Latest news with #Berkley
New York Times
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- New York Times
4 Romance Novels With Delicious Payoffs
A Witch's Guide to Magical Innkeeping Consequences are the lifeblood of fiction; there's nothing more central to the novel than the question And then what happened? In A WITCH'S GUIDE TO MAGICAL INNKEEPING (Berkley, 352 pp., paperback, $19.99), Sera Swan knows all about consequences. The British Guild of Sorcery cast her out when she used a forbidden spell to revive her beloved great-aunt — and worse, the spell cost her most of her magic. Now she runs a charmed inn with that same great-aunt, along with a witch trapped in fox form, a resurrected rooster skeleton and a gaggle of guests with plenty of their own quirks. Until one new guest offers her a second chance. Luke Larsen is a Guild scholar who might know a spell to restore Sera's magic — but he's reluctant to help anyone targeted by the tyrannical Guild leader Albert Grey. Mandanna's earlier hit, 'The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches,' brushed up against a sinister authority figure, but here that danger is magnified: Grey is a real threat to the garden of kindness Sera has spent her years tending. It is glorious, then, watching Sera and Luke figure out how to deliver the consequences his actions deserve — as if someone has stitched a huge, pillowy duvet out of justice and revenge. Love Is a War Song LOVE IS A WAR SONG (Berkley, 336 pp., paperback, $19) also starts with a heroine in metaphorical exile: Avery Fox is a rising Native American pop star who sparked outrage when she posed in a warbonnet on the cover of Rolling Stone. To ride out the backlash, she takes refuge at her grandmother's ranch in Oklahoma. She's out of her depth with her relatives and on the reservation; the ranch manager, Lucas, seems to hold a particularly simmering grudge. (First Luke, now Lucas — it's a classic romance hero name, what can you do.) But doing professional choreography in five-inch heels has made Avery tougher than anyone expects; she makes some beginner mistakes, but soon she's fallen in love with the ranch and with the close-knit community she finds in Oklahoma. And, of course, with Lucas — whose grand plans to restore the ranch will take both their efforts to accomplish. This book feels as lived-in and appealing as your favorite pair of jeans: sexy in an understated way and uniquely American. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Express Tribune
17-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
Lili Reinhart to star in rom-com ‘The Love Hypothesis' for Amazon MGM Studios, production underway
Lili Reinhart has signed on to star in and executive produce the upcoming romantic comedy The Love Hypothesis, adapted from Ali Hazelwood's bestselling novel. The film is being developed by Amazon MGM Studios and MRC, with direction by Claire Scanlon and a script by Sarah Rothschild. Reinhart, recently honoured at Series Mania for Hal & Harper, will portray Olive Smith, a biology PhD candidate who enters a fake relationship with Dr Adam Carlsen, a respected yet feared professor. As the arrangement unfolds, both characters find their views on love unexpectedly challenged. Originally published in 2021 by Berkley, Hazelwood's novel spent 10 months on the New York Times bestseller list and reached readers in 40 countries. It was named Amazon's Best Romance of the Year. Scanlon, known for Set It Up and The People We Hate at the Wedding, brings rom-com experience to the project, while Rothschild's previous credits include The Sleepover for Netflix. Elizabeth Cantillon is producing alongside Reinhart, Catherine Hagedorn, and Hazelwood. Hazelwood expressed enthusiasm for the adaptation, saying, 'Honestly, I still can't believe this is happening? Elizabeth Cantillon, Claire Scanlon, and Lili Reinhart have all created, produced, or starred in works that I'm absolutely feral about, and I am beyond honoured that they're choosing to bring their talent to this project.'
