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.