Coco Zephir is a bookseller at An Unlikely Story in Plainville, Mass., where she works on the events and marketing teams. She loves romance titles and here offers a roundup of some of the books coming out this month that she's most excited about:
No Matter What by Cara Bastone (Dial Press)
No Matter What captures a marriage in flux as only Cara Bastone can--with care, subtlety, and beauty.
Roz needs to live again. Her world has been slowly crumbling over the past year after experiencing a traumatic incident with her husband, Vin. Even though Roz and her husband have drifted apart, she's shocked to find Vin's new apartment lease on their kitchen counter. As she ventures to investigate his new digs, she stumbles upon a drawing class that will help to unearth what's in her own heart.
As Roz dives into drawing, Vin learns to communicate his feelings. After their shared traumatic experience leaves them struggling, their separate emotional work lays a new foundation for connection and understanding that's central to their new story.
A quiet story about finding hope in a marriage, Bastone's compelling narrative shows that her work continues to deliver.
Star Shipped by Cat Sebastian (Avon)
Two TV stars road trip to prove to the world they like each other in Star Shipped, a queer romance with all the best tropes. Think forced-proximity, enemies-to-lovers, grumpy/sunshine. Simon and Charlie will have you laughing out loud and relishing in their warmth.
Simon Devereaux has a strict regimen to handle his anxiety and migraines. Charlie Blake knocks that out of line each day during filming for Out There, the duo's space opera TV show. When the two adventure on a road-trip the heat cranks to scorching--and what's always been animosity may really have been something else all along?
A thoughtful romance, Star Shipped is written in the language of care and compassion. Readers will love each minute spent with Simon and Charlie.
The Bridge Back to You by Riss M. Neilson (Berkley)
Exes find their way back to each other through food and family in The Bridge Back to You, a culinary romance featuring Olivia and Carmello who are both working to build a new, bright future amid the stress of sharing ownership of a restaurant.
Olivia, a talented chef living with endometriosis, gets news that her life could change: she's been left shares in a restaurant, Celia's Place, a spot that was transformative to her as a child. It's the spot where she learned to cook, felt joy following tragedy, and learned to love. Her co-owner, and ex, Carmello, is shocked when Olivia wants in--it's his place, his restaurant, his home. As Olivia settles in and learns the inner workings of the restaurant, tension with Carmello rises. Will they be able to set aside their differences long enough to run the restaurant? Or will their chemistry keep getting in the way?