rom-coms-25

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The sweetest sparks fly when childhood friends agree to a marriage of convenience for the sake of a green card in The Broposal, the charming adult debut from Sonora Reyes, author of acclaimed YA novels The Lesbiana’s Guide to Catholic School and The Luis Ortega Survival Club.

Alejandro (Han) and Kenny met in second grade during a contentious game of dodgeball, and they’ve been inseparable ever since. No one is surprised when they announce their engagement. In fact, most of their friends and family think it’s about time they made it official. The thing is, Han and Kenny are faking the whole thing so that Han can get a green card and become a U.S. citizen. If Han is going to fake marry anyone, it might as well be his lifelong bestie, who knows him better than anyone else. Sweet, sensitive Kenny would do anything to help his friend, and if it helps Han get over his toxic ex, Jackie, then all the better. But soon their fake relationship begins to feel all too real. With all their friends and family rooting for them, can these two bros dodge threats from the vengeful Jackie and immigration officers and make it down the altar for real?

Reyes doesn’t shy away from infusing this rom-com with very real and terrifying stakes. (Sensitive readers should consider reading the list of triggers in the Author’s Note.) On one hand, it is a complete delight to watch Han and Kenny dance around each other, completely oblivious to their true feelings and fooling no one but themselves. They adopt a cactus together, co-parent an adorable dog and support each other at every turn. Despite all of this, there is an almost constant hum of unease in the background, as their happiness is on shaky ground thanks to forces outside their control. While this worked for most of the narrative, at times it overwhelmed the story, since the odds against Han and Kenny are almost insurmountable. With Jackie as an almost cartoonish villain threatening their happiness at every turn (“Jackie” may replace “Karen” as a generic placeholder for horrible white women committed to being the worst), the additional threat that ICE presents to Han every time he leaves his house and a few other obstacles I won’t spoil, Han and Kenny do not have an easy road to happiness. But Reyes understands that queer joy is important: Even if we have to wait till the very last pages, their characters are going to get that hard-won HEA. Throughout The Broposal, Reyes effectively conveys the deep love that their characters have shared since they were young. So despite moments when everything feels bleak, that love is still palpable, and it’s clear that these two sweethearts are going to make it.

Fans of Reyes’ previous work will be excited for their adult debut and the chance for more from this talented author.

In their adult debut, Sonora Reyes infuses a rom-com with real and terrifying stakes.

A lusty and romantic kiss turns sour and dilemmas ensue when would-be lovebirds discover they are soon-to-be stepsiblings in Tessa Bailey’s Dream Girl Drama.

When his old but usually dependable truck breaks down at an exclusive Connecticut country club, two-time NHL All-Star Sig Gauthier is rescued by the stunning Chloe Clifford, who lets him into the club so he can call a tow truck. Captivated by the quick-witted beauty, he steals a kiss before continuing his journey to visit his father, who is preparing to marry yet another wealthy socialite. But upon meeting his father’s new fiancée, Sig is stunned to discover that she is none other than Chloe’s mother. How will Sig navigate his overwhelming attraction and desire for his dream girl, without them becoming kissing stepsiblings?

The third entry in Bailey’s Big Shots sports romance series, Dream Girl Drama combines humor and heartfelt moments, exploring its nuanced protagonists through their endearing interactions. Sig is an intriguing blend of organic, rough-and-tumble masculinity and  gentlemanly protectiveness. Bright, sweet and four years his junior, the 25-year-old Chloe lacks practical life skills thanks to living in the lap of luxury with her mother, yet she dreams of making her own way and studying music at the Boston Conservatory.

Although the narrative makes it clear that there is nothing technically wrong with adult stepsiblings dating and embarking on lustful encounters, Sig and Chloe’s parents, as well as Chloe’s mentor, aren’t on board with the unconventional relationship. Some readers may find it frustrating that the obstacles to the couple’s potential romance are often self-imposed and exaggerated, but Dream Girl Drama delivers a poignant look at two people striving to be the best version of themselves, both individually and in regard to their budding relationship, despite feeling unable to act on their true emotions. However, the shifting tone between the sweet and sensual moments can be abrupt. Sig’s voice is especially inconsistent: at times refined, but then transitioning to descriptors laden with f-bombs. That said, both characters’ internal battle to navigate the delicate line between friendship and romance heightens the tension, adding drama to their authentic and genuine dynamic.

A warm, comedic romance that challenges convention and explores self-imposed boundaries, Dream Girl Drama is a treat for fans of forbidden love stories like Bailey’s previous novel, The Au Pair Affair, and The Off-Limits Rule by Sarah Adams.

Two adult stepsiblings navigate their overwhelming attraction to each other in Tessa Bailey’s humorous, heartfelt Dream Girl Drama.
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Plenty of us have thought about it, right? What it would be like to live in a Hallmark movie—in a charming, quaint town where everyone’s friendly, the weather’s perfect and no one has a bad hair day. Where you’re guaranteed to find love and happiness, often wrapped up in a Christmas-red bow. But when career-driven lawyer Campbell Andrews falls asleep in Manhattan and wakes up in idyllic Heart Springs, she’s not pleased, she’s horrified. There’s some magic at work—wisely never explained by author Falon Ballard—that has stuck her in this self-contained world (with no phones or computers in sight), and she can’t escape until she learns some life lessons. Specifically, how to find a job she genuinely cares about, how to be part of a community and how to discover true love.

If you think Ballard’s Change of Heart sounds like Schmigadoon or Pleasantville, you wouldn’t be wrong. But Heart Springs has a distinctly Hallmark style, complete with various misadventures as Cam tries different jobs—and different men—to find the ones that fit just right. A self-aware heroine, Cam sharply picks apart the well-worn tropes she finds herself living. But as Cam learns to find the charm in them, we do as well. And there is quite a lot of charm, not just in our frank, snarky heroine but in her love interest, Ben. Another transplant from the real world, Ben proves to be an adept verbal sparring partner in his and Cam’s earlier, pricklier scenes . . . and then a genuinely good friend and lover as their relationship progresses. It would have been nice if Change of Heart pushed a little harder at the dated elements endemic to this kind of world—specifically the cringey gender stereotypes. Cam notices and dislikes them at the beginning, but doesn’t actually try to change them. And eventually, they stop bothering her, because she’s focusing on the real affection she feels for the town and the friends she makes there. They may be old-fashioned, but they’re sweet and endearing, and it’s impossible to blame her for falling in love with them all.

Falon Ballard’s sweet, endearing Change of Heart follows a career-driven lawyer who is magically transported into a Hallmark movie-esque world.

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