Review by Booklist Review
In order to save their companies from layoffs, two hot-shot PR strategists (and secret ex-childhood best friends) Jasmine Morgan and Derek Carter must compete for a job . . . by playing newlyweds in small-town America. What could go wrong? Or as seasoned romance readers might ask, what could go right? The more time Jasmine and Derek spend in Miller's Cove, the more they fall in love with its genius and generous peop its heritage as a town founded by Black, formerly enslaved peop and how it centers what they've both been missing in life: each other. Eden's (Love in Bloom, 2024) seamless blend of second-chance and workplace romance honors the ingenuity of African American communities, and gives readers a hopeful ending where justice triumphs over corporate greed. Eden's protagonists are hilarious and human, and their chemistry shines in steamy (lightly kinky) love scenes. An excellent addition to any library's romance collection.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Work rivals feign newlywed bliss in this diverting rom-com from Eden (Love in Bloom). It's been 13 years since a rift between patriarchs ended the business relationship of the Morgan and Carter families, and scions Jasmine Morgan and Derek Carter still hold a grudge. Both now work in PR at MasonCorp and both are assigned to create a campaign for small town Miller's Cove, Fla., which MasonCorp hopes to develop into a tourist destination. Only the more successful of the two will keep their job. Upon arriving in Miller's Cove, Jasmine and Derek learn that the town is hostile to corporate outsiders and so don't correct the townsfolk's assumption that they are a honeymooning couple. As faking feelings leads to the real thing, the pair learn the history of the town, which was founded by three tight-knit families seeking to preserve the idyllic spot for future generations. The closer they grow both to each other and the locals, the more difficult the idea of turning in their assignments becomes. It's endearing to watch the leads' animosity change to love, even as misunderstandings between them give rise to plenty of romantic angst. Eden keeps the plot moving with both personal and professional drama, resulting in a fun romp that readers won't want to put down. (Dec.)
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Library Journal Review
When the company she works for is acquired, PR department head Jasmine Morgan knows that keeping her job depends on impressing the new bosses. As she pitches her big idea, involving a small Florida town called Miller's Cove, she is shocked to learn that ad executive Derek Carter, her former childhood friend and crush, also has his own proposal for the town. They're both ordered to spend a month there to refine their ideas; at the end of that period, the person who pitches the best idea will keep their job. Upon arrival, Jasmine and Derek are mistaken for a married couple and given a warm welcome to a town inhospitable to developers and business people. With their jobs on the line and a massive attraction that only grows the more time they spend together, the pair decide to go along with the misapprehension while navigating the bad blood they share due to their parents' soured business relationship. VERDICT Eden (Love in Bloom) does an excellent job of writing laugh-out-loud situations and dialogue. This hilarity coexists seamlessly with the high stakes of failure, the protagonists' scorching chemistry, and the strong emotions raised by reconciling vastly different recollections of their shared past. Highly recommended for all public library collections.--Nicole Williams
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
When two workplace rivals compete for the same opportunity, they never imagine they'll end up in a fake marriage. Jasmine Morgan has gotten to where she is as a PR strategist because she's good at her job, and, up until now, there's been no sign of that changing. However, when she's given a project involving the revitalization of a small Florida town, it's made clear that she has competition in the form of her distractingly attractive archnemesis, Derek Carter. What makes the stakes even higher is that the winner of the most successful pitch doesn't just get bragging rights--they also get to keep their job. As they reluctantly descend on Miller's Cove together, they're instantly at odds, but their arrival also attracts attention from the locals, who are suspicious of any outsiders who might be poking into the town's business. To win their trust, Jasmine agrees to swallow her pride and consent to Derek's idea that they pose as a pair of blissful newlyweds. It shouldn't be all that hard to pretend to be in love with her professional rival, especially since she knows how good he looks with his shirt off, but their shared hotel room makes keeping her distance easier said than done. As their investigation into Miller's Cove intensifies, so does their attraction, until the lines between fake and real start to blur. Eden's latest contemporary romance has an intriguing premise but is lacking in execution; there's no real build-up to the fake-marriage arrangement that makes up the bulk of the story, so Jasmine and Derek's growing romance feels less than earned, especially on the heels of a combative dinner. While the story is full of familiar tropes that could prove appealing for some readers, it also spends too much time with its leads physically separated, when more interactions between Jasmine and Derek would have allowed their romance to develop more deeply on the page. This romance could have used a better PR strategy. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
