the home that free spirit Bree inherited from a relative, alarm bells go off. When Chip refuses to move a fence line, sparks fly and pranks ensue until they’re in a full-fledged war. But as these likable characters become better acquainted, they share serious thoughts about happiness, death, family and work. Love follows, but can they admit to it? This kisses-only inspirational romance is a sweet treat with a soft center.

They say the best relationships begin as friendships. In the case of this spotlight on two friends-to-lovers romances, it’s easy to see that the old adage was as true in the Regency era as it is today. In a delightful twist on the beloved formula, both of the soon-to-be-couples fall in love while fighting against toxic masculinity. 

Learning to open up to your own potential is as important as learning to open up to the person you love, and when you start as friends, it makes the whole process a lot less frightening. That's the lesson learned by the protagonists of Megan Frampton's second book in her Hazards of Dukes series, Tall, Duke, and Dangerous. Despite her noble birth, Lady Ana Maria Dutton was treated as a servant by her stepmother. When her half-brother, Sebastian, becomes her guardian after the deaths of her father and stepmother, he is determined to reinstate Ana Maria to her rightful place in society. A dutiful, respectful woman of the ton should hold such a position in high regard. Right? But nowhere on Ana Maria's list of new, genteel responsibilities is room to discover herself, or to fall in love. And after years of subjugation, Ana Maria is bursting with a colorful lust for life.

Sebastian and Ana Maria’s childhood friend, Nash, grew up with a physically and emotionally abusive father and is now a solemn, quiet man who feels like he’s one heightened emotion away from becoming his sire. His grandmother wants him to marry so that his violent cousin won’t inherit the dukedom, but Nash’s upbringing has left him terrified of emotional intimacy.

Due to their abusive pasts, Ana Maria and Nash came to adulthood with no overarching sense of self. They've never been asked what they want. And sadly, they have never even asked themselves what they want . . . until now. Because of their longstanding friendship, Nash sees Ana Maria, just as she sees him. Nash enjoys how Ana Maria challenges his willpower and pulls him out of his hermitage, and Ana Maria knows that Nash will protect her while giving her free rein. But she wants to marry for love, and he refuses to loosen the leash on his emotions enough to let love become a possibility. Hidden behind the cravat is a man wrestling to escape the chains of toxic masculinity who loves a proudly progressive woman.

Lyssa Kay Adams delivers a contemporary friends-to-lovers tale in the third installment of her Bromance Book Club series, Crazy Stupid Bromance. The leads have gone step further than in Frampton’s period piece, delivering a modern man who’s already ascended, and a modern woman who’s already found herself.

Noah Logan is a man after my own heart, with a rebellious teenage-hacker past and current life as a computer security expert. He’s a likable nerd with a penchant for romance novels, as evidenced by his membership in the Bromance Book Club, and a deep love for his best friend, Alexis Carlisle. When a woman shows up at Alexis’ cat cafe claiming to be her sister, Noah is her go-to guy for guidance (and a discreet background check).

Alexis’ cafe, ToeBeans, has become a safe haven for women who have been victims of sexual harassment. It’s no surprise when customers confide in her, given the publicity afforded to Alexis’ own harrassment suit against a celebrity chef, but the reveal of her supposed-sister is different. Personal. So she puts any romantic inclinations she may feel toward Noah on the back burner until she can figure out what’s up.

This book is packed with likable characters who propel the fun, flirty story at an enjoyable pace. Noah and Alexis have terrific, very plausible chemistry, and with the contemporary setting, they have fewer hurdles to overcome than Ana Maria and Nash. But it’s not all glitter and rainbows, because Alexis is still dealing with the very real fallout of being in the public eye as well as recovering emotionally from her ordeal.

Frampton and Adams have written a favorite trope with the exact joie de vivre that readers expect from the romance genre, regardless of the era. It’s especially cathartic to read uplifting, hopeful stories that validate why the guy or the gal you like is also the person you love.