The books Southern indie booksellers are recommending to readers everywhere!

Romantic Comedy

The Broposal by Sonora Reyes

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The Broposal by Sonora Reyes
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The Broposal was a wild ride from start to finish. Alejandro (Han for short) has been best friends with Kenny since they were 8. Now, at 23, they are still inseparable. When Kenny learns that Han lost his job that was meant to sponsor his visa, he comes up with the idea of fake-marrying Han for his citizenship instead. Although their plan seems foolproof, Kenny’s ex Jackie continues to cause trouble for the two. This book has the fun romance trope of fake relationships while also showing the struggle of an undocumented person in America. You’ll laugh and you’ll cry, and hope for their happily ever after.

The Broposal by Sonora Reyes, (List Price: $17.99, Forever, 9781538766682, January 2025)

Reviewed by Gabriela Warner, Epilogue: Books Chocolate Brews in Chapel Hill, North Carolina

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Spotlight on: Under Loch and Key by Lana Ferguson

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Lana Ferguson, author image credit the author

I love having a space to dump all the silly things running through my brain. I feel like living in my head is like sharing an apartment with five other personalities at any given time, and being a writer means not having to ignore them aggressively (and possibly vent about them to my therapist), but instead write them down, free them into the world, so to speak. Writing means the stories running through my head and the ideas that wake me up in excitement in the middle of the night aren’t just for me, but something I can share with everyone, in a sense, and that is just very cool to me.

― Lana Ferguson, Interview, Nerd Daily

Under Loch and Key by Lana Ferguson

What booksellers are saying about Under Loch and Key

  • Lana Ferguson is an A grade writer of smart smut. She has quickly become a favorite author of mine. I never know what genre she’s going to write in, but I know I’m guaranteed an unforgettable story. Under Loch and Key takes the premise of the Loch Ness monster and gives it a twist that is unique and then does it so well. The story is about so much more than Nessie- the themes of finding family are so well woven into Keyanna and Lachlan’s individual character arcs . Finding who you are is as important as finding the one for you. Under Loch and Key has the steam and spice I’ve come to see as Lana Ferguson’s hallmark, but with a depth of emotion and mystery that will leave you turning the pages as fast you can read them!
      ― Preet Singh, Eagle Eye Book Shop in Decatur, Georgia | BUY

  • Okay, so, I didn’t know going in that this was a shape-shifter cryptid romance. It is, for the record. It happens to be my first not-vampire-or-werewolf shape-shifter rom I’ve ever read, and I have to say…………I kinda really enjoyed it! It’s a hundred percent ridiculous, but it’s also hot and charming and fun with a lil mysterious element that (spoiler) gets worked out. How? I’ll never tell! Give me a story about an American gal falling in love with (and getting taken to poundtown by) a hot Scottish stud any day. Mix in a lil shapeyshifty and a quest to break a family curse, and you have me ten toes down for it all day every day.
      ― Thomas Wallace, Reading Rock Books in Dickson, Tennessee | BUY

  • A cute and thoughtful reimagining of the Loch Ness monster! I think this book could’ve easily been 300 pages and not closer to 500, but I enjoyed it nonetheless! Lana’s creative way of tying in with the OG tale was truly fun to read! and who doesn’t love a bit of a monster romance!?
      ― Fiona McPherson, Givens Books Little Dickens in Lynchburg, Virginia | BUY

  • My auto buy author does it again. A splash of paranormal with enemies to lovers made this a wonderful book to read. The banter and tension between Loch and Key were top notch and I believed them when they believed that they didn’t like each other. But as always Lana Ferguson writes, sexy , heartwarming and hilarious books that make it to the top of my lists every time.
      ― Mekhala Villegas-Rogers, Tombolo Books in St. Petersburg, Florida | BUY

About Lana Ferguson

Lana Ferguson is a USA Today bestselling author and sex-positive nerd whose works never shy from spice or sass. A faded Fabio cover found its way into her hands at fifteen, and she’s never been the same since. When she isn’t writing, you can find her randomly singing show tunes, arguing over which Batman is superior, and subjecting her friends to the extended editions of The Lord of the Rings. Lana lives mostly in her own head but can sometimes be found chasing her corgi through the coppice of the great American outdoors.

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Nothing Like the Movies by Lynn Painter

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Nothing Like the Movies by Lynn Painter
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This was a stunning sequel to arguably the best YA romcom, Better Than the Movies. After facing the sudden death of his dad during his first year of college, Wes breaks up with Liz, believing he is holding her back. Now, two years later, Wes is more determined than ever to win her back. Lynn Painter always manages to build real characters and relationship dynamics and this book is no exception. This is a must-read!

