ReportWire

Tag: romance novels

  • The Best Books About Time Travel, From Classics to Modern Favorites

    From utopian dreams to dystopian warnings, time travel fiction reflects our hopes and fears for humanity’s future. Courtesy the publishers

    For decades, authors and readers have been asking questions about what we would do, or change, if time travel existed—and what we could change. Would the smallest change, one killed butterfly, alter the entire future? Or could we edit here and there, as long as we were careful? And if we did, and then returned to our time, would it really be our time?

    Time travel and its potential paradoxes have sent us into delightful questioning, adventures and spirals, from Back to the Future to The Time Traveler’s Wife to Outlander. The genre explores some of our most intriguing questions as humans: what our future might look like, and how our history influences our present and future. With romance, grand sci-fi epics and more, our picks for the best time travel books explore the kinds of opportunities, disasters and battles that time travel could create for us all.

    The Future of Another Timeline by Annalee Newitz

    The Future of Another Timeline by Annalee Newitz. Courtesy Tor Books

    Two groups fight across timelines for the future of women’s and queer rights. A team of cis male time travelers wants a timeline where women are never allowed to vote, ushering in an eventual male-supremacist future. Meanwhile, Tess and her squad want a future of reproductive justice and equality, and she heads back to World Fair-era Chicago to try to take down the Comstock Laws in this battle across history. A tantalizing mix of historical fiction and punk sci-fi.

    This is How You Lose the Time War by Amal el-Mohtar and Max Gladstone

    This is How You Lose the Time War by Amal el-Mohtar and Max Gladstone. Courtesy Saga Press

    This epistolary novella is a series of love letters between two spies working for opposite sides of a war across time—nature versus science. It has garnered a cult following, thanks in part to a viral fan tweet. Short but dense with poetic prose, it’s a sapphic love story and an enemies-to-lovers tale as Red and Blue evolve from trying to one-up each other, to impressing one another, to risking the entire war if it means saving the other.

    Woman on the Edge of Time by Marge Piercy

    Woman on the Edge of Time by Marge Piercy. Courtesy Ballantine Books

    This underrated feminist sci-fi classic from the 1970s follows Connie, a Chicana woman on welfare who is wrongfully institutionalized in a mental hospital determined to break her spirit. She begins to dream of a possible utopian future, only to realize she is the hinge between two timelines—dystopia and utopia. Her ability to endure and remain alive may be the key to everyone’s future.

    One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston

    One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston. Courtesy Griffin

    The author of the smash hit Red, White & Royal Blue brings time travel into romance with the story of August, who falls for a mysterious stranger on the Q train. Except Jane’s look isn’t just vintage—she’s literally from the 1970s and is stuck in a subway time pocket. Part mystery, part romance and part found-family narrative, this novel weaves in themes of queer identity with McQuiston’s signature warmth.

    All This & More by Peng Shepherd

    All This & More by Peng Shepherd. Courtesy William Morrow

    Time travel was made for the choose-your-own-adventure format, and in this new release, the reader gets to make the decisions. Marsh, 45 and full of regrets, is chosen to compete on a reality show that lets contestants change their pasts. She is determined to fix her life one choice at a time, but as the reader directs her fate, Marsh begins to wonder whether the show is really what it claims to be.

    Doomsday Book by Connie Willis

    Doomsday Book by Connie Willis. Courtesy Del Rey

    Few books have won both Hugo and Nebula awards—this one has. Oxford student Kivrin sets out on a simple research project: travel back to the Middle Ages for an observational study. But a timing error sends her not to 1320 but to 1348—the year the Black Death arrived. Stranded in one of history’s darkest chapters, she must fight to survive and find her way back in this sci-fi classic.

    Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi, translated by Geoffrey Trousselot

    Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi, translated by Geoffrey Trousselot. Courtesy Hanover Square Press

    In a small cafe in Tokyo, if you sit at a particular table, you can travel back in time to meet anyone you wish. The catch? You must return before your coffee gets cold. Rather than leaning on twisty sci-fi mechanics, this international bestseller focuses on emotional resonance. Simple yet cathartic, it follows four visitors as they step briefly into their pasts.

    Thrust by Lidia Yuknavitch

    Thrust by Lidia Yuknavitch. Courtesy Riverhead Books

    Fleeing a raid in 2079 New York City, Laisve discovers she can use small, meaningful objects to travel through time. Over the course of the novel, she connects with the sculptor who designed the Statue of Liberty, the iron workers who built it, a whale named Bal and others. Together, their stories form a meditation on climate change, exploitation and the futures we may yet face.

    Here and Now and Then by Mike Chen

    Here and Now and Then by Mike Chen. Courtesy MIRA

    Kin, a secret agent from the future, becomes stranded in the 1990s. Eighteen years later, he has built a new life and raised his daughter Miranda, only for a rescue team to arrive and attempt to return him to 2142—erasing her in the process. Torn between timelines, Kin refuses to let his daughter disappear, even if it means breaking every rule of time travel.

    The Best Books About Time Travel, From Classics to Modern Favorites

    Leah von Essen

    Source link

  • 10 best cowboy romance books, ranked

    10 best cowboy romance books, ranked

    Rugged landscapes. Rugged men. Rugged women. What could be hotter? Brokeback Mountain was onto something. People love cowboys. People love kissing cowboys. People love watching cowboys kiss each other. Save a horse and ride a cowboy in your mind with these 10 best cowboy romance books, ranked.

    (Ivy Books)

    Silver Lining by Maggie Osborne is the story of Low Down. Yes, that’s her name. Could this book get any better? Low is a nurse in a desolate mountain town high up in the Rockies. She spends her days treating the poxy old coal miners who come west in search of fortune. Despite her gritty exterior, rugged as the miners she treats, she’s got a romantic’s heart. She eventually enters into a marriage of convenience with the rough-and-tumble Max McCord. It’s totally transactional, as the handsome Max is in love with another woman from his past. At least, that’s how it started. With how things are heating up with Max, Low Down will need to change her name to Low Down N. Dirty.

    Cover art for "Wild Rain"
    (Avon)

    Wild Rain by Beverly Jenkins is the post-Civil War story of a city-slicking reporter who decides that Wyoming rancher Colton Lee will be the perfect subject for his newspaper back east. Imagine his surprise when he finds himself enamored with Lee’s lasso-throwing, horse-breaking sister Spring. Trouble is, Spring has a checkered past that she’s still running from, and isn’t too keen on letting love complicate her already complicated life. But maybe, just maybe, she can find herself falling for this handsome man from a faraway land.

    Cover art for Dust Storm by Maggies Gates
    (Barnes & Noble Press)

    Subtitled A Single Dad Cowboy Romance, Dust Storm by Maggie Gates is for anyone who dreams of a rugged older man. The city slicker Cassandra was forced to give up her cushy New York City apartment with her husband to save her job. Now she’s stuck on a cattle ranch in the middle of nowhere with a grumpy old cowboy and his kids. She ain’t trying to get roped into this kind of country life. But when the hot cowboy dad she’s staying with knows how to throw a lasso, that’s going to be hard to avoid.

    Cover art for "Alive and Wells"
    (Bailey Hannah)

    Alive and Wells by Bailey Hannah centers around yet another city slicker, Cecily Kennedy, whose five-year plan did not involve moving into a ranch house in the west. To get away from her abusive ex, those plans had to change. Now she’s on the range, but it doesn’t feel like home. She’s working as a cook for the no-nonsense cowboy Austin Wells, and he doesn’t seem too keen on the way she does things. But is that frustration in his eyes … or passion? Maybe a little of both? Something tells me that Cecily is going to find out.

