Verdict: A tender, grown-up slow burn about grief and making room for new love: nearly forty and still mourning her partner Sharon, autistic former Marine Cam Warren takes a sabbatical to drum in a community college jazz ensemble and discovers the new director is her old high-school music teacher, Laura Clark. Readers were moved to … Read more
Verdict: An award-winning slow burn with music at its heart: jazz pianist Liz Randall, six months after her wife’s death, needs help preparing for the Monterey Jazz Festival and finds it in her reclusive neighbour Jac Winters, a blind jazz expert with a guide dog and a past she is hiding from. Readers praise the … Read more
Verdict: A heavy, divisive traditionally published romance: in 2005, a grieving, anxious lesbian publicist is assigned to keep a rising, openly unruly gay starlet in the closet — and falls for her on the worldwide press tour. Fans find it moving and sexy; many more found Ali hard to like, the second half weaker and … Read more
Verdict: A raw, heavier-than-advertised music romance: 24-year-old songwriter Blair Bennett opens for pop superstar Reagan Moore’s tour while spiralling after her grandfather’s death. Readers praise the writing, music detail and intense chemistry; many struggled with how unlikable and self-destructive Blair is for most of the book. Best for: Readers who can handle a messy, grieving … Read more
Verdict: A sweet, food-filled new adult debut: an aspiring chef lands a job cooking for her favourite pop star on a European tour, and a friendship turns into more. Readers love the travel, the food writing and the surprising emotional depth around grief; critics found the characters immature, the chemistry thin and too much told … Read more
Verdict: A warm English-village second chance: after her father’s death, London property developer Chloe comes home to renovate and sell the family house — and runs straight into Amy, the dairy-farmer best friend who broke her heart eighteen years ago. Readers love the countryside, the families and a surprisingly emotional middle; the familiar formula leaves … Read more
Verdict: A gentle, deeply felt story about grief and second chances: a widowed security expert over fifty is coaxed back to life on a job in rural Saskatchewan and finds herself drawn to a spiritual free spirit. Readers call it moving and uplifting, but the romance arrives very late and, for some, too quickly. Best … Read more
Verdict: A cute, grief-tinged YA romance between a cocky pitcher and a determined student umpire, with a fun premise and two out, accepted leads. But many readers say the rivals-to-lovers setup collapses into instalove, the teens’ miscommunication grates, and the chemistry never quite catches. Best for: Teen readers and adults who enjoy messy, emotional YA … Read more
Verdict: A YA rivals-to-lovers romance with a strong emotional core about grief and a mother’s legacy, but it splits readers sharply. Fans cried and loved the coming-of-age arc; critics found the romance rushed, the field hockey thin and several elements underdeveloped. Best for: YA readers who want a queer awakening story wrapped in grief and … Read more
Verdict: A clever, chemistry-rich Olympic fencing romance that makes an unusual sport thrilling. Spangler’s fans rank it among her best sports books; a few found the premise silly or the late conflict forced. Best for: Readers who love coach-and-athlete tension, a long-held crush and women with swords. Heat level: Hot Rating: ★★★★☆ (4.0/5 — a … Read more