Nothing Like the Movies by Lynn Painter, (List Price: $19.99, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 9781665947138, October 2024)

Reviewed by Makayla Summers, Main Street Reads in Summerville, South Carolina

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Roland Rogers Isn’t Dead Yet by Samantha Allen

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Roland Rogers Isn't Dead Yet by Samantha Allen
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Hollywood It Man Roland Rogers is ready to tell his big secret with no time to spare. He isn’t quite dead yet – but it’s not looking good. With the minimal power he can get from his home intercom system, he hires struggling writer Adam to bring new meaning to the term “ghostwriter” and get his memoir out before he is gone completely. As they rush to get it all done in a month, sparks fly, and Walls come down. This is very different from Allen’s first novel (which I also love), but it’s just as good. Fair warning – THIS IS NOT A ROMANCE.

Roland Rogers Isn’t Dead Yet by Samantha Allen, (List Price: $18, Zando, 9781638931539, December 2024)

Reviewed by Andrea Richardson, Fountain Bookstore in Richmond, Virginia

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The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year by Ally Carter

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The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year by Ally Carter
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If Knives Out and Hallmark Christmas movies had a baby and Agatha Christie was the nanny, it would be this book. Seriously Maggie and Ethan are everything, and I want to spend all my holidays with them. This book is smart, witty, and uplifting. Is it possible to get Ally Carter to write an entire series with these two characters?

The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year by Ally Carter, (List Price: $24.99, Avon, 9780063276680, September 2024)

Reviewed by Michelle Whittaker, Fonts Books in Mclean, Virginia

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The Holiday Honeymoon Switch by Julia Mckay

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The Holiday Honeymoon Switch by Julia Mckay
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If you’re looking for a little spicier Hallmark Christmas movie-type story, then look no further! Best friends Holly and Ivy actually aren’t fond of Christmas, thank you very much. But they find themselves planning a Christmas wedding for Holly anyway. But when Holly is jilted the night before the wedding, they decide to trade their holiday trips. Holly goes to the remote cabin Ivy has booked and Ivy takes the Hawaiian honeymoon that Holly can’t face. But they both find a little more than they were looking for.

The Holiday Honeymoon Switch by Julia Mckay, (List Price: $19, G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 9780593716281, October 2024)

Reviewed by Jennifer Jones, Bookmiser in Marietta, Georgia

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The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzie Lee

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The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzie Lee
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This Grand Tour was supposed to be Monty’s last big hurrah before adulthood, but it has quickly turned into an unmitigated disaster. Instead of partying and gambling through Europe in style with his (unfairly handsome) best friend Percy, Monty is stuck with a dour chaperone who’s forbidden him from doing anything fun, his unpleasantly bookish sister, and a growing rift between him and (the still handsome) Percy. And that is before the highwaymen attack, setting Mackenzi Lee’s delightful characters on a swashbuckling caper from the highways of France, through Barcelona’s darkened alleys, to the sparkling (and sinking) islands of Venice. A Room with a View meets The Goonies in waistcoats and cravats, The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice & Virtue is charming, witty, and heartfelt, and it’s bound to become an instant classic!

The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzie Lee, (List Price: $15.99, Katherine Tegan Books, 9780062382818, August 2018)

Reviewed by Rebecca Speas, One More Page Books in Arlington, Virginia

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Director’s Cut by Carlyn Greenwald

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Director's Cut by Carlyn Greenwald
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Hollywood meets Academia in this refreshing sapphic romance! Director’s Cut follows Valeria, an Oscar-winning actor who has recently come out as a lesbian and is attempting to shift the conversation from her sexuality to her work. Disillusioned by Hollywood, she tries to return to her academic roots by guest lecturing at USC. Her co-professor Maeve isn’t amused by her foray into academia, but Maeve’s animosity toward the celeb’s designer clothing doesn’t dissuade Val’s inconvenient crush. Good range of queer representation, discussions of anxiety, and a generous amount of movie-musical musings. I raced through it!

Director’s Cut by Carlyn Greenwald, (List Price: $18, Vintage, 9780593468227, June 2024)

Reviewed by Julia Lewis, Fountain Bookstore in Richmond, Virginia

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Spotlight On: Late Bloomer by Mazey Eddings

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Mazey Eddings, photo courtesy the author

Most of us, at one point or another, have fantasized about winning the lottery, how it would solve all our problems and allow all our dreams to come true. But what happens if winning the lottery actually ruins your life? For my bi-disaster main character, Opal Devlin, that’s exactly what happens. Opal thinks her winning scratch-off is her key to a drama-free life, only to learn that it places a magnifying glass on how the people in her life want to use and abuse her giving nature.

