Archives de catégorie : Contemporary Romance

HANGRY HEARTS de Jennifer Chen

Love, family, and food collide in this sparkling Romeo and Juliet-inspired romance.

HANGRY HEARTS
by Jennifer Chen
Wednesday Books, March 2025

Julie Wu and Randall Hur used to be best friends. Now they only see each other on Saturdays at the Pasadena Farmers Market where their once close families are long-standing rivals. When Julie and Randall are paired with ultra-rich London Kim for a community-service school project, they are forced to work together for the first time in years. It quickly becomes obvious that London has a major crush on Julie. But Julie can’t stop thinking about Randall. And Randall can’t stop thinking about how London is thinking about Julie. Soon, prompted by a little jealousy and years of missing each other, school project meetings turn into pseudo dates at their favorite Taiwanese breakfast shop and then secret kisses at the beach—far from the watchful eyes of their families. Just as they’re finally feeling brave enough to tell their grandmas, the two matriarchs rehash their old fight and Julie and Randall get caught in the middle when Julie’s brother finds out they are dating. Their families are heartbroken. But it’s the Year of the Dragon, an auspicious time to resolve disagreements and start anew, and Randall isn’t going down without fighting for what—and who—they love. Could the Lunar New Year provide not only a second chance for Randall and Julie, but for their families as well? Jennifer Chen’s Hangry Hearts is a funny, big-hearted romance about friendship, family, and first love—and being brave enough to have it all.

Jennifer Chen is a freelance journalist who has written for Today, New York Times, Oprah Daily, Real Simple, and Bust. Jennifer has a MFA and BFA in dramatic writing from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts. She is a proud volunteer for WriteGirl, a creative writing and mentoring organization. She lives in Los Angeles with her TV writer husband, twins, two pugs, and a cat named Gremlin.

LIGHTS, CANTER, ACTION de Katie Gilbert

An enemies-to-lovers, horses-meets-Hollywood romance that will have readers’ hearts pounding and the pages turning!

LIGHTS, CANTER, ACTION
by Katie Gilbert
Union Square & Co, March 2025
(via Gillian MacKenzie Agency)

When a film production comes to her hometown, 17-year-old Nora gets a job wrangling horses on the set. But she isn’t prepared to wrangle the film’s star and Hollywood bad boy, Alexander Mathis. As the pair spend more and more time together, Alexander starts to race away with her heart—and who he really is begins to blur.

WITH FRIENDS LIKE THESE d’Emma Lord

Brimming with Emma Lord’s signature wit, WITH FRIENDS LIKE THESE is a flirty and fun coming-of-age story of rivals-to-lovers meets Never Have I Ever.

WITH FRIENDS LIKE THESE
by Emma Lord
Wednesday Books, January 2025

At long last, Sadie has vanquished her lifelong academic rival—her irritatingly charming, whip smart next door neighbor, Seb—by getting the coveted, only spot to her dream college. Or at least, so she thinks. When Seb is unexpectedly pulled off the waitlist and admitted, Sadie has to compete with him all over again, this time to get a spot on the school’s famous zine. Now not only is she dealing with the mayhem of the lovable, chaotic family she hid her writing talents from, as well as her own self doubt, but she has to come to terms with some less-than-resentful feelings for Seb that are popping up along the way. But the longer they compete, the more Sadie and Seb notice flaws in the school’s system that are much bigger than any competition between them. Somehow the two of them have to band together even as they’re trying to crush each other, only to discover they may have met their match in more ways than one.

Emma Lord (she/her) is a digital media editor and writer living in New York City, where she spends whatever time she isn’t writing either running or belting show tunes in community theater. She graduated from the University of Virginia with a major in psychology and a minor in how to tilt your computer screen so nobody will notice you updating your fan fiction from the back row. She was raised on glitter, a whole lot of love, and copious amounts of grilled cheese. Her books include Tweet Cute, You Have a Match, and When You Get the Chance.

THE FREEDOM OF FALLING d’Arriel Vinson

Sold in a 7-publisher auction, debut author and Reese’s Book Club Fellow Arriel Vinson delivers an outstanding novel-in-verse about a girl who falls in love at the roller-skating rink—the only place in the world where she feels whole.

THE FREEDOM OF FALLING
by Arriel Vinson
Putnam/ Penguin Random House, Summer 2025
(via Writers House)

Jaelyn Coleman wants nothing more than to go to WestSide Roll skating rink every weekend like she always does with her best friend Noelle. As Arriel says, like many Black families, her parents—before they got divorced—made roller skating a tradition. But Jaelyn learns that her place of refuge is shutting down by the middle of the summer. Her neighbourhood is being gentrified. Which means she and her best friend might grow apart even more. Trey—the guy she just met at the rink—may become a distant memory. And the place where her family was essentially made will be gone. But, Jaelyn realizes that no one can take away what she loves, and that skating is about keeping community alive.

With searing intelligence, THE FREEDOM OF FALLING explores female friendship, complicated family relationships, and growing into confidence. But at its heart, it’s about learning to let your emotions be free. The freedom to fall in love, maybe with your cute boyfriend, but also with your family who you thought you had lost.

Arriel Vinson is a Reese’s Book Club LitUp Fellow and Midwesterner who writes about being young, Black, and in search of freedom. She earned her MFA in Fiction from Sarah Lawrence College. Her poetry, fiction, and essays have appeared in Shondaland, Kweli Journal, Catapult, The Rumpus, Waxwing, and others. A Tin House YA Scholar, 2020 Walter Grant recipient, and 2019 Kimbilio Fellow, her work has been nominated for Best New Poets 2020, Best of the Net 2019, and a Pushcart Prize.

LitUp by Reese’s Book Club is working to break down systematic barriers in traditional book publishing and provide opportunities for underrepresented women storytellers. The program provides powerful resources for diverse writers to get started and get their books onto our shelves through a writers retreat, a mentorship with Reese’s Book Club alumni authors, and marketing through Reese’s Book Club channels, including spotlights on their Instagram, features in their newsletter, and videos on TikTok.

THE RULES OF ROYALTY de Cale Dietrich

The Princess Diaries meets Red, White & Royal Blue in this delightful queer romance about two princes of neighboring nations who fall in love.

THE RULES OF ROYALTY
by Cale Dietrich
Wednesday Books/St. Martin’s Press, December 2024

American-raised Jamie has just found out that he’s the prince of a small country, and now he’s being thrown head first into the world of royalty with no idea how to navigate it. Erik, the reluctant “spare” prince of the country next door, who’s dealing with family drama of his own, agrees to show him the royal ropes after they meet at an event. In the following months, between archery lessons, balls, a ski trip, and even a royal wedding, they must find out what they each want from their future as royals, and if that future can include the two of them together.

Cale Dietrich is a YA devotee, lifelong gamer, and tragic pop punk enthusiast. He was born in Perth, grew up on the Gold Coast, and now lives in Brisbane, Australia. His debut novel, The Love Interest, is his first novel.