Associated Press
16-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Associated Press
US-Best-Sellers-Books-PW
HARDCOVER FICTION 1. 'Atmosphere' by Taylor Jenkins Reid (Ballantine) 2. 'Edge of Honor' by Brad Thor (Atria/Bestler) 3. 'Never Flinch' by Stephen King (Scribner) 4. 'Tusk Love' by Thea Guanzon (Random House Worlds) 5. 'Don't Let Him In' by Lisa Jewell (Atria) 6. 'Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil' by V.E. Schwab (Tor) 7. 'Great Big Beautiful Life' by Emily Henry (Berkley) 8. 'A Forbidden Alchemy' by Stacey McEwan (Saga) 9. 'My Friends' by Fredrik Backman (Atria) 10. 'The First Gentleman' by Patterson/Clinton (Little, Brown and Knopf) 11. 'The Knight and the Moth' by Rachel Gillig (Orbit) 12. 'Broken Country' by Clare Leslie Hall (Simon & Schuster) 13. 'A Mother's Love' by Danielle Steel (Delacorte) 14. 'Onyx Storm' by Rebecca Yarros (Red Tower) 15. 'The Wedding People' by Alison Espach (Holt) _____ HARDCOVER NON-FICTION 1. 'The Let Them Theory' by Mel Robbins (Hay House) 2. 'Don't Believe Everything You Think (expanded ed.)' by Joseph Nguyen (Authors Equity) 3. 'Unruly' by Lauren Wittenberg Weiner (BenBella/Holt) 4. 'Super Agers' by Eric Topol (Simon & Schuster) 5. 'Behind the Badge' by Johnny Joey Jones (Harper Influence) 6. 'The Simple Path to Wealth (revised & expanded ed.)' by JL Collins (Authors Equity) 7. 'Abundance' by Ezra Klein (Avid Reader) 8. 'The Wishbone Kitchen Cookbook' by Meredith Hayden (Ten Speed) 9. 'Everything Is Tuberculosis' by John Green (Crash Course) 10. 'Mark Twain' by Ron Chernow (Penguin Press) 11. 'We Can Do Hard Things' by Doyle/Wambach/Doyle (Dial) 12. 'Uncommon Favor' by Dawn Staley (Black Privilege) 13. 'The Book of Alchemy' by Suleika Jaouad (Random House) 14. 'Big Dumb Eyes' by Nate Bargatze (Grand Central) 15. 'The Next Conversation' by Jefferson Fisher (Tarcher) _____ TRADE PAPERBACK BESTSELLERS 1. 'Do Not Disturb' by Freida McFadden (Poisoned Pen) 2. 'One Golden Summer' by Carley Fortune (Berkley) 3. 'The Tenant' by Freida McFadden (Poisoned Pen) 4. 'Caught Up' by Navessa Allen (Slowburn) 5. Remarkably Bright Creatures' by Shelby Van Pelt (Ecco) 6. 'Lights Out' by Navessa Allen (Slowburn) 7. 'Problematic Summer Romance' by Ali Hazelwood (Berkley) 8. 'Till Summer Do Us Part' by Meghan Quinn (Bloom) 9. 'All the Colors of the Dark' by Chris Whitaker (Crown) 10. 'Fourth Wing' by Rebecca Yarros (Red Tower) 11. 'Iron Flame' by Rebecca Yarros (Red Tower) 12. 'Sandwich' by Catherine Newman (Harper Perennial) 13. 'The Boyfriend' by Freida McFadden (Poisoned Pen) 14. 'Here One Moment' by Liane Moriarty (Crown) 15. 'The Crash' by Freida McFadden (Poisoned Pen) _____
Hamilton Spectator
14-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Hamilton Spectator
The 8 top beach reads of the summer, from Emily Henry's latest to a Toronto foodie romance
Sunscreen, hand-held fan and refreshing beverage of your choice? Check, check and check. Permission to leave the world behind, albeit briefly? Granted. A sizzling summer read that feels like the literary equivalent of sinking into cool water on scorching hot day? Awaiting you — almost certainly on bended knee, and with a naughty twinkle in its eye — in the roundup below. With happy endings and high-velocity page-turning guaranteed, these are our eight best summer beach reads for 2025. Emily Henry Berkley, 544 pages, $41 If you're looking for the ultimate blend of heart and humour, look no further than the genius behind 'Beach Read,' the No. 1 bestseller that kicked off a new golden age of the genre when it was published in 2020. 'Great Big Beautiful Life,' by Emily Henry, Berkley, $41. This time, Emily Henry whisks us to coastal South Carolina, where a reporter has stumbled onto the scoop of the century: After decades out of the public eye, an infamous heiress is looking for someone to write her memoir — and it's going to be juicy. (Cross the tragedy of the Kennedys with the wallets of the Vanderbilts and spritz in some Evelyn Hugo-era Hollywood intrigue.) There's a small problem. The reclusive heiress is auditioning someone else at the same time, giving them both a month to prove who's the right fit to tell her story. Naturally, said rival is irritating and attractive in equal measure, with a rumpled charm that would be irresistible if he didn't stand between our heroine and her big break. You'll love this if you liked: 'People You Meet on Vacation,' 'Funny Story' and anything else by Henry, the thinking woman's romance writer. Spice level: Low. A few steamy moments, but this one's all about the banter and the slow burn. Tropes: Grumpy man, sunshine woman; the one-bed trope, but instead of a single place to sleep, they're stuck on a tiny island and can't help bumping into each other. Jessica Stanley Doubleday Canada, 336 pages, $26 Sometimes you can suspend your disbelief and believe that fairy tales really come true. Other times, you need a book that's clear-eyed about the limitations of human relationships while still managing to tell a joyful story that affirms our faith in love, even the imperfect sort. 