Review by Booklist Review
Sasha, a divorced mom of two in New York, is struggling to keep up with the demands of her childrens' school. Another parent, the annoyingly good-looking Ethan, says obnoxious things to her and always seems to be there when there's an issue. There he is, taking the hoodie Sasha wanted for her daughter, and there he is getting his daughter into the drama class Sasha's daughter was dropped from. Another parent, Kaitlyn, knew Sasha in middle school and dislikes her now. When Ethan helps Sasha at a terrible cotton-candy booth at a school fair, they start to realize that they're actually attracted to each other. When they end up on a private island in the Caribbean for a video shoot, they start a relationship, but back in town, things are complicated. Kaitlyn's menacing point of view, in particular, adds drama to the love story. Debut romance author Dahlia makes good use of the enemies-to-lovers trope, and Sasha and Ethan are realistic parents and thoroughly enjoyable characters. Readers will be rooting for them and hoping for more from this new author.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Dahlia debuts with a pitch-perfect rom-com that finds divorced Brooklynite Sasha Rubinstein struggling to balance her career as a freelance video producer with caring for her two children. This is made harder by frequent altercations at school pickup with the man she's nicknamed Demon Dad after he snapped up Sasha's daughter's after-school drama slot for his own child. Ethan Jones, a divorced father and editor-in-chief of Escapade magazine, really isn't trying to make Sasha's life more complicated; in fact, he's wildly attracted to her. When Sasha is contacted by Escapade to produce video content on the exclusive Caribbean island of Citrine Cay, she's ecstatic--until she realizes Ethan will be coming along. Working together, their walls soon come down, and their blistering chemistry draws them together. But their steamy vacation fling may not hold up in the real world--especially as after-school politics heat up and a fellow mom works to sabotage their relationship. Dahlia leads readers on a delightful journey, replete with snappy prose, appealing characters, and wit. Fans of enemies-to-lovers rom-coms won't be able to resist. (Dec.)
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Review by Library Journal Review
Sparkling with tension, Dahlia's (Competitive Grieving, writing as Nora Zelevansky) contemporary romance begins as an enemies-to-lovers story between Sasha and Ethan, two divorced single parents who keep clashing at their children's New York City school. Sasha is a freelance video producer with an absentee ex; she is trying to revive her career without breaking promises to her children. She has no time for love, and especially not with the hot "Demon Dad" who is a source of turmoil in her life. Fate has other plans, however, as Sasha and Ethan find themselves working on the same photo shoot in Turks and Caicos. The assignment sets off Ethan's vengeful and jealous ex-wife, resulting in an unexpected subplot of stalking and sabotage. The multi-perspective narrative is thoughtfully delivered in audio by Teddy Hamilton, Gilli Messer, and Eunice Wong. Each narrator effectively conveys the characters' changing emotions, from snarkily expressed irritation to sizzling chemistry. Moments of high tension and light suspense add to the entertaining plot. VERDICT A strong, layered novel that blends romantic tropes with an infectious mix of humor and mystery.--Shannon O'Connor
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