Review by Booklist Review
Opposites attract in Newton's debut rom-com starring Kate Sweet, event planner and "Queen of Happily Ever Afters," and Drake Matthews, a horror author known as the "Knight of Nightmares." Kate loves planning memorable weddings, but when her friend asks her to help out with a different sort of event, a major book launch, Kate accepts, hoping it will provide an opportunity to vie for a prestigious event planning award. Even though Drake is less than enthusiastic about being the center of a freak-show event, Kate is a great source of inspiration for the romance novel he is secretly writing, so he agrees to go along with it. As she plans, and he writes, they fall for each other and struggle to keep their relationship professional. The pair's chemistry is fun, making all their interactions truly delightful. Some conflicts feel forced and some clichés surface, but the story successfully captures an autumnal small-town setting and even offers sprinkles of spookiness. Light, sweet, and easy to enjoy.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
A business partnership sparks a sultry connection in this flat, conventional romance from Newton (Piper's Piping). Kate Sweet, dubbed "the Queen of Happily Ever Afters," is a gifted event planner known for her fairy tale weddings. She's not an intuitive fit to plan a book launch for horror author Drake Matthews, "the Knight of Nightmares," but her best friend, Drake's publicist, is desperate and ropes Kate into the gig. The attraction between Kate and Drake is instantaneous, but both choose to ignore their chemistry and keep their relationship strictly professional. Each stands to gain from the partnership: Kate hopes the book launch will help her finally land a highly coveted award in the event planning industry, and Drake finds inspiration to break free of his terrifying reputation and take his writing in a new direction from being around Kate--who becomes his muse for a secret romance novel. But as the book launch draws closer and the stakes get higher, their irresistible connection can no longer be dismissed. While certainly lighthearted easy-reading, the cookie-cutter characters are too perfect and the lack of conflict outside of Drake's changing genres makes for a lukewarm plot. This one misses the mark. Agent: Cori Deyoe, Three Seas Literary. (July)
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
Worlds literally collide when an event planner known for showstopping romance gets tapped to handle a bestselling horror author's book launch. When it comes to pulling off the perfect "aww" moment, Kate Sweet has made a name for herself in the event world, with her creativity and attention to detail helping her orchestrate weddings to remember. When a cancelled wedding frees up some time in her schedule, her best friend, Imani, ropes her into handling the launch party for horror writer Drake Matthews' next book, but Kate's not so sure she's cut out to work for the Knight of Nightmares--and not just because he's actually drop-dead gorgeous. It doesn't help that she practically climbs up his body "like he was a fireman's pole" the first time they meet--she's trying to get away from his dog--or ends up maiming him with her stiletto heel; she's convinced that this is a match that might be made in hell. Drake has reached a point in his professional career where he's feeling somewhat disillusioned with horror writing, and he's been working on a secret project: his first romance novel. Meeting Kate, for whom he feels an attraction from the start, might just have given him the motivation he needs to really develop his idea, and as the two of them collaborate on the upcoming event, they notice they're actually being inspired by each other in more than just a professional capacity. Newton's debut romance is laugh-out-loud funny, with enough antics, fast pacing, and chemistry to keep readers as engrossed as any of her hero's bestselling horror novels would. In fact, the only struggle with this exemplary standout comes when one reaches the very last page. A hilarious rom-com romp that delivers on both sweet and heat. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