'Consider Yourself Kissed,' by Jessica Stanley, Doubleday Canada, $26. If you're not in the headspace for a gloriously fantastical tale of happily ever after, may we introduce you to Jessica Stanley's charming, wise debut novel? Set across the years of a long-term relationship, it tells the story of an Australian woman who moves to London to escape a predatory boss and quickly falls in love with a Mark Darcy-esque Englishman. With wit and gorgeous prose, Stanley takes us through the stages of their relationship — and all the life that happens along the way, including grief, growing apart, even a trial separation — to tell a story that is somehow all the more romantic for feeling so realistic. You'll love this if you liked: Helen Fielding's ' Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy' and its pitch-perfect mix of light and shade. Spice level: Low. A pinch of cayenne, but honestly, you're more likely to cry than anything else. Tropes: Bookish-but-also-hot British man. Cecilia Edward Saga Press, 320 pages, $25.99 Finding love in 2025 is baffling enough when you aren't a late medieval witch who accidentally brewed a true love potion that catapulted you forward several centuries and directly into the path of a cute-and-kind man who looks as though he's about to trap your feline familiar (who journeyed with you) for nefarious purposes, but turns out to be a vet who provides charity medical care for stray cats. 'An Ancient Witch's Guide to Modern Dating,' by Cecilia Edward, Saga Press, $25.99. Delightfully daffy — but with a deeper message about how real love often comes when you're not trying to cast a spell in order to manipulate the world into thinking you're something you're not — this is a bewitching beach read that gets bonus points for a heroine who is closer to 40, not the standard 28 (which is the new 23). You'll love this if you liked: 'Practical Magic' by Alice Hoffman . Spice level: Mild. It's G-rated enough that you can listen to the audiobook on a drive with your ultra-conservative Aunt Pearl Clutcher. Tropes: Time travel, like 'Outlander,' but much, much breezier in tone and with way fewer burning of witches. Brittney Arena Random House Canada, 448 pages, $38 Once upon a time, Vasalie was King Illian's favourite dancer, his 'Jewel' whom he showered with gifts and shared late nights, long conversations and more than one yearning glance with. Then, she was framed for a murder she did not commit and thrown into a cell, the king not lifting a finger to save her. 'A Dance of Lies,' by Brittney Arena, Random House Canada, $38. Two years later, Vasalie — broken by captivity and isolation; barely able to walk, let alone dance — is summoned and given a choice: She can spy for the king at a gathering of rulers, or she can die. Despite the damage done to her physically and mentally, Vasalie seizes her chance — and finds herself caught up in a dark game of revenge, courtly intrigue and mysterious prophecies. And the most dangerous part of all? The feelings she develops for someone we won't name because it's a spoiler, sorry. Not only is this a particularly beautifully written romantasy, it's got a lovely backstory: Brittney Arena lives with several chronic illnesses and wrote this book as a 'declaration that our limitations do not define our worth or limit our ability to live wonderfully romantic and impactful lives.' Bring on book two … You'll love this if you liked: 'A Court of Thorns and Roses' by Sarah J. Maas . Spice level: Medium. Green chili with the seeds scraped out, as in just a few hot-and-heavy kisses, but not nearly the sort of action you'd see in, say, 'Fourth Wing.' Tropes: Forbidden romance with a splash of enemies-to-lovers. Meghan Quinn Bloom, 432 pages, $28.99 This book has a wonderfully silly premise: Newly divorced Scottie works at a golf putter manufacturer where everyone is married and obsessed with their spouses. To fit in, she pretends to have a husband. 