A personal trainer agonizes over whether to dump her jerk of a boyfriend in favor of a rich dreamboat in Aiseman’s fizzy romance.

Chloe Barrett is a 20-something Baltimore-area brunette whose unemployed, live-in boyfriend Jimmy is possibly the world’s worst: He constantly criticizes her looks and clothes, derides her ambition to finish college and open a combination Pilates/yoga/nutritional counseling studio, openly flirts with other women, and says things like “you could lose some pounds, you know” and “even your parents knew nothing good would come out of you” (Chloe was raised in foster homes). Enter the dashing young Will Allentown, who runs his family’s billion-dollar real estate business and is “slightly too handsome to be real” with his captivating dark eyes and awesome lats and deltoids. Will takes Chloe’s business dreams seriously, and she supports his dream of becoming a writer; the two bond over s’mores, steamy hands-on personal training sessions, and Will’s intervention when he rescues Chloe from a creepy groper. Unfortunately, Chloe’s self-esteem is so undermined by Jimmy’s abuse that she can’t bear to leave him, even after he steals $6,000 from her to invest in a nutritional-supplement scam. A further complication arises in the person of Sydney Bell, a gorgeous real estate agent whom Will’s snooty mom Alina wants Will to marry. Aiseman’s colorful, evocative prose ably conveys both catty comedy (“Sydney gets up to hug [Will], making sure her cleavage rubs onto his chest”) and the tremulous buildup of passion (“She moves a tad closer to him almost reflexively…he must notice that little hitch in her breath, because his smile curves upward a little more”). Chloe is a winsome hero, hesitant, wary, and determinedly independent but suffused with quiet yearning; readers will root for her to land the right man.

An entertaining love story featuring sharply etched, appealing characters with palpable chemistry.

A scientist has her rule against relationships put to the ultimate test in Aiseman’s sharp-witted romance.

Eleanor “Ellie” Benjamin is on the cusp of realizing her dream of moving from Tel Aviv, Israel, to Washington, D.C., to work at the Gene and Epigenetic Research Institute (GERI). There, she will pursue advanced work in epigenetics with professor Jim Harrington, her direct supervisor, and Andrew A. Kowalski, her collaborator. On a layover in Madrid, Ellie’s frantic dash to find a phone charger ends with her falling into the lap of a stranger named Aiden. He is handsome, friendly, and irresistible; however, Ellie has sworn off relationships since breaking up with her “mythological ex” Oren Hason, a well-known drummer. Despite Ellie and Aiden’s obvious attraction, Ellie tells her new roommate Alannah, “I don’t want to get emotionally involved.” On Ellie’s first day at GERI, she is shocked to discover that “Aiden” is really her colleague Andrew Aiden Kowalski. They agree to keep their relationship strictly professional until a conference in San Diego gives them the opportunity to stage a fake romance for the benefit of Ellie’s ex, Oren, who is playing a concert in the city. When a social media post leads to a barrage of publicity and a sexual harassment charge against Aiden, Ellie must decide whether it is time for her and Aiden to reveal their true feelings for each other. The first installment of Aiseman’s GERI Labs series is a sparkling romance with appealing protagonists and well-drawn supporting characters. Ellie Benjamin and Aiden Kowalski are engaging leads whose growing attraction is emphasized by lively banter (“‘Rule number two,’ he says, ‘No seduction until we figure this thing out.’ ‘Oh, come on, that’s the best part.’”) The vibrant supporting characters include Alannah Meyser, Ellie’s roommate and peer at GERI, and Oren Hason, the “mythological ex” who is not as self-centered as he appears. Aiseman’s briskly paced narrative deftly balances Ellie’s and Aiden’s love story with their personal and professional concerns as they navigate the ethics of a romance between co-workers.

A bright and entertaining start to a promising new series.