Dachshunds above all other dogs have main character energy — so do not tell them that they are only side characters in two of this month’s romances.
Star Shipped
by Cat Sebastian
Edie, the dachshund in STAR SHIPPED (Avon, 368 pp., paperback, $18.99), is an emotional support dog for Simon, a TV actor who cultivates an air of standoffishness to hide his mental illness. Simon is an actor on a popular sci-fi series, which he would enjoy a lot more if he didn’t loathe his charming, kind, easygoing co-star, Charlie. And now a publicity campaign requires them to fake a friendship, which sends them on a days-long road trip to deal with an emergency in Charlie’s family.
To Simon’s horror, it turns out that the chemistry between them wasn’t loathing so much as a mutual, long-resisted attraction. In addition to being too handsome for Simon’s peace of mind, Charlie also turns out to be a former foster kid who tries to cope with fears of abandonment by making himself likable. His default charm offensive even works on Edie, who is delighted to find Charlie a complete pushover when it comes to treats as he and Simon grow more emotionally entangled.
It’s a pricklier, livelier book than Sebastian’s recent mournful historical romances, but she brings all the richness of her historical world-building to the modern era.
A Widow’s Charm
by Caitlyn Paxson
Our second dachshund is Lord Rollo Hyeronymus Badgerhound the Second — a dog as long as his name — from A WIDOW’S CHARM (Del Rey, 423 pp., paperback, $19). Paxson has used the popularity of romantasy to grace us with a classic fantasy romance in the style of Bujold or McKinley, and I could not be more thrilled.
Rollo is technically the lord of an estate — it was willed to him by our hero Lord Erol Elmwood’s late father, and is the only piece of Elmwood’s property that hasn’t been seized by the crown. It was discovered during his career as a soldier that Elmwood has a Charm, a forbidden magical talent — specifically, he can bring the dead back to life — and he has been banished, effectively a death sentence as soon as he crosses the border into enemy territory. So now he’s laying low as Rollo’s guardian while his lawyer attempts to mount a case on his behalf.
Unfortunately, Elmwood’s neighbor is Lady Hilde Croft, recently widowed by her much older husband — not that anyone knows it. As soon as Lord Croft’s death becomes common knowledge, his horrible brother will take over the estate and send all the village men off to war. Hilde has a Charm herself, long hidden, but it’s only enough to keep her husband’s body fresh in the cellar. But if her new neighbor could be persuaded — or blackmailed — to resurrect her husband, it would stave off disaster for everyone in the village.
This romance takes its time and builds its layers carefully: Hilde’s agonizing weight of responsibility, Elmwood’s debilitating post-battle trauma, the complicated politics of the world around them. It’s the story of two lonely people trying to make the best bad decisions they can when nothing is perfect (except, of course, Rollo).
Thirty Love
by Tom Vellner
Alas, there are no dachshunds in THIRTY LOVE (Alcove Press, 327 pp., $29.99), though there are some wonderful rescue dogs who make an appearance at a tournament, and even an incontinent koala during the Australian Open. Our leads are all young professional tennis players who spend most of their days on the sport’s punishing circuits. We have no time for anything so domestic as pets.
Leo Chambers, turning 30, is determined to win a Grand Slam both for himself and his coach father, who was forced to retire young after a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis. The only thing standing in Leo’s way — aside from pro tennis being incredibly hard — is Gabe Montoya, whose presence on the court has always completely unraveled Leo’s game.
Then Gabe comes out as the first gay pro tennis player, and Leo starts to wonder: Is it really hatred that’s kept him off-balance in all those matches, or suppressed attraction? Leo’s been closeted for years, with time for the occasional Grindr hookup, but as he steps up his support for Gabe in the face of homophobic comments from fans and fellow players, he starts to think maybe more than his game needs changing.
These days a lot of books are throwing around comparisons to “Heated Rivalry”; Vellner’s is one of the rare ones that earns it. The cast is charming, the sex is buoyant and the tennis — whew, the tennis writing is kinetic and explosive, as though we’ve stepped into a world made of sprints and serves. When Leo (spoiler!) is finally about to begin the final match of the U.S. Open, with absolutely everything on the line — his career, his family, even his relationship with Gabe — I had to stop to remind myself to breathe. There are few things better than a romance where even the non-sexy parts make your heart race.
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