It is my deep and unwavering belief that every person is deserving of profound, beautiful love, whether that be platonic, romantic, and/or familial, and Opal and Pepper’s journey exemplifies that. These two queer, neurodivergent women are messy and emotional and terrified to show anyone just how much they feel for fear of being hurt. But, in spite of that fear, they recognize the love they deserve and grab for it with both hands.

― Mazey Eddings, Letter from the author

Late Bloomer by Mazey Eddings

What booksellers are saying about Late Bloomer

  • The best romances indulge parts of ourselves that really want every meet to be freaking cute — making us ask “if I’m not making the sappiest part of me happy, what am I really doing?” When I bet on loving Mazey Eddings’ romances, I always win — this time delivering a relatable, sweet, and gooey queer romance that will make your tenderest parts blush. This is a deliriously sapphic, endearingly punny, neurodivergent love letter to taking time in letting love root, grow, and bloom (sorry).
      ― RC Collman, Flyleaf Books in Chapel Hill, North Carolina | BUY

  • I LOVE this book. Such a beautiful story of love and diversity. I have never had the inclination to run away to a flower farm and now it is on my to do list.
      ― Tessa Dandridge, The Country Bookshop in Southern Pines, North Carolina | BUY

  • Sunshiny, optimistic Opal and grumpy, cynical Pepper make a wonderfully fun rom-com with lots of laughs. Recommended for fans of Ashley Herring Blake.
      ― Melissa Oates, Fiction Addiction in Greenville, South Carolina | BUY

  • Wow this book was so cute!!! *insert crying emoji here* -Dual Timeline -WLW -Autistic MC -Deals with parental neglect/drinking problems -Fluffyyyyy -Forced Proximity 3 Spicy Peppers (; Bonus Points: Mazey Eddings at the end talks about how she got to the name Late Bloomer and how she originally wanted to call it “Lavender Haze” from the TSwift song.
      ― Stephanie St. John, E. Shaver, Bookseller in Savannah, Georgia | BUY

About Mazey Eddings

Mazey Eddings is a neurodiverse author, dentist, and (most importantly) stage mom to her cats, Yaya and Zadie. She can most often be found reading romance novels under her weighted blanket and asking her fiancé to bring her snacks. She’s made it her personal mission in life to destigmatize mental health issues and write love stories for every brain. With roots in Ohio and Philadelphia, she now calls Asheville, North Carolina home. She is the author of A Brush with Love, Lizzie Blake’s Best Mistake, and The Plus One.

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Just Some Stupid Love Story by Katelyn Doyle

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Just Some Stupid Love Story by Katelyn Doyle
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Just Some Stupid Love Story by Katelyn Doyle is an epic saga romance between two people who have been it for each other since they were young, but things have never been right. Two people with very different approaches to love, screenwriter Molly and divorce lawyer Seth, kept me turning page after page in this steamy second-chance romance with snappy dialog. It might be my favorite read this month and for sure is to be one everyone is talking about this summer!

Just Some Stupid Love Story by Katelyn Doyle, (List Price: $28.99, Flatiron Books, 9781250328090, June 2024)

Reviewed by Preet Singh, Eagle Eye Book Shop in Chapel Hill, Georgia

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Spotlight On: Lies and Weddings by Kevin Kwan

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Kevin Kwan, photo courtesy the author

I wanted to do something tonally different, a relief from this big, heavy family story. This new book continues with Sex and Vanity’s theme of Asian characters outside of Asia. When I was thinking about what the whole trilogy would be, for lack of a better metaphor, I thought of a Chanel bottle: New York, London, Paris. This time they’re in England. I’m taking that traditional English country manor novel, sort of a Jane Austen world, and turning it on its head.