'Till Summer Do Us Part,' Meghan Quinn, Bloom, $28.99. As lies tend to do, this snowballs into her recruiting her best friend's brother — who has nothing better to do now that he's sold his app for zillions — to join her for an eight-day couples camp run by her boss's therapist husband. Cue the forced-proximity tingles, amplified by the fact that Wilder Wells is not only up for anything, but he's also perceptive, kind and has a lip piercing that makes Scottie (frustratingly, thrillingly) weak at the knees. As with all Meghan Quinn books, it's very funny, with just the right amount of heart to ground it from absurdity. You'll love this if you liked: 'It Happened One Summer' by Tessa Bailey . Spice level: Scotch bonnet. Tropes: Fake dating, although in this case it's pretending to be a long-term married couple with a host of fabricated issues. Its amplified by some classic forced proximity in their camp cabin and kitted out with various erotic accoutrements prescribed by their therapist to help save their relationship. Amy Rosen ECW Press, 280 pages, $24.95 If you want a book that feels like diving into a buffet stacked with everything you love, immediately pull up a chair to the glorious smorgasbord served up by Amy Rosen, one of Canada's most talented food writers, making her romance debut. 'Off Menu,' by Amy Rosen, ECW Press, $24.95. Our heroine is Ruthie, a professionally adrift 20-something who inherits a nice chunk of change when her beloved grandmother (and noted dispenser of life advice, like 'Never buy green bananas, and never wear banana yellow') dies in a Jet Ski accident. It's enough money for her to quit her job and follow her bliss — that would be food — all the way to a year studying at Toronto's French cooking academy. On her first day, she's partnered with Jeff, a dreamy musician who irritatingly has a girlfriend who has the temerity to be both pretty and nice. The fallout from this — and all the hijinks in between — are told to us by Ruthie, chatting away Bridget Jones-style in her diary. The real love story here, of course, is the food. Whether Rosen is shouting out fictional Toronto spots — pistachio sandwich cookies from Cafe Forno, tofu with garlic sauce from Legendary Asian — or writing about dishes Ruthie prepares so vividly the smells practically waft from the pages, this is a book filled with good eating. Come for the giggles and mishaps (accidentally icing a carrot cake with cocaine!), stay for a lemon meringue pie made with tea biscuits and condensed milk that sounds so easy and delicious you actually wrote down the recipe to try this weekend. You'll love this if you liked: 'Julie & Julia' by Julie Powell. Spice level: Habanero, but only in small, infrequent doses. Tropes: Unrequited love. Noreen Nanja Random House Canada, 368 pages, $26 If you've already gobbled up (even reread) this year's Carley Fortune (very good, maybe even her best yet), we've got just the Canadian debut to fill that emotional-romance-on-a-cottage-country-lake-shaped hole in your heart. 'The Summers Between Us,' by Noreen Nanja, Random House Canada, $26. 'The Summers Between Us' is the story of first love's second chance after a 15-year separation, told as a nuanced exploration of the cross-cultural differences that can sometimes make people go their separate ways. In this case, that means Lia — the high-achieving daughter of immigrant parents — dutifully dating someone her mother approves of, while secretly pining for the boy that she fell for during long, heady teenage summers at her cottage. She never thought she'd return there, but life has other plans — and that boy from Pike Bay turned into a rather dreamy man. You'll love this if you liked: 'Every Summer After' by Carley Fortune. Spice level: More sweet and yearning than spicy and steamy. Tropes: Your classic 'we fell in love as teenagers, but fate forced us apart and now here we are as adults who never quite got over that cataclysmic first love.' 'Only Between Us,' by Ellie K. Wilde, Simon & Schuster, $25.99. Ellie K. Wilde Simon & Schuster, 416 pages, $25.99 We couldn't compile this list without a sports romance. First draft pick on our roster? Canadian phenom Ellie K. Wilde's latest instalment in her series set in the small town of Oakwood Bay. This time, our heroine is a former WAG desperately trying to save her family's business and smart enough to realize that fake-dating one of the hottest football players of the century could be her ticket to turning things around. This scheme has something in it for our hero too, as he's trying to make a comeback and could use a bit of good publicity. We really aren't spoiling anything when we say things get complicated — feelings develop between two people who pretend to be married while being secretly attracted to each other (what a plot twist) — and, also not a shocker if you've read her other work, pretty hot. You'll love this if you liked: Tessa Bailey's 'Fangirl Down.' Spice level: What they refer to on romance subreddits as 'explicit door open' — meaning trés, trés chaud. Tropes: Fake dating.
