The Right Swipe

Starred review from May 20, 2019
Rising romance star Rai (Hurts to Love You) brings a perfect relationship to life in this luscious contemporary series launch. Rhiannon “Rhi” Hunter is a successful dating app entrepreneur hell-bent on succeeding, though workaholism is detrimental to her dating life. Samson Lima is a former football star who’s drawn into the dating business by his aunt, who’s shy and needs her company, a rival to Rhi’s, to have a new public face. Rhi and Samson’s paths cross at a conference, and they’re both shocked to recognize each other: they hooked up several months prior, and Samson ghosted on the promised second date. As the onetime lovers are drawn into closer proximity, their chemistry sizzles on the page. Both Rhi and Samson are learning how to enjoy life and balance each other beautifully as they face realistic conflicts and tantalizing romance and sensuality. This winning novel will enhance any romance reader’s collection. Agent: Steve Axelrod, Axelrod Agency.

June 15, 2019
First in a very contemporary new series by a writer known for her expansive view of what a romance novel can do. Rhiannon Hunter is an ambitious entrepreneur, having created a successful dating app that gives women safety and control, but she wants more. If she can acquire Matchmaker, a more traditional dating service, she can exponentially grow her business and reach. But then Matchmaker announces its new spokesman: former pro football player Samson Lima. Samson was a dating-app hookup who left Rhiannon wanting more, but he ghosted her after one night. Samson never meant to hurt Rhiannon, and he's determined to win this "interesting, demanding, adorable puzzle of a woman" over. A patient, loving, and caring man, Samson finds that his interest in Rhiannon competes for emotional bandwidth with the problem of living down his legacy as a traitor to his sport. To protest the league's careless handling of traumatic brain injuries, which deeply impacted his friends and family, Samson walked off the field in the middle of a game. At loose ends, he agrees to co-host an ad campaign with Rhiannon and learns just how much harassment and abuse she's had to endure as a black woman coming up in the tech startup world before #MeToo. Rai (Hurts To Love You, 2018, etc.) addresses heavy issues without sacrificing passionate sensuality or emotional connection. Although Rhiannon seems more guarded, Samson is just as fearful of vulnerability, and their path to lasting love is a slow but satisfying one. An ex-football player woos an entrepreneur in a high-tech romance that proves respect is the most potent love drug.

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August 9, 2019

Rhiannon Hunter faces a unique challenge as the creator of Crush, one of the most popular dating apps on the market: she was ghosted while using her own app. And her date is now representing one of her competitors, Matchmaker. As for Samson Lima, a retired pro football star, he's representing Matchmaker as a favor to his aunt, one of the company's owners. He's never used a dating app except for one time when he met an amazing woman, but a family emergency kept him from their next date, and she blocked him. When the two meet again, Rhi is trying to buy Matchmaker and her trust issues keep Samson at arm's length. But Samson is willing to use any play in his book for a second chance. VERDICT Best-selling author Rai ("Forbidden Hearts" series) taps into the modern dating-app scene with hilarious, horrifying, and relatable results, blending contemporary social issues, such as sexual harassment in the workplace and CTE brain injuries in sports, into the story. For all libraries.--Melanie C. Duncan, Washington Memorial Lib., Macon, GA

Copyright 2019 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

June 1, 2019
Rhiannon Hunter, creator of the online dating app Crush, is at the top of her game until she attends a tech conference where she has to face off with former one night-stand, ex-pro-football player Samson Lima, who has become the newest spokesperson for the dating website Matchmaker. Their reconnection turns out to be a good thing, as Rhiannon wants to buy Matchmaker. The two concoct a plan to work together for the benefit of both companies, strategizing about their re-budding physical attraction as much as they do about business plans. Rai turns up the heat and finds the funny in modern dating, from almost-dick pics to glitter grams and ghosting. But it's not all steamy, as the characters have issues with trust and love, making them vulnerable both to each other and the public. Taking the dating app business to another level, with a dose of girl power, sexual politics, and one eccentric red-headed aunt, Rai scores a touchdown. Perfect for fans of Tessa Bailey's Fix Her Up (2019) and Alexa Martin's Playbook series.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)