Lizzy Dent, The Summer Job

Birdy’s best friend, Heather, is a master sommelier who’s accepted a position at a hotel restaurant in Scotland for the summer. But when Heather bails on the job without notifying the hotel, Birdy, who’s between jobs, decides to take her place – despite knowing nothing about wine. Of course, she soon realizes she’s in way over her head, but she becomes genuinely interested in the work – and in the restaurant’s chef, James. But what will happen when the truth comes out? This book, while entertaining on a micro level, actually stressed me out because Birdy made so many terrible, thoughtless decisions! Not only was she horrifically incompetent while (initially) making no effort to improve, but she also lied to her employer and her best friend and didn’t ’fess up even when she realized how badly she could damage said friend’s professional reputation. The book does its best to make Birdy likable despite this awful start, but I never quite came around. The Scottish setting is lovely, and James is a dreamy romantic interest, but honestly, he deserves better!

Alyssa Everett, A Tryst with Trouble

Lord Beningbrough, “Ben” to his friends, prides himself on being emotionally detached and is in no hurry to marry. Strong-minded Lady Barbara Jeffords has a low opinion of men in general and, after their first meeting, of Ben in particular. But they’re forced to work together when Ben’s cousin and Barbara’s sister, who are recently engaged, are both implicated in the murder of a footman. Ben and Barbara know neither of their relatives can be the killer, but as they team up to find the true culprit, their mutual annoyance/attraction evolves into something quite different. I’ve enjoyed a couple of this author’s other Regency romances and am happy to say I liked this one as well! Ben and Barbara are an enjoyable pair, whether they’re trading insults or slowly letting their guard down with one another. And they take turns narrating the book, so it’s fun to get a peek inside their heads and see how they view the same events differently. The mystery itself is slight and utterly predictable; it’s really just a device to get these two crazy kids together. But I’d still recommend this book (and author) to fans of lively, well-written historical romance.

Priscilla Pearce, My Enemy, My Prince

This “romantasy” centers around Ro, a farm girl plucked from obscurity because of her psychic abilities to become the wife of Prince Corrado. Ro and Corrado don’t get along at first, and they’re awkward and shy with one another, but mutual feelings soon develop. Meanwhile, Corrado’s kingdom is under threat by his odious cousin, who will inherit the throne unless he and Ro can produce an heir. And as Ro adjusts to being a princess, she begins to consider how to use her power for good in the world. If you’re expecting a fantasy novel with strong worldbuilding and a well-thought-out magical system, this book is not for you. It’s 100% a romance, and probably the first half of the book is just Ro and Corrado enthusiastically, ahem, “getting to know” one another. There’s not much plot to go along with the sex scenes, and the book’s editing leaves a lot to be desired. I did like the main characters, especially their early awkwardness, and I feel like there’s the kernel of a good book here. But it’s not one that I’d enthusiastically recommend, unfortunately.