    Cover art for Rocky Mountain Angel by Vivian Arend
    (Arend Publishing Inc)

    Do you want cowboy romance pulp? You’ve come to the right ranch, partner. Rocky Mountain Angel by Vivian Arend is the story of Gabe Coleman, a cherub-faced, rough-handed rancher struggling to make ends meet. Enter his old high school friend Allison, who offers to help him with the business. All he has to do in return is pretend to be her fiancé. It’s the perfect tradeoff … until the pair start putting the action in “transaction.” They escape the rigors of the day with the passions of the night, but how long until reality threatens to tear it all down?

    Cover art for "Done and Dusted"
    (Dial Press)

    Done and Dusted by Lyla Sage is about Clementine “Emmy” Ryder, a woman who had it all. She left her small town in Wyoming to go to college and make a career for herself riding horses. After an equestrian accident left her unable to get back in the saddle, she returned home to recover. She’s dying to leave the town in the dust until bad boy bar owner Luke Brooks catches her eye. They used to hate each other as kids, but now he’s all grown up and looking like a tall drink of water after a hot day in the sun. The trouble is, he’s her brother’s best friend, but a little opposition never stopped Emmy before.

    Cover art for "Backwards to Oregon"
    (Ylva Verlag E.Kfr.)

    With Backwards to Oregon, the mononymous author Jae explores an undiscovered frontier of the genre: the sapphic western. The story revolves around Luke Hamilton, a woman who lives in disguise as a cowboy, who is convinced she’ll never marry. Enter Nora Macauley, a woman whose three-year stint at a brothel caused her to become cynical and jaded towards love. As fate would have it, the pair end up together in a covered wagon on the way to Oregon. They must navigate thousands of miles of dangerous frontier, with only each other to depend on.

    Cover art for "Lonesome Dove"
    (Simon & Schuster/Pocket Books)

    Lonesome Dove is a Western classic. This Pulitzer Prize-winning tale centers around former Texas Rangers Gus McCrae and Woodrow F. Call, who lead a cattle drive from Texas to Montana. The novel is an unflinching portrayal of the brutality of the Old West, but a romantic heart beats beneath it. The novel is full of complicated love stories, from grizzled old cowboys pining after a lost love to Call’s relationship with a woman who bears his child. This book isn’t going to tie up any romances in a neat little bow. Love in Lonesome Dove is more like a lasso knot. The tighter it holds you, the harder it hurts.

    Cover art for "All The Pretty Horses"
    (Vintage)

    All the Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy is NOT a traditional romance novel. If you’ve ever read his other infamous Western story, Blood Meridian, you’ll know just how brutal his work can get. All the Pretty Horses, the first in the Border Trilogy, is the story of John Grady Cole, a teenage ranch hand who leaves his Texas home to make his fortune in Mexico. While working on a ranch owned by a powerful Mexican family, he falls in love with the rancher’s daughter Alejandra. It doesn’t end well. The romance in this story comes in no small part from the words with which it’s told. Cormac McCarthy is one of the most beautiful and devastating English writers of all time, as this novel will, tragically, show you.

    Cover art for "Brokeback Mountain"
    (Scribner)

    Did you expect anything less? Brokeback Mountain is the pinnacle of the cowboy romance story. The apex of the genre. Penned by Annie Proulx, this masterpiece tells the tale of Ennis del Mar and Jack Twist, two ranch hands thrown into each other’s lives while working on a ranch one summer. Beginning with one passionate night in an isolated tent, their romance spans decades. Though the pair are torn apart by marriages, children, and a society hostile to love like theirs, they just can’t quit each other. It’s a tough read. A brutal read. A necessary read. It’s beautiful, aching, and all too short. You’ll just have to read it again and again.


