If you’ve ever been lucky (or unlucky!) enough to be a guest at a formal dinner party, especially a French one, you’ll know that the main courses are taken seriously. Attention must be paid, and appreciation must be accorded. In between the heavy dishes, however, guests are occasionally served what is called an “amuse-bouche” – literally, an amusement for the mouth. Sometimes it’s a tiny serving of melon, or more wonderfully, IMHO, a melon ball-sized serving of sorbet. Often, at least to me, these are the most delightful parts of the meal. This month I read a few main course-like books, richly deserving of praise and serious attention, but I also consumed many “amuse bouche” titles and had lots of fun in the process.
I’ll start with a novel of substance that I’m so glad I found, even though it broke my heart. Far less bubbly than his earlier THE HOUSE IN THE CERULEAN SEA, T.J. Klune’s WE BURNED SO BRIGHT is not a romance but a beautiful, apocalyptic love story about two aging men on a mission as the world ends. Don and Rodney have been together for decades, but as the novel opens, with news of an approaching black hole that will end life on earth, they set off on a journey that becomes more meaningful with every difficult mile. WE BURNED SO BRIGHT is not a light read, but it is a beautiful paean to both parenthood and enduring love.
Similarly, the most attention-demanding character in Ann Napolitano’s WITHIN ARM’S REACH is an elderly matriarch intent upon organizing her Irish-American children and grandchildren into better order before her demise. This was Ms. Napolitano’s first book, but it has only recently been re-released along with a perfectly narrated audio version. This book, too, is more a story of familial love and resilience than a romance, but it leaves the reader or listener grateful to have gotten to know the McLaughlin family.
On a slightly lighter side, Ashley Poston’s newest novel, THE SOMEDAY GARDEN, fulfills the author’s goal of making the reader ask, “How in the world is she going to resolve this one?” and then doing so with Simone Biles-level agility. Sophie has been hired by yet one more aging central character to rehabilitate a large garden estate left too long unattended. The owner of Lilymoore Gardens wants both her property and her family’s affairs in order before she’s too old to interfere, but her two nephews seem unable to work together. Sophie is under a deadline, so when she encounters one of the nephews seemingly trapped both physically and temporally in a part of the garden only she can (sometimes) see and then falls in love with him over several months (or is it several hours?), things get complicated. I qualified the “lighter side” above because Sophie spends much of the novel immersed in ongoing grief at the recent death of her best friend. But this IS a romance, and like Ms. Biles, Ms. Poston always sticks her landings beautifully.
An “amuse-bouche” is typically chilled and mildly flavored, but the next several titles are hot and spicy, so buckle up.
NOT HOME ALONE, by Kayley Loring, takes place in an abode named by neighbors “the Home Alone house” due to its astonishing similarity to the movie set. No one lives there, so when Merrily returns home for Christmas, she rents the always lavishly decorated house to avoid her recently remarried father’s overwhelming new family. Upon arriving, however, she’s shocked to find the decorations gone and the town scion who publicly broke her heart ten years ago moved in and insistent that the house is his for the holiday season. Hmmm. We have forced proximity combined with a second chance at love, nicely wrapped up with a small-town Christmas stage production humorously named the “Notcracker.” Did I mention the main character’s name is Merrily? Throw in some sizzling bedroom shenanigans, and you’ve got the perfect gateway to the holiday season and a guaranteed way to stay warm.
Not to be outdone in the spice department, parts of FALLING AT THE BARRE, by Elise Kennedy, are hot enough to set your e-reader on fire, and yet they are interspersed with lovely, tender scenes of a widowed dad trying to provide a secure life for his six-year-old daughter. When a temporarily unemployed ballet dancer moves in next door, it’s a win-win for everyone as she agrees to serve briefly as young Annabelle’s nanny. Olivia is preoccupied worrying about her dimming professional future, but spending time with Luca proves more than a little distracting. This book, too, is a small-town romance with a touch of the holiday spirit, and the brief Nutcracker interlude is exquisitely touching.
Finally, Kate Meader can always be counted on for a great story with plenty of between-the-covers action, and her new SECRET HUSBAND is no exception. In another second-chance romance, Lauren and Alexei were briefly together ten years ago towards the end of their respective college hockey careers. He’s now a pro, she’s a sports agent, and when their paths cross in Vegas and too much alcohol is consumed, an unexpected union somehow results. When Lauren learns of the marriage certificate many months later, she’s determined to rectify the matter immediately. Alexei has different plans, however, but they require winning back Lauren’s trust after a painful decade apart. Kate Meader is uniquely skilled at bringing disparate partners together slowly and believably while keeping the heat level consistently high.
For another opportunity to journey from the serious and stately to the sexy and sublime, check out the new Camelot-themed anthology, ONCE & NEVERMORE. Twelve stories take on the mythical kingdom from a variety of perspectives, and my story, “Second Knight for Tomorrow,” will leave you both entranced and overjoyed.
ONCE AND NEVERMORE by Meg Napier
Camelot rises again through the brilliant imaginings of today’s most gifted writers. Merlin, King Arthur, the ladies and knights whose stories we love, and even the round table, come back to life in ways one thousand years of legend would never have dreamed possible. Step into our magic realm and let your wonder take flight.
Stories include: The Girl Who Put the Sword Back by J. Raven Wilde, Galahad’s Purity by C.J. Vale, The Wolf”s Claim by Patti Petrone Miller, Arthur versus Vlad by C.J. Ferrell, A Shining Moment with Someone Like Him by Susanna Eastman, The One That I Ask by J. Keely Thrall, A Distant Moon Ago by Sharon Wray, What was Laid to Hold by Daphne Moore, The Right Question by Julie Halperson, Run in Dupli‑City by R.H. Wood, and Second Knight for Tomorrow by Meg Napier.
Fantasy Anthology | Romance Fantasy [ NapierPress, On Sale: October 13, 2026, Paperback / e-Book, ISBN: 2940197144119 / eISBN: 9781959289104 ]
Buy ONCE AND NEVERMORE: Amazon.com | Kindle | BN.com | Apple Books |Kobo Plus| Google Play | Amazon CA | Amazon UK | Amazon DE | Amazon FR
About Meg Napier
Meg’s friends during her high school years all expected her romance novels to hit the shelves decades ago, but she foolishly allowed “serious pursuits” to get in her way. Now that her beloved children can feed, clothe, and most importantly, support themselves, she’s free to turn her attention to her first passion – putting words to paper that capture your attention and make your heart sing in quiet joy. Her stories tell most frequently of second chances–in life, love, and sometimes even at rediscovering a soul-mate from a previous life.
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