Pop Stars and Playbooks by Juliet Rhodes

 

She's a chart-topper. He's a football player. Together, they're a love story no one saw coming.

Griffin Hayes is football's golden boy--charming, talented, and completely out of his depth when a video of him belting out pop star Aria Wilder's breakup anthem goes viral. Overnight, he's crowned the internet's favorite meme, and Aria's #1 fan. Aria, the reigning queen of heartbreak ballads, sees an opportunity to turn the moment into good PR and invites Griffin to her next concert. When their onstage chemistry sets the internet ablaze, her team suggests the unthinkable: a fake friendship to keep the buzz alive.

Griffin reluctantly agrees, but as they spend more time together--posing for cameras, attending events, and sharing inside jokes--he realizes there's nothing fake about the way Aria makes him feel. For Aria, Griffin is a breath of fresh air in a world that's always demanding more from her. Beneath the viral fame and public scrutiny, their connection feels real.

But when Griffin suffers a career-threatening injury and Aria battles creative burnout, their carefully constructed "performance" starts to crumble. With their worlds pulling them in opposite directions, they'll have to decide: Is this just a PR stunt gone too far--or the kind of love worth risking everything for? 

Pick up your copy here...                                                                                                                                     Amazon.com: Pop Stars and Playbooks: An opposites-attract, kisses-only, fake friendship-turned-love story between a football star and a pop icon eBook : Rhodes, Juliet: Kindle Store

No Author headshot

 Juliet Rhodes is a hopeless romantic with a soft spot for slow-burn love stories and swoon-worthy heroes who fall first. When she’s not writing, you can find her binge-watching rom-coms, obsessing over celebrity gossip, or cheering on her favorite teams (while secretly imagining the players in love triangles). She lives in a cozy apartment with her two rescue cats, Hemingway and Zelda.

The Last Days of Summer by Sarra Manning

 

A heartfelt, funny, yet deliciously spicy enemies-to-lovers romcom set during a long summer weekend at an exquisite British seaside resort, centered around a group of old friends whose lives are about to change forever.

Sometimes all it takes is one long summer weekend for the person you thought you hated to become something more . . .

After a disastrous first meeting, Cassie and Marc are instant archnemeses. Despite Marc’s frustratingly sharp cheekbones and sexy French accent—and the fact that Cassie's best friends Lucy and Russell think he’s wonderful—Cassie is convinced that Marc’s a terrible person who did a terrible thing, full stop.

But, years later, when their friends are hit with bad news, Cassie and Marc decide to put aside their differences and give Lucy and Russell the best weekend ever. While they can’t change the past, they can help their friends make new memories with all of their favorite people. Which means convincing everyone that Cassie and Marc are head over heels in love, since their best friends have always thought they would be perfect together, and badly wish each would find an ideal partner.

After years of loathing Marc, it only takes four bittersweet days for Cassie to reconsider whether she got the man completely wrong all these years. But can the two let go of their troubled past, and together, face whatever the future will throw at them? Or is this doomed to be just another steamy vacation fling, never again to be acknowledged or repeated? 

Pick up your copy here...

Amazon.com: The Last Days of Summer: A Novel: 9780063484818: Manning, Sarra: Books

Sarra Manning has been a voracious reader for over forty years and a prolific author and journalist for thirty.

Her many novels, which have been translated into numerous languages, include Unsticky, London With Love and The Last Days Of Summer, which publishes in the US in May 2026 and The Love Library, which publishes in the UK in June 2026.. Sarra has also written a number of YA novels, and several light-hearted romantic comedies under a pseudonym.

She started her writing career on the iconic Melody Maker and Just Seventeen and has written for The Guardian, The Sunday Times, The Telegraph, ELLE, Grazia, Stylist, You Magazine, Harper’s Bazaar and was most recently, Literary Editor of Red.

Sarra lives in London surrounded by piles and piles of books.

Mating in Captivity by Ester Perel

 A special twentieth-anniversary edition of the internationally bestselling and culturally groundbreaking book that cemented Esther Perel as the iconic relationship psychotherapist for today.

In the twenty years since Mating in Captivity was published in 2006, it has become a global phenomenon, as has its author, Esther Perel. As a psychotherapist and thought leader, Perel is widely considered one of the world’s most original and respected voices on erotic intelligence.

