December 1, 2021
In Andrews's latest, widowed Hattie Kavanaugh has a chance to rescue her business by appearing in a beach-house renovation reality show called The Homewreckers, competing with a male lead who could be a new love interest--or her worst competitor ever (300,000-copy first printing). In debuter Ca�a's A Proposal They Can't Refuse, Kamilah Vega wants to update her family's Puerto Rican restaurant but can't get permission from her ailing octogenarian grandfather unless she marries his best friend's son, Irish American whiskey distiller Liam (75,000-copy first printing). In Colgan's Island Wedding, Flora MacKenzie is planning a sweet, small wedding on the Scottish island of Mure when she learns that rich, gorgeous Olivia is returning home to Mure for her own extravaganza wedding--planned for the same day (100,000-copy paperback and 30,000-copy hardcover first printing). In Foster's The Honeymoon Cottage, Jubil Long isn't thrilled that the little sister he's cared for since their parents' deaths wants an out-of-the-way country wedding, but then he meets wedding planner Yardley Belanger, who wishes she could have her own wedding one day (75,000-copy paperback and 10,000-copy hardcover first printing). Lauren's Something Wilder takes Lily Wilder to the Utah desert, where she uses her difficult treasure-hunting dad's old maps to conduct staged hunts and encounters the one man from the past who always saw her as the love of his life (100,00-copy first printing). A thief since childhood, when he scrambled to support a mother dying of cancer, the ever-honorable Harry Booth feels he can't follow up his feelings for Miranda Emerson--although maybe there's hope if he disentangles himself from the Nightwork he's been trapped into doing for bad-guy Carter LaPorte. This latest from Roberts has a million-copy first printing.
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Starred review from January 17, 2022
Childhood friends are forced into a fake relationship by octogenarian matchmakers in Caña’s wildly fun and foodie-friendly debut. Chef Kamilah Vega’s life revolves around her family’s Puerto Rican restaurant, El Coquí. So when the gentrification of her Chicago neighborhood puts the restaurant in a tight spot, Kamilah hopes that entering the Fall Foodie Tour will put El Coquí back in the spotlight. Convincing her family is a struggle; her abuelo agrees, but with the condition that she marry his best friend’s grandson, Liam Kane, whom she’s known since childhood. Liam has helped his grandfather run the family distillery, which shares a building with El Coquí, for a decade and is set on winning a national competition. But his grandfather, too, gets in on the setup, and both men threaten to sell the building if the youngsters won’t give each other a chance. To outwit them, Kamilah and Liam agree to a fake engagement—but they’re unprepared for how tangled their lives become and for the feelings that bubble up between them. Kamilah and Liam’s passion for their work and connection to their Puerto Rican and Irish heritage, respectively, shine through, and Caña does a fantastic job surrounding them with vibrant communities. This delightful mix of food, familia, and culture will leave readers hungry for more. Agent: Patrice Caldwell, New Leaf Literary.
Starred review from April 1, 2022
A modern-day fake engagement between a chef and a whiskey distiller forces both halves to admit to some very real feelings. Kamilah Vega has always been something of a people-pleaser, especially where her family is concerned--but she's also had long-simmering ideas about ways to modernize their Puerto Rican restaurant, especially with their Chicago-area block already starting to show signs of gentrification. Unfortunately, her grandfather isn't willing to agree to her vision so easily, and his terms are as follows: If she wants to give the restaurant a makeover, she has to get married to his best friend's grandson, her childhood friend-turned-frenemy, Liam Kane. Liam's grandfather is in on the blackmailing scheme, too, in part because he's just been diagnosed with cancer, and seeing his grandson tie the knot is his dying wish. If they don't agree to get hitched, their grandfathers will sell the restaurant and the Kane family distillery right out from under them. In an act of desperation, Kamilah and Liam agree to fake an engagement long enough to figure out a long-term solution, but it turns out that feigning affection only clues them in to the deeper feelings that exist below the surface--feelings that have secretly existed for as long as they've known one another. Ca�a has cooked up a romance that succeeds from Page 1, with a rich supporting ensemble on both sides of the equation and a central love story between two people who have to dispense with the walls around their hearts in order to find the perfect flavors they can create together. A sizzling, emotional romance with a generous helping of family and culture.
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Starred review from March 1, 2022
Childhood best friends Kamilah Vega and Liam Kane grew up in Chicago's Humboldt Park neighborhood where their grandparents started their businesses. Kamilah's abuelo opened a traditional Puerto Rican restaurant, El Coqu�, in the same building that Liam's Granda opened Kane Distillery, where they make traditional Irish whiskey. Decades later, gentrification is turning their old neighborhood into a hipster enclave, and lonely workaholics Kamilah and Liam have grown apart. But the sneaky old matchmakers have a plan. In exchange for their permission to update their businesses and let their grandkids take the lead, Kamilah and Liam must get engaged. Their fake arrangement has a rocky start, but as they spend more time together, Liam and Kamilah recognize that they understand each other better than anyone else and will do anything to support each other's hopes and dreams. With beautiful references to Puerto Rican and Irish folklore, the cultural and linguistic nuances Ca�a inserts into her heartwarming contemporary romance are flawless, as is the slow buildup of romantic feelings. This spectacular debut has tremendous series potential and is highly recommended for all libraries, especially those looking to highlight authors who deliver diverse true-to-life characters that leap off the page with originality and heart.
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Starred review from March 1, 2022
DEBUT This steamy romantic comedy features well-developed characters with understandable motivations and stressors. Kamilah Vega and Liam Kane have only one thing in common: their troublesome grandfathers, who are best friends and co-own the building that houses both families' businesses. Kamilah is a chef whose family runs a Puerto Rican restaurant, El Coqu�, while Liam and his grandfather run the Kane whiskey distillery next door. Kamilah has taken over most of the responsibility for El Coqu� but her family still treats her like a failure. Liam's grandfather has abdicated more and more decisions yet refuses to allow Liam any control over the distillery's future. Now the meddlesome duo have announced their plan to sell the building unless Liam and Kamilah get married. Though they grew up together and were best friends, Liam and Kamilah have done nothing but fight for the last decade. Can they put their personal issues aside long enough to outwit a couple of octogenarians? VERDICT The well-written storyline, fast-paced plot, deft characterizations, and delectable descriptions of whiskey tasting and Puerto Rican cuisine will keep readers turning the pages long into the night.--Heather Miller Cover
Copyright 2022 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.