    The Mary Sue is supported by our audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn a small affiliate commission. Learn more about our Affiliate Policy

    Sarah Fimm

    Source link

  • 10 greatest lesbian romance novels to read today

    10 greatest lesbian romance novels to read today

    The heterosexual agenda has tried to consolidate a monopoly on the romance novel since time immemorial. They did their damnedest with Pride and Prejudice and the oeuvre of Nicholas Sparks, but like some sort of unkillable gay weed, LGBTQ+ lit has made its mark on the genre, strong, determined, and undying. These 10 great lesbian romance novels are now basking in radiant glory.

    (Bella Books)

    The title of Jane Rule’s Desert of the Heart may sound depressing (like many of the best romance novels are) but I swear it has a hopeful ending. The novel begins with an English professor fleeing to Reno to get a speedy divorce, as you do. There, she meets a young, enchanting casino worker and artist. The fires of their love begin to burn bright in the high desert heat … but considering they’re in red-state Nevada, there’s quite a bit of conservatism to contend with. Like tough cactuses or freewheelin’ tumbleweeds, they find a way.

    The Price of Salt or Carol by Patricia Highsmith (Image: Dover Publications.)
    (Dover Publications)

    Patricia Highsmith’s The Price of Salt is lesbian-required reading. It also happens to be lesbian-required viewing, as it was adapted into the romance blockbuster Carol. The plot, as if you don’t know it already, concerns a young department store clerk who finds herself slapped in the face with love once the erudite, soon-to-be-divorced Carol walks through the door of her shop. The pair embark on a beautiful romance, entirely forbidden by the 1950s society they find themselves in, but the opposition only makes their love burn all the stronger.

    The cover for Penguin Modern Classics' version of 'The Well of Loneliness'
    (Penguin Modern Classics)

    As the title suggests, The Well of Loneliness is indeed depressing. But it’s so much more than a story of doomed romance. Published in 1928, Radclyffe Hall’s novel about a masc English aristocrat who defies gender, family, and society to pursue relationships with other women was groundbreaking at the time. People just weren’t writing novels like this, and one could argue that it is the seed from which the modern lesbian romance novel bloomed, even if Sappho’s poetry touched on the topic first.

    Cover art for "Honey Girl"
    (Park Row Books)

    Morgan Rogers’ Honey Girl is the story of 28-year-old straight-A student Grace Porter, who has just completed her PhD in astronomy. To celebrate, she pulls a Desert of the Heart and decides to travel out to the deserts of Nevada—Las Vegas, in particular. While she’s there, she has a really good time. SUCH a good time, in fact, that she doesn’t remember getting married to a woman whose name she still doesn’t know the night before. Rather than file for a quick Desert of the Heart-style divorce, she runs away with her new wife to the Big Apple to escape her highly structured, burnout-inducing life … and fall madly, madly in love.

    Cover art for "Patience and Sarah"
    (Little Sister’s Classics)

    Another sapphic classic, Isabel Miller’s Patience & Sarah concerns Patience White, a painter, and Sarah Dowling, a farmer living in 19th century New England. If the setting didn’t clue you in, Patience and Sarah have a bevy of societal obstacles that they must overcome to let their love run wild and free. The pair must decide whether or not to turn away from family, faith, and the society that raised them and live for each other alone. Written in the 1960s, the novel won the Gay Book Award in 1971 and became a staple piece of literature for the growing gay rights movement.

    Cover art for "Written In The Stars"
    (Avon)

    Alexandria Bellefleur’s Written in the Stars tips its hat to Jane Austen and puts a modern twist on the age-old story of Pride and Prejudice. Darcy Lowel is ready to give up on love for good and tells her matchmaker-playing brother to stop trying to set her up. The last blind date he signed her up for was a disaster, as she and the free-spirited astrologer Elle had less of a spark than a wet match in a dark cave. To get her brother off her case, Darcy lies and tells him her date with Elle was divine. When Darcy’s brother reintroduces Elle to her as his business partner, Darcy begs Elle to pretend they’re dating to save face. In the process of pursuing a lie, real feelings begin to bloom.