Drawing on decades of clinical experience, Mating in Captivity examines the obstacles and anxieties that arise when our quest for secure love conflicts with our pursuit for freedom and passion. It illuminates the complexities of sustaining desire in long-term relationships and shows how more playful, adventurous, and even poetic sex is possible. Wise, witty, and as revelatory as it is practical.

Pick up your copy here...                                                                                                                                     Mating in Captivity: Unlocking Erotic Intelligence―An Anniversary Edition of Esther Perel’s Groundbreaking Classic on Sex and Relationships: Perel, Esther: 9780063472341: Amazon.com: Books

'Hello, I'm Esther... I imagine a world where we experience a sense of aliveness and vitality in our relationships, because the quality of our relationships determines the quality of our lives. I've dedicated my life and career to understanding and improving human relationships. Let's continue to learn together.'

Psychotherapist and New York Times bestselling author Esther Perel is recognized as one of today’s most insightful and original voices on modern relationships. Fluent in nine languages, she helms a therapy practice in New York City and serves as an organizational consultant for Fortune 500 companies around the world. Her celebrated TED Talks have garnered more than 20 million views and her international bestseller Mating in Captivity: Unlocking Erotic Intelligence became a global phenomenon translated into 25 languages. Her newest book is theNew York Times bestseller The State of Affairs: Rethinking Infidelity. Esther is also an executive producer and host of the award-winning podcast Where Should We Begin?

Murder Most Delicious by Danielle Postel-Vinay

 In Paris, murder is a dish best served with chocolate éclairs.

Starting over in Paris was supposed to be the opportunity of a lifetime for American sommelier Olivia Beech—until her dream job ends in murder.

Once a rising star in the wine world, Olivia was one of a handful of women in the world to hold the distinction of being a Master Sommelier before COVID stole her sense of taste—and her career. Adrift and depressed, she gets a second chance when beloved celebrity chef Jacques de Bizet invites her to Paris for a job interview. But as the interview begins, he collapses, poisoned, making Olivia the prime suspect.

Olivia is in trouble, but she has an advantage: her extraordinary nose is still sharp enough to detect the subtlest of scents, including the poison that killed Jacques. Olivia knows she’s innocent, but how can she prove it?

Enter the Paris Neighborhood Watch, an eccentric circle of locals determined to protect their quartier. At the helm is the mysterious Augusta Dupin, a brilliant but agoraphobic detective, aided by her intuitive British shorthair cat, Chateaubriand. Olivia and Augusta join forces with a group of neighborhood amateur sleuths—a pâtissier, a café owner, a part-time librarian, a florist and a kind-hearted cop who may be falling for Olivia—to solve the crime, a search that helps them find not only the killer but fresh purpose in their lives.

Warm, witty, and brimming with food, friendship, and intrigue, Murder Most Delicious transports you to a cozy Parisian neighborhood where the comforts of French daily life soothe the soul even in the darkest times. 

Pick up your copy here...

Amazon.com: Murder Most Delicious: A Novel: 9780063470132: Postel-Vinay, Danielle: Books

I am a life-long Francophile and author of the book Home Sweet Maison: The French Art of Making a Home. I was born in the beautiful state of Wisconsin and have lived extensively in France, Japan, England and Bulgaria. I am married to Hadrien, a Parisian whose family has taught me much about French culture. We currently live in the Hudson River Valley of New York and visit France as often as possible. You can find my other books under the name Danielle Trussoni.

Lost in the Summer of '69 by Eliza Knight

 Three generations of women, an unforgettable summer of music, and the epic cross-country road trip they'll never forget.

Summer, 1969. Eleanor Bell doesn't have anything to lose. According to her doctors, she might not remember how to sing or play guitar soon, so why not head west now? Why not join the music festivals sweeping the country and lose herself in the music again in a swan song of her own?

Except Eleanor forgets, maybe on purpose, to tell anyone where she's going. When her daughter, Leanne, discovers her mother missing, she enlists the help of her own daughter, Nora, to help her find Eleanor. The last thing Nora wants to do before starting as one of Yale's first female undergrads is hit the road. But then Nora hears her grandmother on the radio - singing. Nora and Leanne hop in their Lincoln Continental for a cross-country road trip, always one step behind Eleanor, who has been dubbed the Dame of Rock n' Roll by none other than Johnny Carson.

Full of nostalgia and awash with the warmth of summer, Lost in the Summer of '69 is an epic celebration of savoring the encore-no matter what the next act may bring.

