August is National Romance Awareness Month

This is a companion to Jimenez’s best-seller, Part of Your World. In Yours Truly, ER doctor Briana Ortiz, who’s looking to score the position of chief and is dealing with the finalization of her divorce, finds out that she has competition just when she thinks her promotion is going to be announced, the new ER doctor, Jacob Maddox, not so affectionately nicknamed Dr. Death after seven of his patients die on his first day. They hired Jacob to give Briana some competition and see who’d be the better fit. The only problem is: Jacob has no knowledge of this nor any interest in the job. This one fact leads to a lot of misunderstandings, an apology through a hand-written letter which leads to a no-harm friendship, and a complicated fake dating scheme. This book tackles the complications of living with anxiety disorder and the stigma around it, organ failure and donation, and so much more. This is one of my favorite reads so far for 2023. Perfect for fans of the fake dating trope.

Emily Henry’s latest is a fake dating, second chance romance, friendship extravaganza! We follow Harriet as she journeys across the country to Maine for a vacation in the sun with her best friends. She also plans to break the news that she and her fiancée, Wyn, have split up, except once she gets there, complications arise that keep her from confessing the truth. Not only that, she must now pretend that her feelings for Wyn are as strong as ever (and they just might be). While Harriet’s lack of communication can be frustrating to read, it can be difficult to express yourself and be honest with your loved ones. Harriet’s relationships are authentic (as are the wide cast of characters). While the tone of Happy Place is different from Henry’s bookish romances, with more melancholy, the friendships and love story are sure to please fans.

In this latest historical romance from Cat Sebastian and set in the 1950s, reporter Nick Russo takes his newspaper publisher’s son, Andy Fleming, under his wing and teaches him the ins and outs of the newspaper world. Andy can be a bit of a mess (losing his keys, getting his tie stuck in a cabinet), so Nick finds himself taking care of Andy. The two become best friends, but could they be more? Nick can’t deny the fact that he loves Andy, but can he take the chance to admit how he feels especially in a time when same sex love is seen as a crime, and he could lose his best friend? This is a beautiful story with fully fleshed out characters that you will root for worry over.

Mhairi McFarlane’s latest romance follows teacher Roisin as she and her boyfriend of several years, Joe, travel for a friend’s group vacation. Their relationship has been struggling recently as Joe has been garnering success as a screenwriter and neglecting Roisin. This trip could be a make or break for the couple and when Joe’s new series seems too much of a parallel to their lives (and the lives of their friends) Roisin is leaning more toward the break. Has Joe been unfaithful? Much of the book follows Roisin’s quest for the truth and while the love interest is charming and it makes for a sweet reconnection or fulfillment of what could be, it does take a back seat to much of the toxic relationship drama. This is still an excellent book from Mhairi McFarlane with authentic characters and an engaging plot.

The Witch is Back by Sophie H. Morgan is a second chance romance with a witchy twist! Bastian Truenote betrayed Emmaline Bluewater when he disappeared without a word seven years ago. He was her childhood best friend and fiance. She thought she would have all that she’d dreamed, including acceptance in the witch community, but abandoned, she leaves and recreates her life in the mundane world, opening a bar in Chicago. Now, Emma is suddenly thrust back into high witch society when Bastian sweeps in and begs Emma for help. The catch? They must get married! Bastian and Emma’s love story is bittersweet and overflowing with charm. The Witch is Back is sure to please readers who like a little magic with their romance