Review by Booklist Review
Ramona Riley has never fully given up her dream of becoming a Hollywood costume designer, even after she dropped out of fashion school at 18 to help care for her younger sister following a family tragedy. When actress Dylan Monroe shows up to make a movie in Ramona's little New Hampshire tourist town, Ramona doesn't dare hope her dreams might come true. Dylan carries scars from a chaotic childhood, raised by two drug-addicted mega rock stars. When Ramona and Dylan keep finding themselves thrown together, sparks fly, and they don't want to be apart. But what Ramona knows and Dylan doesn't realize is that the two met one summer when they were kids and shared each other's first kiss. Complicating real feelings with the messy surreality of Hollywood, this book sets up the misunderstandings and obstacles to Ramona and Dylan's relationship only to expertly knock them down. The book is steamy while also being a sweet and sensitive look at the complex feelings of the characters, exploring how difficult it can be to trust others when you don't trust yourself. It's a fantastic start to Herring Blake's (Iris Kelly Doesn't Date, 2023) Clover Lake queer-romcom series.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Blake (Iris Kelly Doesn't Date) enchants with this sapphic second-chance romance. At 13, Ramona Riley and Dylan Monroe had an adorable meet cute that ended with a life-altering kiss. Eighteen years later, the two are unexpectedly reacquainted in Clover Lake, N.H. Waitress Ramona feels trapped in the small town, having largely given up on her dream of becoming a costume designer to raise her younger sister after her mother abandoned her family and her father was injured in a car accident. Then she learns that a hotly anticipated queer rom-com is set to film nearby and hopes the production could be her way into the biz. Dylan, as it happens, is the film's star. She's eager to prove her acting chops and step out of her famous parents' shadows by making her performance as a small-town waitress convincing. But after her chaotic upbringing in the spotlight, she has no idea what the quiet life is even like. When the women meet again, they strike up a mutually beneficial arrangement: Dylan will help Ramona make connections on set while Ramona will be Dylan's "guide to all things normal and mundane." The ensuing relationship is equal parts sensual and sincere and the exploration of ambition, aspiration, and resilient bonds adds heart. This is a winner. (May)
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Review by Library Journal Review
Ramona Riley put her dream of being a Hollywood costume designer on hold when she quit art school to come home and take care of her family. Twelve years later, she still lives in the small town of Clover Lake. Then a miracle happens--a major big-budget movie comes to film in Clover Lake. The costume designer is Ramona's idol, and the star is Dylan Monroe, Ramona's first kiss. Dylan, the daughter of rock stars and a survivor of their negligent, chaotic parenting, needs this film to go well to prove she's more than the wild, spoiled, nepo baby the tabloids depict. When Dylan realizes Ramona is the same girl she kissed on that fateful night so long ago, she understands why she's so drawn to the waitress. Soon, Dylan and Ramona are dating, and what started as a summer fling deepens into more. Both are hiding relationship-ending secrets, however, and neither has talked about what will happen when filming ends. This contemporary fake-dating romance is multilayered, with plenty of deep emotion, revealing backstories, humor, and steamy scenes that scorch the pages. VERDICT Blake's (Delilah Green Doesn't Care) fans will be over the moon at this series launch, while newcomers will find a new favorite author to follow.--Heather Miller Cover
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