Pick up your copy here...

Amazon.com: Lost in the Summer of '69: A Novel: 9781464255113: Knight, Eliza: Books

Eliza Knight is an award winning, USA Today and international bestselling author. Her love of history began as a young girl when she traipsed the halls of Versailles and ran through the fields in Southern France. She can still remember standing before the great golden palace, and imagining what life must have been like. Growing up in the Washington, D.C. area, her weekends were filled with visits to museums, and historical reenactments. Escape into history for courageous heroines, irresistible heroes and daring escapades. Join Eliza (sometimes as E.) on riveting historical journeys that cross landscapes around the world. She is a member of the Historical Novel Society and Novelists, Inc., the creator of the popular historical blog, History Undressed, a co-host on the History, Books and Wine podcast and a co-host for the true crime podcast, Crime Feast.

While not reading, writing or researching for her latest book, she tries to keep up with her three not-so-little children. In her spare time (if there is such a thing…) she likes daydreaming, wine-tasting, traveling, hiking, staring at the stars, watching movies, shopping and visiting with family and friends. She lives atop a small mountain with her own knight in shining armor, three princesses, two very naughty Newfies, and a turtle named Fish.

A Kiss for Her Rival Rancher By Anna Grace

 

 From locking horns…

To shocking their small town!

Rancher Cash Holiday was prepared to host the Mountain Country Most Eligible Pageant, not participate! But family always comes first, so when his siblings ask for this one favor, Cash says yes. Even though he’ll be competing with his stunning, quick-witted nemesis: Mayor Mylie Saunders. She and Cash have never seen eye to eye, but when they’re unexpectedly partnered up, the sparks really start flying! Now everyone in Ripple Creek is talking about the pageant…and the two front-runners. But under a sky full of Fourth of July fireworks, battles turn into unexpected butterflies. Are Cash and Mylie really perfect enemies…or are they perfect for each other? 

Pick up your copy here...

A Kiss for Her Rival Rancher: A Clean and Uplifting Romance (A Holiday Ranch Romance, 2): Grace, Anna: 9781335460462: Amazon.com: Books

Anna Grace justifies her espresso addiction by writing fun, modern romance novels in the early morning hours. Once the sun comes up you can find her teaching high school history, or outside with her adventure loving husband. Anna is a mediocre rock-climber, award-winning author, mom of two fun kids, and snack enthusiast. She lives rurally in Oregon, and travels to big cities whenever she gets the chance. Anna loves connecting with readers, you can find her on social media and at her website anna-grace-author.com

Meet Me at the Seaside Cottages by Jenny Colgan

 EVERYONE IS SEARCHING FOR THEIR PERFECT HOUSE. BUT HOME IS REALLY WHERE THE HEART IS...

Janey Carter has a lot to be grateful for—a home by the sea in the Scottish isles, a job that she loves, two kids who have successfully launched, and a network of kind and supportive friends. But since her husband left, her confidence has taken a nosedive. And then, out of the blue, her thirty-year-old daughter Essie announces she’s moving back home. Janey loves Essie dearly, but she was never the easiest to live with, and Janie has been enjoying the empty nest life.

Yes, Essie Carter has just lost her job, can’t afford her rent in Edinburgh, and her boyfriend isn’t ready to commit. She hates to admit defeat and isn’t wild about moving back to the remote island community where she was raised. But maybe the sea air will clear her head?

No sooner is Essie back under her mother’s roof than an unusual opportunity pops up: the shabby and unloved Seaside Cottages next door come up for sale. Janey has some experience renovating the island’s famous stone fisherman’s cottages, Essie needs something to do, and they could both use a little Air B&B income to warm their pockets. Mother and daughter slowly bond over the shared challenge, which delivers some much-needed revelations for Essie, and offers Janey a surprise second chance at love as well.

Pick up your copy here...                                                                                                                                     Amazon.com: Meet Me at the Seaside Cottages: A Novel of Seaside Renovation Family Bonds and Second Chances at Love (Scottish Island of Mure, 8): 9780063437432: Colgan, Jenny: Books

Jenny Colgan (born 1972 in Prestwick, Ayrshire, Scotland) is a writer of romantic comedy fiction, sci-fi and has written for the Dr Who line of stories. She writes under her own name and using the pseudonyms Jane Beaton and J. T. Colgan.