Reviews for Romantic hero
Publishers Weekly
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A touch of interdimensional magic sets the stage for this fun and heartfelt rom-rom from Greenwood (The Love of My After Life). London-based romance novelist Gertie Bickerstaff is too brokenhearted after her boyfriend leaves her to finish writing the final book in her Bedlam Creek Ranch series, which is due to her publisher in two weeks. Crying in her bathtub isn’t helping, but the unexpected appearance in the real world of the sexy villain of her series, swaggering cowboy River Oakley, just might. Even more surprising, he’s not the bad guy Gertie has painted him as, just an overworked rancher who hasn’t gotten to tell his side of the story. He’s eager to get back to his own reality and thinks the way to do so is by helping Gertie find love, so he volunteers to help her win back her ex by making him jealous. Before long, Gertie, River, and Gertie’s neighbor’s scene-stealing dog, Squish, become close collaborators, and the chemistry blossoms. It’s undeniably diverting to watch River get to know London and compare his world to Gertie’s as she reevaluates what makes a good romantic hero. Witty, winkingly meta, and wonderfully told, this is sure to entertain. (June)
Book list
From Booklist, Copyright © American Library Association. Used with permission.
Greenwood’s latest (after The Love of My Afterlife, 2024) introduces readers to Gertie Bickerstaff, a shut-in romance novelist in a mess. Nursing a broken heart and a terrible case of writer’s block, Gertie is forced by encroaching deadlines to try a last-ditch manifestation ceremony to get the words flowing. Later that night, she is shaken out of her cocktail-soaked doldrums by a very confused, shirtless cowboy named River Oakley—a cowboy who bears a striking resemblance to the villainous River Oakley in her best-selling Bedlam Creek novels. As she and River untangle this cosmic knot, Gertie begins to come out of her shell, face her grief, and maybe let herself love again. Greenwood’s writing is smooth, voicey, fun (no writer’s blocks here), and leans into the speakers' dialects whenever possible. While the premise can get a little far-fetched if you overthink it, Greenwood’s happy ending doesn’t compromise all the growth built up throughout the book, which is a rare feat. In this heart-warming romance, Greenwood shows readers that we can all be the (romantic) hero of our own stories.
Library Journal
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Ever since her boyfriend, Henry, declared he needed a break, romance author Gertie Bickerstaff has been stuck with writer's block so strong she's desperate enough to partake in a manifestation ceremony under a full moon. The following day, she finds her novels' villain, cowboy River Oakley, on her couch, living, breathing, and utterly confused. Trying to kill multiple birds with one dimensional traveler, Gertie and River create a plan to make Henry jealous, get him back in her life, break Gertie's writer's block, and send River back to the world he came from. An already complicated plan becomes even more so, as Gertie realizes that she might not want Henry to return and that River is starting to make her swoon. Gertie now knows the world contains magic, but its solution to one problem might create an even bigger crisis in her life. VERDICT Greenwood's newest follows in the footsteps of her previous novel, The Love of My After Life, combining tender warmth, hilarious hijinks, and a touch of the unknown to create a book made for staying up late to finish. While it's perfect for any romantic comedy fan, this will also appeal to readers of cowboy romances.—Kellie Tilton