― Kevin Kwan, Hollywood Reporter

Lies and Weddings by Kevin Kwan

What booksellers are saying about Lies and Weddings

  • Lies and Weddings is everything I was hoping it would be (and more): The footnotes (I’m here for all of them), the unlikeable matriarch (all those unachievable expectations), the commentary on excess (wealth, debt, drugs), and of course the love story (or, really, stories). A must add to your summer TBR!
      ― Jenny Gilroy, E. Shaver, Bookseller in Savannah, GA | BUY

  • Crazy Rich Asians author Kevin Kwan has outdone himself! Posh parties, fashions, cars, architecture and food set the scene while a family of British nobles is trying to remedy failing finances by arranging a family marriage to “new money” Asians of wealth and in doing so fall head-first into an intriguing mystery. A fun escapist read. Hilarious dialogue and family dynamics!
      ― Patience Allan-Glick at Hills & Hamlets Bookshop, Chattahoochee Hills, GA | BUY

  • Kevin Kwan’s newest book returns to the kind of love story that captured our hearts in Crazy Rich Asians. A little bit of Cinderella, a little bit of Mansfield Park (Kwan always reminds of me Austen at her satirical best), this book takes a classic friends-to-lovers story but sets it across the globe in the must luxurious, most ridiculous settings from England to LA to Morocco to Hawai’i (with a volcanic eruption, no less). A page-turning rollicking delight!
      ― Kate Storhoff, Bookmarks, Winston-Salem, NC | BUY

  • What a FUN read! Full of drama that is definitely reminiscent of Crazy Rich Asians but updated for today’s social climate. I enjoyed the storyline, following a man who wants what the heart wants and a mother who wants status instead. This was an EXCELLENT book to get lost in, I ate chunks of the day and didn’t realize how much time had past! Overall, if you like a little romance with a a LOT of money, societal discord and familial drama, this right here just might be your jam.
      ― Deziree Bunn, Book No Further in Roanoke, VA | BUY

About Kevin Kwan

Kevin Kwan is the author of the international bestsellers Crazy Rich Asians, China Rich Girlfriend, and Rich People Problems. Crazy Rich Asians was a number one New York Times bestseller and major motion picture and has been translated into forty languages. In 2018, Kevin was named by Time magazine as one of the one hundred most influential people in the world.

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Twelfth Knight by Alexene Farol Follmuth

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Twelfth Knight by Alexene Farol Follmuth
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This book was a fun read. I really like the dynamic between Jack (the jock) and Viola (the nerd). The reader gets to see their personality and relationship grow as the book progresses and they end up spending more time with each other outside of school. The book has a few twists on the traditional opposites-attract you wouldn’t expect.

Twelfth Knight by Alexene Farol Follmuth, (List Price: $19.99, Tor Teen, 9781250884893, May 2024)

Reviewed by Doloris Vest, Book No Further in Roanoke, Virginia

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Wedding Issues by Elle Evans

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Wedding Issues by Elle Evans
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Laugh out-loud funny book just in time for wedding season. This book engages family, friends, the wedding industry, and a fast-paced plot perfect for the beach. I gave this to my future daughter-in-law, hoping she can find the fun in the planning. A must-read for any bride.

Wedding Issues by Elle Evans, (List Price: $17.99, Zibby Books, 9781958506745, April 2024)

Reviewed by Suzanne Lucey, Page 158 Books in Wake Forest, North Carolina

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The Other Side of Disappearing by Kate Clayborn

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The Other Side of Disappearing by Kate Clayborn
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This is a poignant about family and all the ways those closest to you can do the most harm. Jess knows her mother for who she is, a woman who deserted her family for a con artist recently met. One so infamous he is the subject of a popular podcast. Jess has first-hand experience with her Mother’s priorities and knows her daughters are low on the list. What Jess doesn’t know is that her sister Tegan, whom she has raised, is determined to find their Mother. So much so that she has been communicating with a podcast host who wants to tell the story. By the ways Tegan has been communicating as Jess, an adult. The pressure to keep Tegan safe and not destroy their relationship is a desperate struggle for a “surrogate Mother” who is really just a sister. An obnoxious and pushy podcast host is not a benefit to Jess, nor the host’s handsome and kind assistant. This is a sweet story of finding family through love.

The Other Side of DisappearingThe Other Side of Disappearing by Kate Clayborn, (List Price: $17.95, Kensington, 9781496737311, March 2024)

Reviewed by Jackie Willey, Fiction Addiction in Greenville, South Carolina

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Say You’ll Be Mine by Naina Kumar

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Say You'll Be Mine by Naina Kumar
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Say You’ll Be Mine is an adorable romance with 90s/00s rom-com vibes. It’s also the perfect example of why fake dating (in this case a fake engagement) is one of my favorite romance tropes. Karthik and Meghna are deeply relatable characters who will capture your heart.

Say You’ll Be Mine by Naina Kumar, (List Price: $18, Random House Publishing Group, 9780593723883, January 2024)

Reviewed by Kate Storhoff, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, North Carolina

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