Daring in a Blue Dress is the third in Katie MacAlister’s fanciful A Matchmaker in Wonderland series. Set in England amid a modern-day festival of sword-wielding knights and ladies-in-waiting, this fast-paced story delights the armchair tourist with new places, adventure and romance.

Handsome, curly-haired Alden Ainslie is displeased. His sister-in-law intends to find him the perfect girl, and once we see how tongue-tied and bookish he is, it’s clear he’ll need plenty of help. Alden has sunk his inheritance into Bestwood Hall, a wreck of a property from the 1500s, which he plans to flip despite the fact that the former owner of the manse, the eccentric Lady Sybilla, has claimed the right to live there for the remainder of her life. Alden is optimistic, however, that renovating Bestwood Hall will turn his sorry life around.

Mercy Starling’s trusting nature has left her penniless in England, heading for a summer job tutoring several “spoiled kids”—and she’s not the maternal type. A chance meeting on the train redirects her to a job with a medieval reenactment company at Bestwood Hall, where, unbeknownst to Alden, a medieval festival is about to be held.

When Mercy meets Alden, she assumes he is her new boss, and Alden assumes Mercy was sent by his sister-in-law. Though both assumptions are wrong, they are not displeased by the attraction sparkling between them. However, Alden is so remote and awkward, Mercy assumes he doesn’t truly like her. She’s been unattached for two long years, and though she doesn’t want to be charmed by a pretty face, she can’t help but be dazzled by Alden’s blue, blue eyes.

Like the helpful mice in Cinderella, rodents play a role in getting Alden and Mercy into the same bedroom. With Alden’s social ineptitude and Mercy’s mistrust of her own feelings, both doubt their relationship could be more than a brief fling. The medieval fair only lasts three weeks—and then, poof! Will that be the end of their romance? Mercy’s spunky, outgoing personality and Alden’s introversion make for a match that is sure to ignite some sparks.

In the opening pages of the first book in bestselling author Kylie Scott’s Dive Bar series, a rock-star-turned-bartender discovers a brokenhearted bride in his bathtub. With that, Scott launches into Dirty, a contemporary romance with passion and humor that’s definitely a good time.

Lydia Green’s wedding day is shattered when someone anonymously sends her a video of her soon-to-be husband getting steamy with his best man. Panicking, Lydia bolts, scaling a fence and trudging through an overgrown lawn to reach the house behind her own. With her future in tatters, Lydia breaks in and breaks down, setting up camp in the bathtub of a stranger’s house.

Vaughn Hewson first meets Lydia while she’s wearing a ruined wedding dress and he’s wearing, well, nothing. He was prepared to take a shower, but instead he finds a crying bride in his bathtub. However, as a former rock star, it’ll take more than a ripped white dress and streaked mascara to scare him. From there, the two form an easy friendship that’s sweet and flirty. Both are down on their luck and dealing with their own messes—Vaughn financially and Lydia emotionally. 

Sometimes, life needs to be shaken, not stirred.   

Watching Lydia gain her footing again after the betrayal of her fiancé is fulfilling. She’s angry and hurt, but she remains strong as she picks up the pieces of her life and alters her plans for the future. Vaughn becomes a great support system—building her up when she needs it, giving a comforting touch—and it shows how a sweet friendship formed in a time of need can turn into something much, much more. But as Lydia realizes she wants more than friendship and furtive glances, Vaughn discovers he might have another chance at rock stardom.

Scott fans and new readers alike will easily fall for Lydia and Vaughn’s whirlwind love story, though those familiar with Scott’s other romances will enjoy seeing old characters pop up. With a plus-sized, confident heroine and a tattooed, teasing hero, Dirty is unforgettably fun and reminds us that sometimes, life needs to be shaken, not stirred.   

In Nobody But You, the third in New York Times bestselling author Jill Shalvis’ Cedar Ridge series, Shalvis delivers a fast-paced love story deftly interspersed with themes of coming home again and learning to move beyond entrenched preconceptions.  

Army Special Forces officer Jacob Kincaid left home at 18 and—aside from quick visits to his mother—has avoided Cedar Ridge, Colorado, ever since. But Jacob’s hometown tugs at him with irresistible force following his Army buddy’s death in a mission gone sideways. This time, he hopes to reconnect with his entire family—especially his twin, Hudson—and soak up the peace and quiet of the spectacular Colorado mountains until he has to report back to duty. Before he can make a dent in his plans, however, he discovers a beautiful redhead tying her boat to his dock.

Sophie Marren’s been in limbo since divorcing her serially cheating husband. She’s living on the boat he loved far more than he ever loved her, but she’s weary of having to move it daily to avoid moorage fees and fines she can’t afford. She’s set aside her own dream of starting a concierge business to accept a series of temp jobs that allow her to (barely) make ends meet. Scoring a dock in front of an empty cabin feels like her first stroke of good luck in way too long. Right up to the moment she comes up against a rule-spouting hunk she assumes is Lake Patrol.

Nobody But You flows like a refreshing Colorado river on a hot summer day. The only glitch is the cutesy treatment of the hero’s mother’s dementia. Readers who have dealt with this debilitating disease with their loved ones will likely wince at the portrayal of a character who, even as she thinks herself back in a time when her grown sons were young, has no difficulty playing chess, understanding social media and verbalizing her wishes without the short term memory loss and confusion that generally typifies this condition. That said, few authors write family dynamics better than Shalvis. She yet again enchants with her trademark style and wit, eliciting tears one moment, delighted laughter the next—and always, always a huge sigh of satisfaction.

Susan Andersen is a New York Times bestselling author of 23 romance and romantic-suspense novels.

Melanie Scott returns to her New York Saints sports romance series with a tale of unlikely love between a baseball player and a Wall Street economist. Full of heat and heart, Playing Hard is a lesson in being selfish when it comes to taking a chance on love.

First baseman Oliver Shields is nearing retirement after nearly 15 years of playing with the New York Saints. The cocky, young upstart, Finn Castro, is poised to take his place, and he’s making more enemies than friends on the team. Finn has a penchant for partying, and Oliver is tasked with escorting Finn home after one too many at a team function. Heartbreakingly, the ride home ends in an accident that leaves Oliver with a season-ending injury, one that could quite possibly force him into early retirement.

Amelia Graham has had her nose to the grindstone for as long as she can remember. Taken in by Finn and his family after her mother got sick, she’s lived her life for other people and set aside her dreams of traveling the world. With a 6-year plan in place to climb the Wall Street ladder, Amelia doesn’t have much time for fun and games, let alone love. She certainly doesn’t plan on being attracted to Oliver Shields, the very man who jeopardizes her surrogate brother’s shot at sports stardom.

The attraction between Amelia and Oliver sizzles off the page, and it’s impossible not to be whisked away by their whirlwind romance. Though Amelia feels as if she’s sleeping with the enemy, she can’t help herself around Oliver. However, as the two become more serious, she finds herself wondering if she’s just a convenient distraction while he recovers from his injury. And when a once in a lifetime opportunity is offered at work, one that requires relocating across the globe, Amelia just might take the advice everyone’s been giving her and do something for herself for a change.

Scott does a wonderful job of creating a couple that complements one another. Watching Amelia grow from people pleaser to a woman who takes charge of her own life is a beautiful and at times emotional journey, and Oliver proves himself to be an ultimate beta hero: caring, supportive and genuine. With their relationship threatened by Finn’s disapproval and Amelia’s promotion at work, the pair discovers that there are things worth fighting for, and a once-in-a-lifetime love is certainly one of them.