    Cover art for "One Last Stop"
    (Griffin)

    One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston is about 23-year-old August, who thinks she’s got love all figured out. Love doesn’t work. It’s messy. It’s painful. It ends in tragedy, every time. August is content to shuffle to and from her job waiting tables at a pancake shop alone until, one day, she meets the beautiful Jane on the train. Jane’s got a bit of a problem though. One of a temporal nature. She doesn’t just look like a ’70s punk, that’s the period she’s actually from. How did Jane end up in the future? Will she go back to the past? How could any human being be so damn attractive? August needs to find out.

    The Seven Husbands Of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
    (Atria Books)

    The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo is the story of made-up Hollywood icon Evelyn Hugo, whose star and marriage-studded life was not all that it seemed. While being interviewed by a young journalist for the tell-all to end all tell-alls, Evelyn drops the bombshell that her truest love was not any of her seven husbands, but the mysterious woman Celia St. James. Taylor Jenkins Reid, you’ve written quite the romance.

    Cover art for "And Playing The Role of Herself"
    (Yellow Rose Books)

    Don’t judge K.E. Lane’s And Playing The Role of Herself by its cover, there’s far more to this novel than just some skin on skin. Caidence Harris is living the Los Angeles actor’s dream, starring in a new police drama. Getting to act alongside her beautiful A-lister costar Robyn Ward every day is the icing on the cake. Caidence thinks Robyn is way out of her league, but is she really? Take a chance, Caid. The answer might surprise you.

    Cover art for "Blue Is The Warmest Color"
    (Arsenal Pulp Press)

    Adapted into a less-than-stellar film of the same name, Blue Is The Warmest Color is a graphic novel about the passionate, tragic romance between two young women in France. High schooler Clementine discovers her attraction to women after meeting Emma, a charismatic girl with blue hair. The pair embark on a romance full of ups and downs that eventually culminate in one big tear-jerking tragedy. Reading this novel is like looking at two watercolor-painted cars crash in slow motion. It’s beautiful. It hurts to watch. You can’t turn away.


    The Mary Sue is supported by our audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn a small affiliate commission. Learn more about our Affiliate Policy

    Sarah Fimm

    Source link

  • 24 Paranormal Romance Books That Are Spookily Sexy

    24 Paranormal Romance Books That Are Spookily Sexy

    While each product featured is independently selected by our editors, we may include paid promotion. If you buy something through our links, we may earn commission. Read more about our Product Review Guidelines here.

    When you start looking for the best paranormal romance books, you’ll find countless sexy, swoony, and even funny love stories, featuring all manner of magical beings. We’ve got the classics, like witches, vampires, and werewolves, plus plenty of others, like merfolk, fae, ghosts, zombies, necromancers, and so much more. These supernatural romance books bring a touch of magic to the romance world, and they’re just a little bit different from a few similar genres.

    The closest comparison would probably be fantasy romance, or “romantasy,” which usually brings in elements of the fantasy genre (epic scale, significant world-building, a complex system of magic) and layers those with a significant romance plot thread. For many readers, the line between these books and paranormal romance books for adults is somewhat blurry, but in most cases, the “paranormal” label indicates that you’ll get a heavier focus on the supernatural beings — the vampires, the shifters, and so on — and on the romance, rather than the full-fledged fantasy world-building.

    No matter your tastes, there’s definitely a good paranormal romance book out there for you! Some authors prefer to put a rom-com twist on the genre, like Lana Harper or April Asher. Others, like Nalini Singh or Kresley Cole, are mainstays of the genre for their sprawling, long-running series filled with all sorts of sexy supernaturals. Whether you take your paranormal romance with a side of chills or a side of laughs, check out these books to add some magic to your reading.

    Amanda Prahl

    Source link

  • These 16 Romance Books Prove It's Never Too Late For a Second Chance at Love

    These 16 Romance Books Prove It's Never Too Late For a Second Chance at Love

    As POPSUGAR editors, we independently select and write about stuff we love and think you’ll like too. If you buy a product we have recommended, we may receive affiliate commission, which in turn supports our work.