Cosmopolitan
14-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Cosmopolitan
Read Lynn Painter's ‘Maid for Each Other' Excerpt
This is absolutely not a drill! A new Lynn Painter novel is on its way and yes, we are absolutely freaking out! The iconic author is back and bringing our Maid in Manhattan dreams come true with her latest novel that will certainly make us laugh and fall for this very unlikely couple who have to prove to everyone that their love story is very real. Cosmopolitan has an exclusive look at Lynn Painter's Maid for Each Other, which is set to be released on July 15, 2025. Abi Mariano is a professional cleaner, among other things, as she tries to get her life together. When an infestation in her apartment leads her to stay overnight at a billionaire's place, she is forced to lie to his parents who see her the next AM and believe her to be his girlfriend. To keep up the ruse, they start a fake relationship. But just how long will it take for them to realize that the sparks between them are very much real? Here's some more info from our friends at Berkley. Ready to find out how their first in-person meeting goes? Check out an exclusive excerpt below as well as a sneak peek to the audiobook! Just make sure to pre-order Maid for Each Other and maybe even pick up some of Lynn's other reads while you're at it! An Excerpt From Maid for Each OtherBy Lynn PainterRead by Saylor Bell Curda and Teddy Hamilton 'Would you like your receipt?' 'No,' the woman said, grabbing her Lululemon tote bag and heading for the exit of Benny's Natural Grocers without giving me a second glance. 'Have a good day,' I yelled before turning to ring up the next customer in line. I hated this job, this perfectly easy and mind-numbing job. I'd worked at Benny's since high school, so it was comfortable, not to mention necessary because it supplied me with my health insurance, but every shift just reminded me that my life was stuck in quicksand that I might never get out of. Hence my second go-round of college. Hence my need for this job and my three-times-a-week overnight job. Hence my propensity for thinking stupid words like hence. 'Hi,' I said robotically to the next customer, my mouth on autopilot before I noticed the person in line didn't have anything on the belt. I raised my eyes to the customer's face but then—wow. I might've actually gasped aloud. There were a lot of attractive men out there, but this man had to be The One they were inspired by. He was tall—like six and a half feet of tall—but no one would call him lanky. They would never. Broad shoulders filled out the impeccably tailored suit and he reminded me of a professional football player when they did the long walk from the bus to the locker room. Expensive. Built. Perfect. And not to be messed with. His face made that point even more than his impressive physique, actually. He had brown eyes—no, green—that were trained on me and absolutely butterfly-inducing with their directness. It was like the man was staring into my soul, I swear to God, and his lips were turned up like he wanted to smile. I usually didn't notice mouths on men, to be honest, but the bow on his top lip—or maybe it was the fullness of the bottom—drew my eyes downward as if it were a magnet and my irises were flecked with steel. I could picture that mouth speaking French. Or Italian. I forced my eyes back up and offhandedly thought that this well-dressed man could actually be the cover model for any romance novel about mob bosses, racecar drivers, or grumpy billionaires. I opened my smitten mouth to say 'how can I help you' without drooling when he said in a midnight-rich voice, 'Hello, Abi with an i.' 'Hi . . . ?' I narrowed my eyes, biting my lip so I didn't smile like a lovesick schoolgirl as his eyes dipped to my nametag. 'You don't recognize me?' he asked, tilting his head. Did I know him? There's no way I could've forgotten that face, right? I tried not to seem too flirty, but Joey Tribbiani's how you doin' was totally in my tone when I said, 'Should I?' 'I would think so, since just this morning you woke up in my bed and told my parents you're my girlfriend.' 'Oh. Shit.' Oh, shit, oh, shit, oh, shit. 'Oh, shit, indeed,' he repeated, his eyes judgmental under slashing dark brows as he watched me like I was a bug he was about to squash. My heart started pounding and I was hot everywhere as this man stared me down with pure disdain. 'Benny,' I yelled, not taking my eyes off the guy's face. 'I need to go on break.' 'You just had a break, Mariano,' I heard from behind me, where Benny was ordering produce at his desk. He'd been hunched over the antiquated computer for hours, rotating between grunting, sighing, and scratching his bald spot, so I knew he wasn't in the mood for this. 'Mariano,' the man in front of me quietly repeated, as if memorizing that morsel of information. 