Recommendations based on "The Slowest Burn: A Novel"

Everyone around Iris Kelly is in love.And she's happy for all of them, truly. So what if she misses her friends and family, who are busy with their perfectly paired partners. At least she has her brand-new career writing romance novels (the irony), right?Wrong. She is completely out of ideas after having spent all of her romantic energy on her debut.Perfectly happy to ignore her problems as usual, Iris goes to a Portland bar. But a night of dancing with a sexy stranger named Stefania turns into the worst one-night stand Iris has had in her life (vomit and crying are regretfully involved).To get her mind off everything, Iris tries out for a local play only to come face-to-face with Stefania-or, Stevie, her real name. When Stevie desperately asks Iris to play along as her girlfriend, Iris is shocked but goes along with it in a bid to get her creative juices flowing.As the two women play the part of a couple, they turn into a constant state of hot-and-bothered and soon it just comes down to who will make the real first move . . .

In this delightfully charming and heartfelt debut love story, two lonely and wildly different strangers embark on a short-term friendship over one London summer--only to discover they may be something more by the time the season ends. No one would ever call Ava Monroe a people person, which isn't ideal for a barista in a busy London coffee shop. She's sarcastic, blunt, and cynical, and her relationships are strictly no strings attached. With her best friend Josie soon leaving for a year, Ava knows she'll be all alone unless she shakes up her routine. But she can't risk bringing chance back into her carefully controlled life. Then insufferably cheerful, country-hopping, undeniably gorgeous Finn O'Callaghan rolls into her coffee shop with a horrifying proposal --a strictly friends-only summer fling. Finn needs a local to help him complete his London bucket list, and Ava needs to reassure Josie she won't be on her own. And it's only for a few months. To Ava's surprise, their mismatched friendship of convenience becomes oddly tolerable, and as they work their way through Finn's list and around the sun-drenched city, from rooftops and floating bars to nights at the museum, their adventures--and Finn's company--start to feel . . . nice. Incredibly, terrifyingly, dangerously nice. Still, rules are rules--Ava has good reasons for them--and as the days get shorter, Finn's departure gets closer. Because that's the thing about summer: it always ends. Right?

“A BINGEABLE FIVE-STAR READ.” —ABBY JIMENEZ, New York Times bestselling author of Yours TrulyThe romantic and hilarious story of a professional organizer whose life is a mess, and the summer she gets unstuck with the help of someone unexpected from her past, by the bestselling author of Nora Goes Off Script.“I loved it—brims with heart, wit, and longing.” — CARLEY FORTUNE, #1 New York Times bestselling authorBenefits of a summer romance: It’s always fun, always brief, and no one gets their heart broken.Ali Morris is a professional organizer whose own life is a mess. Her mom died two years ago, then her husband left, and she hasn’t worn pants with a zipper in longer than she cares to remember.No one is more surprised than Ali when the first time she takes off her wedding ring and puts on pants with hardware—overalls count, right?—she meets someone. Or rather, her dog claims a man for her...by peeing on him. Ethan smiles at Ali like her pants are just right—like he likes what he sees. He looks at her like she’s a younger, braver version of herself. The last thing newly single mom Ali needs is to make her life messier, but there’s no harm in a little summer romance. Is there?

The next sparkling and swoonie, opposites-attract rom-com from the author of the TikTok-hit A Brush with Love and Lizzie Blake's Best Mistake. Readers gave A Brush with Love FIVE SHINING STARS! 'Swoony, steamy, adorable . . . Read. This. Book. You won't be disappointed. It's a keeper and Mazey Eddings is on my auto-read list forever' 'There was so much to love about this book . . . Thank you to Mazey Eddings for this romance with its messy, true, and painfully real representation of anxiety . . . We need more books like this in the world' ............................................ Tilly Twomley is desperate for change. White-knuckling her way through high school with flawed executive functioning has left her burnt out and ready to start fresh. A summer internship and the required travel around Europe promises a much-needed change of scenery as she plans for her future. The problem is, Tilly has no idea what she wants. Oliver Clark knows exactly what he wants. His autism has often made it hard for him to form relationships with others, but his love of color theory and design allows him to feel deeply connected to the world around him, and he's taking summer internship to build his resume before he starts design school. Everything is going as planned until he suffers through the most disastrous international flight of his life, all turmoil stemming from lively and exasperating Tilly. Oliver is forced to spend the summer with a girl that couldn't be more his opposite - feeling things for her he can't quite name. As the duo's neurodiverse connection grows, they learn that some of the best parts of life can't be planned, and are forced to figure out what that means as their disastrously wonderful summer comes to an end.

Annabelle is tired of being the lone failure in a family of overachievers. She's endured dead-end jobs and a broken engagement. Even her hair's a mess! But that's going to change now she's taken over her late grandmother's matchmaking business. All Annabelle has to do is to land Chicago's hottest batchelor as her client... Heath Champion is wealthy, driven, gorgeous, so why does her need a matchmaker, especially a walking disaster like Annabelle Granger? True, she's entertaining, and she does have a certain quirky appeal. But Heath is searching for the ultimate symbol of success- the perfect wife. When the matchmaker promises she'll do anything to keep her star client happy... does she mean anything? If Annabelle isn't careful, she just might find herself going heart-to-heart with the toughest negotiator in town- a man who's beginning to ask himself: exactly how perfect does perfect have to be?

