August 19, 2024
Ballard (Right on Cue) reunites ex-lovers for the holidays in this spicy yet predictable outing. Romance writers Jess Carrington and Nick Matthews were once in love and inseparable—until they both received publishing deals from the same imprint. While Jess’s books do just okay, Nick, who breaks genre convention by writing love stories with unhappy endings, catapults to fame. His meteoric rise tears the couple apart—until, five years later, Jess is asked to introduce the Romance Author of the Year award to Nick at an annual industry holiday party. Jess still believes in happily ever after and the spirit of Christmas, her favorite holiday, but she struggles to get in the spirit while battling her anger at—and lingering attraction to—Nick. After a blizzard and an overbooked hotel conspire to land these two in the same room with only one bed, their editor suggests they work together on a new project. Ballard leans into the tropiness of her premise, delivering plenty of forced proximity, second-chance, and enemies-to-lovers antics, but doesn’t flesh out her characters’ backstories enough to get readers fully invested. Still, this is short, sweet, and festive. Agent: Kimberly Whalen, Whalen Agency.
March 14, 2025
Ballard's (Right on Cue) lively latest finds romance writer Jessica Carrington forced to spend time with her rival and former flame, Nick Matthews, when they get snowed in together and have to share a room with only one bed. Five years earlier, Jessica and Nick were involved, but he broke her heart when they both got book deals (his was considerably larger) with the same publisher. Now, they find themselves stuck together in the same cozy inn over Christmas, and though they don't love the forced proximity, they may have a second chance at finding love. Told through flashbacks to Christmases past, the novel shows listeners why the couple broke up, and readers witness them debating whether love stories are better with sad or happy endings. (Nick has attained great literary success with his fondness for unhappy endings.) The audiobook is skillfully narrated by Sarah Naughton and Marwan Salama, who bring the two main characters to life with their distinctive voices and emotional depth. VERDICT Highly recommended for fans of The Roughest Draft by Emily Wibberley Austin Siegemund-Broka and for readers who enjoy open-door intimacy with their holiday romance reads.--Shannon O'Connor
Copyright 2025 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.