    Who doesn’t love the idea of a second chance at love? There’s nothing quite as heartwarming as a romantic redemption arc in which long-ago lovers get the chance to revisit what went wrong and try to find their happily ever after again. That sense of hope is precisely what makes second-chance romance such a popular trope in the world of romance books.

    Although the basics of the trope are pretty straightforward, different authors handle it in different ways. You might see childhood friends or first loves reconnecting as adults, like in “Seven Days in June” by Tia Williams or “Count Your Lucky Stars” by Alexandria Bellefleur. Some books focus on married couples who may or may not be able to revive their vows, such as Martha Waters’s “To Have and to Hoax” or “The Day of the Duchess” by Sarah MacLean. Others, like “I’m So (Not) Over You” by Kosoko Jackson, bring exes together to pretend they’re still a couple. However you like your second-chance romances, you’ll find plenty to love among these recommendations!

    And if you want to explore even more great books, check out POPSUGAR’s 2024 Reading Challenge.

    Amanda Prahl

    Source link

  • 47 Steamy Romance Novels You Need to Add to Your TBR Immediately

    47 Steamy Romance Novels You Need to Add to Your TBR Immediately

    As POPSUGAR editors, we independently select and write about stuff we love and think you’ll like too. If you buy a product we have recommended, we may receive affiliate commission, which in turn supports our work.

    We love an addictive page-turner. A book you simply can’t put down that ends up stained with coffee and torn up from the beach wind. Sexy romance novels are a great option for any season, not just because of their inherent steaminess but also because they’re fun — and who doesn’t want a bit more fun in their life? The right spicy books can inspire you to fantasize about far-off time periods or give you a few ideas for how to spice things up in your own life (or both), but one thing’s for sure: they’ll definitely hold your attention.

    The following list has options for everyone: the “Fifty Shades of Grey” fanatics, the traditional-romance-novel fans, those of us who enjoy a good enemies-to-lovers twist, and readers who spend their days stalking BookTok for their next read. Whether you’re partial to tear-jerking and heart-wrenching star-crossed-love stories or interested in a compelling, super-sexy read but would prefer to start off with something, ahem, closer to the lighthearted and sweet end of the spectrum, there’s something here for you. One thing all these books have in common, though, is they all feature truly great writing, examine sensuality in innovative ways, and will make you want to buy all the books in the series ASAP.

    Additional reporting by Alexis Stackhouse and Sabienna Bowman

    Camila Barbeito

    Source link

  • Romance Author Sharon C. Cooper on the Importance of Forgiveness in Dating

    Romance Author Sharon C. Cooper on the Importance of Forgiveness in Dating

    Anyone who has ever dated has risked being deeply hurt or potentially hurting someone else. We’re human. We mess up—whether it’s intentional or not. But one thing we all have in common when experiencing betrayals is that we have to decide whether to forgive or hold onto the hurt.

    When we forgive, we stop holding on to resentment or anger toward someone who has wronged us. Though letting go is important in every aspect of our lives, the subject comes up often while dating. Why? Because the central part of dating is getting to know someone. We spend time with them, learn about their moral beliefs, their quirks, and their hilarious Uncle Charlie. We delve into who they truly are and what they want out of life. We do a lot of sharing, and often that leaves us feeling especially vulnerable. The relationship is new and fragile while we’re learning about each other. Mistakes and misunderstandings are made, and without forgiveness, those relationships will turn into a lot of first dates instead of happily-ever-afters. 

    Forgiveness is one of the themes in my upcoming romantic comedy, IN IT to WIN IT. The story is fun and lighthearted. Yet, the challenges of forgiving someone comes through on the pages. Forgiveness is not always about pardoning the other person—releasing them from whatever hurt they caused, but at times, forgiveness can be about freeing ourselves. 

