UNROMANCE

A one-night stand leads to a mutually beneficial agreement between a romance author and a heartthrob actor in this trope-filled rom-com.

When Sawyer Greene and Mason Álvarez-West get stuck in an elevator, Sawyer is not interested in this being the meet-cute beginning of a new romance. Her ex-girlfriend left her believing it was impossible to balance writing and a relationship, and Sawyer is already behind deadline for her next book. A no-strings hookup seems a great idea, though…until she runs into Mason again at an adorable Christmas market. Hopeless romantic Mason’s on-screen turned off-screen romance is over, and he needs to remain single for a while to stay out of the tabloids in anticipation of a big upcoming announcement about his career. Cue what they call “Mission: (un)Romance”—Sawyer and Mason agree to participate in several romantic cliches together so she can inoculate him against them through exposure while also getting inspiration for her next book. The only rules are no more sex and no falling in love—both of which become increasingly difficult to follow. Set during a Chicago winter, this swoony, humorous love story is sure to warm hearts on cold days. Chapter headings that define various romance tropes (“Crash Landing: Falling for them—literally. Bonus points for landing on top of them, faces millimeters apart”) make it clear that debut author Connor is writing with love for voracious romance readers. The pacing meanders as the plot moves forward in sometimes inorganic ways, but the delightful couple remains compelling on their “strangers to friends to lovers to idiots to lovers” journey.

An immensely charming debut.