Church girl

When Aaliyah Montgomery becomes a runaway bride, she doesn't quite have it all figured out, but she does know that she wants to get far away from small-town Parsons, Alabama--and she doesn't want to be a bishop's wife like her mother. Her black sheep cousin, Tamara, lets her move in with her in Chicago, but after enrolling in college, Aaliyah still needs to find a job. Divorced tattoo artist Von Howard needs a live-in nanny for his six-year-old daughter Gia, but decides Aaliyah is way too innocent--until two nannies in a row don't work out, and he gets desperate. The attraction is intense, but they both have reasons why they shouldn't be more than friends. Don't let the cover art fool you, this Black romance by Simone (Christmas in Rose Bend, 2021) is hot and steamy, with a healthy dose of single dad, good girl / bad boy tropes, and grumpy / sunshine vibes.

A sheltered woman forges her own path in this formulaic opposites-attract romance from Simone (the Rose Bend series). Aaliyah Montgomery has always done what her conservative Christian parents want her to do, including agreeing to marry a man chosen by her bishop father. But after secretly applying and getting into the University of Chicago's visual arts program, she sees a chance for a different life and flees her wedding for the big city. Her estranged cousin Tamara, whom her parents deemed a "bad influence," offers her a place to crash while Aaliyah pursues her degree. She's determined to pull her weight in the household, however, and applies for a nannying job. Divorced bad boy tattoo artist Von Howard is looking for a babysitter but when he interviews Aaliyah he sees that "innocence radiates from her" and worries about bringing her into his seedy world. Plus, it's probably unwise to hire someone he's so attracted to. But when the sitter he hires ghosts him, he's left with no other options. Close proximity heats things up between the leads, but is a relationship worth the potential fallout? Aaliyah's growing bond with Von's daughter is endearing, but the predictable bad-boy/good-girl dynamic feels stale. Only diehard Simone fans need apply. Agent: Rachel Brooks, Bookends Literary. (Nov.)