Back Where We Started by Becca Freeman (2026)
Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. Second chance romance with lots of chapters from the past. Katie is an actress who’s been avoiding her hometown and her ex-boyfriend Drew for the past five years. But a health scare with her pregnant sister forces their Christmas to be spent in town, rather than on tropical vacation. It’s angst-ridden anxiety for Katie the whole trip, and Drew has surprisingly turned out to be the small town mayor. There’s a lot of flashbacks here, going over their friendship and eventual relationship. On the whole, Katie seems to be intensely insecure and a emotionally needy. For being a second chance romance, this book was pretty slow burn. It was interesting to see the lead up to the big break up between Katie and Drew though, and I was pretty hooked throughout.
Advance ebook provided by Penguin Books via NetGalley. Advance audiobook provided by Penguin Random House Audio.
An Irresistible Kiss by Alexa Aston (2026)
Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 10 of the Captivating Kisses series. Last in the series! We start with a tragic prologue for Sarah, in her first Season, and forced to marry her best friend’s brother. He’s total trash though, and by the time we hit Chapter 1, he had died from a knife wound at his mistress’s dwelling. Sarah’s back in town as a widow looking for a second husband, but she’s basically shunned because of her stupid husband. Meanwhile, Tray, the last of our cousins of this series is ready to find a bride, now that both his sister’s have married. He’s attracted to Sarah instantly, seeks to introduce himself, and then champions her cause. It’s almost love at first sight for Tray, and he and his family are wonderful to Sarah from the start. I think this was the perfect fluffy ending to this series and seeing all the cousins (and their children) thriving.
Advance ebook provided by Dragonblade Books via NetGalley.
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