    IN IT to WIN IT follows Drake and Morgan, who were once college sweethearts until she ghosts him. She doesn’t just walk out of his life, she leaves the country without any explanation. Of course, Morgan has her reasons, but at the time, she’s not able to explain them to Drake. To say he’s devasted by her actions is an understatement, especially since she left him at one of the most difficult times in his life. But ten years later, fate brings them face to face. They have grown mentally, emotionally, and are working in their prospective careers. But one thing still holds true for both of them—they need to learn how to forgive… or determine if they even want to. 

    I included this emotionally charged topic in the story because forgiveness is something we’ve all asked for and granted at one time or another, but it doesn’t come easy. It’s hard to let go of hurt feelings and resentment when your heart has been crushed. It’s hard not to keep a mental scorecard and bring up the offense over and over again. It’s even harder not to seek revenge. If someone has wronged you, why should you be the bigger person and forgive them? 

    But have you ever considered how much stress and heartache goes into holding a grudge? How the pain festers in your life like an open wound, leaving you too emotionally drained to move on? It’s clear that if you don’t forgive, you’ll never be able to free yourself from emotional baggage. You’ll never be able to achieve inner peace. 

    But is it possible to forgive someone who has caused emotional or physical pain, especially someone you’re dating? In some cases, maybe not, but you can try. 

    What does it take to truly forgive? It’s a conscious decision. Forgiving doesn’t mean that you forget the offense or that you’re condoning what the person did. It means you have willingly decided to let go of the pain that someone has caused you. It might mean that you have to find out what was behind the betrayal. Having that knowledge can help you see the situation from the other person’s point of view. You might have to have a conversation with the offender. Or, in some cases, you might be able to sift through the facts that led up to the wrongdoing and determine why it might’ve happened. Either way, you’re the one who’ll need to dig deep to release the hurt and move on.

    While you’re deciding on whether or not to forgive someone, it’s important to remember that we all fall short. We all make mistakes. But to truly forgive, we have to be willing to extend grace to those who offend us. The same grace that we might one day need someone to give to us.

    In It to Win It

    In it to Win it by Sharon C. Cooper. Image: Berkley Books.
    (Berkley Books)

    Two entrepreneurs compete for a property but secure the biggest win of all–each other–in this second chance romantic comedy by USA Today bestselling author Sharon C. Cooper.

    Spoiledfickle, and prissy are only a few of the adjectives that have been used to describe Morgan Redford. Though she’s never had to worry about money, she’s determined to make a name for herself on her own terms. Her new venture won’t be an epic fail like her former professional cuddling service or the short-lived pet hotel. This time, through the nonprofit she cofounded, Morgan is doing something meaningful–helping teens who are aging out of foster care—and she’s got her eye on a property that could house these kids. But the competition is steep, and one of the bidders is someone she never expected. . . .

    When real estate developer Drake Faulkner learns that his ex—the one who ghosted him years ago–is a potential buyer for the property his eccentric mentor is selling, his competitive streak amps up. No way is he letting her win the property he wants. Bitter? Yes. Petty? Probably. But his mentor has a stipulation: potential buyers must participate in an Ironman competition of sorts for the property. Drake refuses to play along with this ridiculous demand, until he discovers Morgan has signed up.

    If Little Miss Can’t Run a Block Without Gasping for Air is doing it, he will too. But as the gauntlet of games heats up and forces them to face the past, they are met with a pull that feels all too familiar.Now, if only they could keep their eyes on the prize instead of on each other–but who’s to say they can’t do both?

    In It to Win It is available for pre-order now and releases on December 13.

    (featured image: Berkley Books and edited by Alyssa Shotwell)

    The Mary Sue may earn an affiliate commission on products and services purchased through links.

     —The Mary Sue has a strict comment policy that forbids, but is not limited to, personal insults toward anyone, hate speech, and trolling.—

    Have a tip we should know? [email protected]

    Sharon C. Cooper

    Source link