'I'm taking a break, Benny,' I said through gritted teeth as I turned off my aisle's light. 'Whether you okay it or not.' I pulled off my Benny's apron and gestured for the guy in the suit to follow me as my pulse skyrocketed. I'd been panic-watching the door all morning, expecting the police to show up and arrest me for breaking and entering. It wasn't until an hour ago, when I ate my lunch at the table beside the big green dumpster, that I foolishly convinced myself no one would ever know it'd been me. I'd been stupid enough to allow myself a deep breath. 'Swear to God I'm gonna fire you one of these days, Ab,' Benny yelled as I walked away from my register. 'No, you're not,' I yelled back as I tried not to hyperventilate. 'No one else would put up with you.' 'At least hurry, will ya?' 'I'll see what I can do.' I could sense Mr. Suit following behind me as I led him through the back of the store and out the door that led to the alley. Bright sunlight, warm air, and the faint smell of garbage flooded my senses as the door slammed behind us and I turned to face the guy. Declan was what the royal couple had called him, right? 'Please let me explain. Declan.' That made his eyes narrow—oops, should not have used his name—but he didn't say anything. 'I'm not some sort of criminal, I promise. I work a few overnights for Masterkleen as a maid—I'm actually the maid who cleans your apartment on the nights when you aren't in town. So even though I was there, I didn't break and enter or anything like that.' Good point, Abi. I gave him what I hoped was a sweet smile, an expression that would confirm my innocence. He frowned. 'I had a key card,' I said, 'so it wasn't like—' 'You moved into my bedroom.' His voice was calm, but he definitely wasn't interested in understanding. His scowl made that abundantly clear as he said, 'You baked muffins in my kitchen. I don't believe that's part of your job description. I believe that's called trespassing. Abi.' Okay, the mocking way he said my name was straight up insulting and made my teeth hurt. But I needed to keep my cool. I tried again. 'I know, but it was only because my apartment building has an infestation—I promise I didn't bring any critters to your place. See, the property management company—who are total slumlord jackasses, by the way—said I had to find somewhere else to stay for a few days so they can take care of it, but I don't have anywhere else.' My cheeks got hot as soon as I said it because it was so pathetic. He stared at me like I was picking food out of my teeth, and any hope of him somehow showing a little empathy for my situation completely dissipated when he said, 'Hotels are a thing, you know.' 'I can't afford a hotel,' I snapped, mortified. I wanted to disappear, but I forged on out of desperation. 'But when I was cleaning your place last night, I thought, who would it hurt? I knew that you were in London for the week—I mean, apparently you came back early but I guess you forgot to tell Masterkleen—so I just thought I could crash for a few hours and no one would be the wiser.' His jaw flexed, but he remained quiet. I really wanted to believe he was considering my defense, but he looked like one of those über-controlled types who enjoyed keeping his mouth shut so his adversaries could bury themselves with their own words. Which meant RIP me, because I was the world's worst rambler. 'And I'm sure you don't care,' I continued, 'but I'm really good at my job. I'm great at cleaning your apartment—you could eat off the bathroom floor. I mean, not that you would because that's disgusting, but you genuinely could because I'm just that thorough.' He cleared his throat and looked down at his expensive watch, the asshole, and I realized that no matter what I said, I was going to lose my job. Oh, God. This man was definitely going to fire me. And I needed that job so badly. There were a lot of jobs out there, but not many as flexible as the one I had with Masterkleen. I inhaled through my nose, gritted my teeth, and swallowed my pride, because what other choice did I have? 'I know I have no right to ask this, but please don't tell Masterkleen. I'm begging. I really need this job and literally can't afford to get fired. Please don't tell my boss.' His dark eyebrows knitted together, and he looked insulted by my request. 'Oh, I will definitely be telling your boss,' he said without even blinking. 'Because you trespassed in my home.' 'Or,' I countered, grabbing his right arm as I desperately tried to get him to understand, 'I fell asleep at my job. That's not a crime, right?' 'I'm not interested in your justifications,' he said, looking down at my hand so aggressively that I dropped it. 'I just came here to see who the hell had broken into my place and had breakfast with my parents. Now I know.' 'Please.' My voice cracked and I hated it. 'Can't you just forget it ever happened? Like, just pretend I never stayed there.' 