Smitten by the Brit

March 25, 2019
Johnson’s second Sometimes in Love transatlantic contemporary puts a modern twist on the impoverished duke who needs to marry an heiress. Theo Wharton, Duke of Emberton, is in Chicago to meet the woman who is supposed to solve his money problems, but he would rather be with Bonnie Blythe, an English professor and self-professed Anglophile, whom he met when her friend Cassie fell for his friend Logan (in Getting Hot with the Scot). Theo is delighted to learn that Bonnie has broken her engagement with her cheating fiancé and is ready for some changes. A serendipitous connection leads to Bonnie landing a summer job in Cambridge, where she teaches Shakespeare, explores new career paths, and romps with Theo. The sexy escapades are a little predictable but still electric, and Theo’s dates with Bonnie around London are the stuff of romantic fantasies. As their friendship deepens, Theo helps Bonnie work through her anger at her ex, ensuring their sweet, steamy relationship is more than a rebound. The scenes with Bonnie and Theo’s families and sassy, blunt Cassie and Logan are rollicking fun and provide excellent grounding for the romance. This irreverent tale turns several romance tropes on their heads while still delivering that sweet fairy tale ending that readers look for.

March 1, 2019
After an English professor's fiance cheats on her, she accepts a summer teaching position in England and gravitates toward a sexy English nobleman, but as their affair heats up, the Anglophile finds herself in the midst of an Austen-worthy romantic drama.Bonnie Blythe has been with her fiance, Gabe, "forever," so she's stunned when she finds him in bed with another woman. His betrayal opens the door to accepting a dream teaching assignment at Cambridge, though, and sends her into the arms of Theo, who's scheduled to be the best man at her best friend's upcoming wedding. Though they start slow, there's been an attraction since the second they met a year earlier, and acting on it has Bonnie wondering if her future lies with this sexy, intense duke, tucked in the Lake District cottage they both love. Theo's finances are precarious, however, a situation exacerbated by his overly developed sense of duty to his family and the many people who depend on them for their livelihoods. For once he wants to buck his obligations, because Bonnie makes him happy and life without her seems bleak, but his mother's demand to find a rich bride dims his hopes for a happy-ever-after. The sophomore effort from Johnson may be even better than her exceptional debut (Getting Hot with the Scot, 2019), and her navigation of betrayal, heartbreak, noblesse oblige, family pressure, disappointment, and the healing power of love add up to another terrific read. Along with the snappy dialogue, sizzling emotional and sexual tension (with a couple of very hot sex scenes), and full-blooded characters, Johnson weaves in references to art, literature, music, and other cultural touchstones that add depth and authenticity to the tale.Another delightful winner from an author on the rise.

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Starred review from April 1, 2019
Bonnie Blythe is maybe slightly jealous that her best friend, Cassie?introduced in Getting Hot with the Scot (2019)?is about to get married to a man she has known less than a year, while Bonnie's fianc� and childhood sweetheart refuses to set a date for their nuptials. As if it isn't hard enough to help plan her friend's wedding instead of her own, Bonnie is trying to repress her attraction to the best man, Theo Wharton, an actual duke who seems to have walked right out of one of Bonnie's beloved Jane Austen novels. When Bonnie discovers what her fianc� has been up to, a fresh start is needed. An opportunity to teach at Cambridge is perfect, with the added bonus that Theo is nearby. But his family has financial problems, and his mom is pressuring him to marry a wealthy woman, even though Theo only has eyes for a certain red-haired American. Bonnie and Theo are kind, smart, and oh-so-deserving of each other. Their love is sure to melt hearts; the chemistry is titillating; fun literary references add to the charm; and well-drawn secondary characters create additional depth and humor. Readers will be entirely smitten.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)