As the middle child of the Shanahan family, Zaira does her best to keep the peace. She doesn't share her dream of becoming a published author with her family to spare herself their disapproval. When she's caught in a scandal involving the local matchmaker, Bellamy McKenna, she must put her storytelling ability to good use and feign a match with him to avoid wagging tongues and her parents' anger.Feeling the growing pressure to marry as a well-known, yet single matchmaker to St. Louis's Irish community, Bellamy reluctantly agrees to a temporary match with Zaira. But even though the matchmakers in his family might be able to find love for others, they have a history of disastrous relationships for themselves. When secrets and danger force Zaira and Bellamy to work together, is it finally the matchmaker's turn to be lucky in love?Hedlund delivers another captivating romance with sizzling chemistry in this romantic conclusion to her beloved matchmaking series.

When a celebrity chef's new restaurant threatens Mila's family's food truck, she plans to expose them for the recipe thieves they are--even if that means dabbling in the Filipino folk magic she's tried to avoid. Fans of Tae Keller and Lily LaMotte will cheer for this charming story about food, family, and finding the place you belong. Mila may have moved to Coral Beach months ago, but it still doesn't feel like home. A few awkward incidents with her new friends make her wonder if she'll ever neatly fit into the super-samey small town. The only place she can be herself is at her dad's Filipino-Indian food truck, The Banana Leaf. But when celebrity chef twins the Fab Foodie Brothers open a restaurant nearby, it turns out the food they are serving is exactly the same as The Banana Leaf's--right down to the recipes! Mila realizes that she needs to take the Fab Foodie Brothers down before they run her family's tiny truck out of town. But that means dabbling in the Filipino magic that she has shied away from her whole life . . . as well as alienating her new friends. Does Mila have to choose between her family and fitting in Or, like the best recipes, will a blend of the traditional and the unexpected mix into something truly special Also by Tracy Badua: Freddie vs. The Family Curse

The laws of attraction…Walking in on a beautiful woman taking a bath is a perk Todd Wainwright doesn't expect when he arrives at a friend's Hilton Head beach cottage. The dedicated Chicago surgeon is looking for some much–needed R & R. He gets that and more when he spends an unforgettable weekend with South Carolina biochemistry professor Emily Porter, who knows all about the laws of attraction…The chemistry of loveEmily has desired Todd ever since she first saw him at her sister's wedding. Having the sexy surgeon all to herself in a romantic oceanfront setting is beyond her wildest fantasies. But once the vacation's over, she's hit with a cold dose of reality. Is the workaholic doc ready to commit? Is the chemistry between them strong enough to turn a passionate lovers' idyll into a true and lasting love?

"Melissa Tagg follows up her debut novel with a stellar sophomore read. With her charming wit and engaging prose, Tagg pens a story of hope in God's dreams for us and ties it all together with sigh-worthy romance. Truly a book and author not to be missed."~Rachel Hauck, award-winning, bestselling author of The Wedding Dress and Princess Ever AfterAfter playing nomad for five years, Blake Hunziker has finally had enough of adventure. Not sure what reception he'll get from everyone back in Whisper Shore, he's stunned at not only a warm welcome from his hometown but also a job offer. The job is his if he can successfully pull off the annual Christmas Festival. If only he knew the first thing about coordinating events...If there's one thing Autumn Kingsley knows, it's Whisper Shore. For years, she's been stuck running her family's inn when all she wants is to see the world. Now she has a visit scheduled from a potential investor who could take over the inn, as well as a dream job offer in Paris. But with just two weeks to whip the inn into shape, her chance at escape is a long shot.The Hunzikers and the Kingsleys may not get along, but Blake knows Autumn's the only one who can help him. She agrees to a trade--she'll help with the Festival and he'll help with inn repairs. But what was meant to be a simple deal quickly becomes much more than that when the guy who's done running away joins forces with the girl who can't wait to leave.

Two wounded souls weren't looking for love...but one tiny baby had other plans. When Dr. Ani Green drags herself onto the plane after her wedding-that never-was, she's a self-described mess who promptly barfs into Adam Lowenstein's lunch bag--not exactly a meet-cute. But his sweet, friendly demeanor has a way of calming her and even making her laugh. (The fact that he's a total hunkadoodle doesn't hurt!) Somehow, Adam takes her awful do-my-honeymoon-alone trip from unbearable to almost fun. Ani resolves not to get involved with anyone until she figures out why she keeps choosing the wrong guys. But desperation, intense attraction, and a little too much wine in a tropical paradise...oops. What happens in Turks and Caicos stays there. Months later, Ani is struggling to make her hometown dream practice work even though her partners couldn't be more different and despite the fact that her parents returned to Wisconsin from Florida to be closer to her. (Who actually does that?) Even worse, Ani finds that Adam is the new head of the ER - and her boss. Except he's not the sweet, charming guy she knew - he's a rigid rule-follower who's no-nonsense and no fun. Still, she can't help remembering the kind, passionate guy she met. Good thing she's given up men forever and has vowed to never act on impulse again. Until a patient surrenders a baby and begs Ani to ensure that she gets a good future. Widower Adam Lowenstein promised his wife he would go to Turks and Caicos on what would have been their fifth anniversary. Adam would rather eat snails, but a promise is a promise. He's closed himself off to nearly everyone. Love is pain, and he wants no part, even though Ani somehow awakened him from the dead like a whirlwind, and he can't help but get swept up in her kindness, her joy, and her desire to make the world a better place. He swore he'd never love again, but Ani and one tiny, abandoned baby are the family he just might not be able to live without.