ROMeANTICALLY CHALLENGED

July 1, 2020
Getting dumped right before her wedding was bad enough, so when Anh Nhi, aka Annie Walsh made a quick decision to accept a temporary job at a hospital in Rome, she was gutted to realize she wouldn't be flying off to Italy but to Rome, Rhode Island. Even more shocking was waking up to find a gorgeous half-naked stranger sleeping in the living room of her Airbnb. Photojournalist and world-traveler Emmitt Bradley's most recent assignment landed him in the hospital with a severe head injury, forcing him to return home early to recuperate. Emmitt and Annie agree to temporarily share his house, but living as roommates with boundaries is hard for a ladykiller like Emmitt and for shy, people-pleaser Annie who has to rebuff a guy she secretly likes. Their chemistry runs hot and cold until Annie and Emmitt work together to solve their issues with family, giving them both a reason to stay in Rome for good. Fans of Jill Shalvis and Susan Mallery will enjoy the modern family dynamic and small-town atmosphere of Adair's mildly sensuous enemies-to-lovers romance.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)

July 24, 2020

Anh Nhi, commonly called Annie, has been hiding away in Rome, RI, after her fianc� dumped her. When she applied for the temporary physician's assistant job in Rome, she misread that it wasn't the famed Italian capital. But the small town quickly grows on her, and she's just started making her rental house a home when an unexpected visitor shows up and lets himself into her house. Emmitt doesn't expect to find a half-naked woman in his house when he returns home from an assignment. And he definitely didn't expect her to kick him out of his own place. This house isn't big enough for the two of them--Rome itself might not have enough space. But the more time the two spend together, the more they realize being apart might not be what they really want. VERDICT Adair ("Destiny Bay" series) launches an adorable, fun new contemporary romance series. Anh and Emmitt are delightful, and the cast of secondary characters is varied and entertaining. Readers will be eager to see several of them get their own story. For public libraries where small-town contemporary romances are popular.--Amanda Toth, Lane Lib., Hamilton, OH

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