Courtroom drama A novel

Taking the forced proximity trope to the limit, Tubati Alexander (In a Not So Perfect World) delivers a wildly entertaining romance between two members of a sequestered jury. On trial is Margot Kitsch, one of the stars of Real Housewives--esque reality TV show Authentic Moms of Malibu, who stands accused of killing her husband. Jury member and reality TV superfan Sydney Parks is thrilled to be there--especially when she finds herself seated next to her childhood best friend, Damon Bradburn, in the jury box. The pair fell out of touch after discovering their parents' affair when they were high school sophomores, causing a rift between the two families. Now, 10 years later, unresolved feelings rise to the surface. To their frustration, there's not much opportunity for them to clear the air during court as they listen to housekeepers, other reality TV stars, and family members offer increasingly alarming testimony about a woman Sydney held on a pedestal. Instead they pass notes and steal moments at their dingy hotel. Though the setting occasionally feels claustrophobic, Tubati Alexander impressively drives forward both the murder trial and the romance, conjuring real chemistry between her leads and soapy, salacious intrigue in the courtroom. This is pure popcorn. (May)

Sydney, a burnt-out reality TV fan, is ecstatic when selected to be a jury member for the murder trial of one of her favorite reality stars. She expects the most dramatic part of the experience to be the revelations disclosed during the trial and is shocked when she learns that Damon, her former neighbor, best friend, and possibly more, is also on the jury. Seeing Damon again helps Sydney situate the case in the real world, which she initially finds disconcerting but grows to appreciate, as it reminds her that the case is about real people whom she doesn't actually know and that it has consequences beyond what might happen on the show or be reported online. Sharing jury duty with Damon allows the two to get to know their new adult selves, even while reveling in the inside jokes they haven't been able to make for a decade. VERDICT A good pick for all romance collections, Alexander's (In a Not-So-Perfect World) funny and moving novel is likely to be popular with reality television fans and those who enjoy the estranged friends-to-lovers trope.--Nicole Williams