'I wish I could,' he said, shaking his head. 'But you have no idea what you've done.' 'Come on.' God, why was he such a hard-ass? 'Who did it really hurt, though?' 'Me!' He barked out a mirthless laugh and said, 'Now my parents and my colleagues all think Abi is coming to the most important event of my life tonight because Abi told them she was.' 'Why can't you just tell them Abi's not going?' I paused, frowning. 'And why did they act like they knew me in the first place?' 'Because they think I have a girlfriend named Abi, for Christ's sake,' he snapped, his voice full of frustration. 'What are the odds my maid would have the same damn name?' 'So . . .' I was missing something, something that had nothing to do with my sleepover at his penthouse. 'You don't actually have a girlfriend named Abi?' 'I do not,' he said through gritted teeth, his eyes on the alley just beyond my shoulder, his thoughts no longer on me but on his apparently stressful situation. 'What did you do,' I said, watching him attempt to mentally formulate a plan. 'Make her up or something?' His intense gaze snapped back to me and I regretted the question immediately. His voice was dangerously quiet when he asked, 'Have you ever been arrested, Abi Mariano?' 'Of course not!' My cheeks were hot even though I deserved the inquiry. 'So if I ran a background check, you would—' 'Call the authorities on you for stalking? Yes,' I said in a near yell, frustrated he was treating me like a criminal after I'd explained the situation. Not everyone had piles of money for hotel stays or multiple residences, damn it, and it stung that my tiny questionable decision made him behave as if I'd stolen the family jewels. But then he smiled at me. He smiled and whoa—it was something. That grin packed a punch, sexy and dirty from the slide of his lips to the squint of his very green eyes. Declan's voice was silky smooth when he stepped closer, so he was towering over me. 'But you can't do that because you've been trespassing, remember?' 'Stop playing with me.' I swallowed hard and crossed my arms. 'What are you going to do?' 'I'm still working it out,' he replied as his eyes went down to my chest. 'What does that mean?' 'What?' His eyebrows went down and he gestured to my shirt with his chin. 'Your shirt. I don't get it.' Of course you don't. The custom T-shirt shop behind my apartment had a clearance rack where all their mistakes were 80 percent off, so my wardrobe was full of tops that were off-center, riddled with misspellings, or downright stupid. I didn't care when I could get a shirt for two bucks, but I'm sure that wouldn't make sense to someone like him. I raised my chin and said, 'What exactly don't you get?' The shirt—my favorite shirt, actually—had a picture of a squirrel wearing underpants. The letters above it read HAMILTON WON CHIP and the letters below it read Working for Underwear. I couldn't even fathom what the attempt had been, but it made me smile every time I pulled it out of the dryer. 'Does it mean something?' he asked, seeming irritated that he didn't understand. I made a face like he was an idiot for being confused and said, 'Obviously.' 'I don't have time for this today.' Those green eyes moved all over my face before he said, 'I'll be in touch. Answer my call.' And then he just turned and started walking away from me like a freaking king who had no more time for peasant interaction. I wanted to throw a rock at his perfect suit as he strode toward the parking lot in gorgeous leather shoes that surely cost more than my car. 'What are you going to do? What does 'I'll be in touch' mean?' I yelled, wanting to chase after him and force him to put me out of my misery. 'You don't even have my number.' 'I'll get it from Carl,' he yelled, not even looking back at me. 'Who the hell is Carl?' I said to myself, frustration filling every molecule in my body. I didn't need this; I had enough problems, for the love of God. 'My doorman,' he replied, apparently in possession of both supersonic hearing and privileged arrogance. 'According to him, you two are thick as thieves.' Damn it, Carl. I sighed and watched him disappear, my stomach sinking with dread as I wondered how long I had before the millionaire jerk destroyed my life. Excerpted from MAID FOR EACH OTHER by Lynn Painter, published by Berkley, an imprint of Penguin Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House, LLC. Copyright © 2025 Audio excerpted with permission of Penguin Random House Audio from MAID FOR EACH OTHER by Lynn Painter, excerpt read by Saylor Bell Curda. © Lynn Painter ℗ 2025 Penguin Random House, LLC. All rights reserved. Maid for Each Other, by Lynn Painter will be released on July 15, 2025. To preorder the book, click on the retailer of your choice: AMAZON AUDIBLE BARNES & NOBLE BOOKS-A-MILLION BOOKSHOP APPLE BOOKS KOBO TARGET WALMART POWELL'S BOOKS HUDSON BOOKSELLERS GOOGLE PLAY
