22 superhot enemies-to-lovers romances

Tools of Engagement is the third and final book in Tessa Bailey’s contemporary Hot & Hammered series, and it’s every bit as fun and sexy as her readers have come to expect. Wes Daniels and Bethany Castle’s story has been building over the series, and it finally comes to a head when he signs on to help Bethany flip a house for a television competition.

Wes is a man after my own heart, with his “winging it” approach to life. When his sister needs a break after separating from her husband, Wes flies to New York to care for his 5-year-old niece. He takes on a job with the Castle family’s construction business and begins to work with Bethany, a perfectionist home stager who’s trying to get her family to take her seriously. Her type-A, anxiety-driven personality is the perfect foil for Wes’ easygoing, earnest appeal for connection. She’s seven years his senior, which is a great plot device in developing the attraction between the two main characters.

The key elements of a Bailey rom-com are certainly present: snappy dialogue, likable characters and red-hot chemistry. But it’s the plot that makes this romance feel perfectly of the moment, and readers quickly learn that the house the main couple is flipping isn’t the only thing that needs a little overhaul. It’s hard to be perfect all the time, and Bethany embodies every modern woman I know who juggles career and relationships, self-confidence and vulnerability. Wes is a very lovable hero, stepping up to care for his niece while fighting his own insecurities from bouncing around different foster homes when he was younger. He, too, has to find the perfect balance of self-reliance and vulnerability.

This is such a timely story for an era of quarantining and social distancing, when families have had to reconfigure their own tools of engagement, learning how to shift gears and work from home, entertain less personal space or even take on new tasks like cooking and homeschooling. Bailey’s characters face their fates with good humor and hope, which is a good aspiration for her readers. I think she’d also like to know that, as usual, I laughed out loud while reading her book . . . and I may have even snorted.

Two rival TV presenters band together to combat low ratings in Headliners, a triumphant achievement for contemporary romance phenom Lucy Parker.

Sabrina Carlton and Nick Davenport have a history. They’ve been sniping at each other via their respective TV shows for years, and fans of Parker’s London Celebrities series will already know about the colossal way Nick messed up in the previous installment, The Austen Playbook. To save both of their tarnished reputations, Nick and Sabrina have to co-host a struggling morning show and bring its ratings up by Christmas Eve.

Though Headliners wouldn’t be labeled as romantic suspense, there is also a whodunit subplot in the midst of Sabrina and Nick’s romance. Someone is out to sabotage the two presenters, Sabrina especially. The anchor, who is protective of her sister and career, already has to deal with a litany of misogynistic microaggressions from being a woman in entertainment. But soon it becomes very clear that someone is out for her job and to get her off TV entirely.

Nick is . . . everything. He has a cute dog, loves his family and job, is respectful of his budding relationship with Sabrina and the list truly goes on. If you’re worried whether Nick grovels sufficiently, I will spare you the hemming and hawing and say yes, he definitely does. His redemption arc has been worth waiting for. He does a superb grovel, but it’s the acknowledgement that his actions have consequences, the introspection he does to examine why he did what he did and how it doesn’t align with the man he wants to be that exalt him to the top ranks of swoony romantic heroes. He’s truly apologetic about his actions (which I won’t spoil for those who are in the midst of marathoning through the previous books) and aims to be a better person by fully examining his actions. Sabrina, in turn, wrestles with what she can forgive while still honoring her own pain, which is a wonderful example of strength and autonomy. What can we allow as people for the sake of growth and living a healthier life, while also respecting our own boundaries?

Headliners’ wintry London setting makes this an even more magical romance; there is just something so romantic and whimsical about falling in love amid the falling snow. (This is purely fantasy, of course, because as a glasses-wearer, snowflakes are an irritant.) But this is just another addition to the list of what makes Headliners so charming. In fact, there is one thing to make abundantly clear to readers that isn’t obvious from the cover copy. Both Nick and Sabrina are childfree by choice, a decision that may romance fans will enjoy. Epilogues in which the main couple become parents are common in the genre, so Parker’s decision to forgo showing her central couple having kids is a deliberate one.

Headliners is a superb contemporary romance. Parker’s readers, new and returning, are sure to find this one hard to put down.

ALSO IN BOOKPAGE: Read our interview with Lucy Parker.

The Wedding Party by Jasmine Guillory is warm summer fun. With her BFF’s wedding approaching, Maddie Forest knows she’ll be forced to spend time with boring, condescending Theo Stephens, a close friend of the bride. But then they end up at his place, and he proves he’s something more. That one-night stand turns into a full-fledged secret affair with the kind of ground rules experienced romance readers know can’t last. As they try to keep their relationship secret and for booty calls only, Maddie and Theo get to know and appreciate each other—but they’ve set the looming wedding date as their deadline. Readers will enjoy this telling of the enemies-to-lovers trope and appreciate glimpses of other characters from Guillory’s romances. Maddie and Theo are well-rounded people with authentic flaws who are worth rooting for.

Two strong-willed people find they have more in common than expected in Need You Now, the first book Nicole Helm’s new Mile High Romance series.

Brandon Evans is dealing with unresolved family issues while struggling to manage Mile High Adventure, his Rocky Mountain vacation business in Gracely, Colorado. Lilly Preston carries her own set of burdens. That said, Lilly, who is in desperate need of a job, accepts a PR position job at Mile High. The principal component of her job is to embrace Gracely’s legend of healing, which she wants to believe in spite of the painful problems in her own life. Regardless, Lilly takes the bull by its horns and attempts to whip Mile High into shape. But in order to have free rein over the business’ PR, Brandon insists that she pass tests by experiencing the great outdoors via Mile High Adventure tours. Lilly has no idea what’s in store, especially with Brandon as her guide.

Rising contemporary romance author Nicole Helm knows how to produce a tension-driven narrative punctuated with comedy from beginning to end. Helm’s manly adventurers may be tough, but they nevertheless have funny, memorable interactions with their new employee. A perfect example of the latter is Lilly penalizing the annoying grunts made by the men of Mile High with a Grunt Jar. While the romantic and sexual scenes have their steamy moments, Helm makes sure to throw in hilariously awkward and realistic interactions into the mix. Romance enthusiasts will be pleasantly surprised with what Need You Now has to offer.