Romance novelist Felicity "Fizzy" Chen is going through a dry spell in both her professional and personal lives. She hasn't been on a date in over a year and has been unable to write for nearly as long. Fizzy agrees to be the leading lady in producer Connor Prince's new dating show, The True Love Experiment, in hopes of both getting some inspiration for her next novel and maybe finding her own perfect match, but sparks unexpectedly fly between Fizzy and Connor instead of Fizzy and the show's "hero" suitors. Can Fizzy and Connor (who would much rather be filming nature documentaries) overcome the roadblocks in their way and find true love in their own accidental experiment? Readers will appreciate the witty dialogue, chemistry that practically leaps off the page, and believable conflicts, as well as the opportunity to check in with The Soulmate Equation's Jess and River in Lauren's latest (after Something Wilder). VERDICT Both Lauren's loyal fans and all contemporary romance readers will appreciate this sexy, swoony, heartfelt novel.—Whitney Kramer

Bestsellers Christina Hobbs and Lauren Billings (The Soulmate Equation) return with a smart and hilarious rom-com, writing as Lauren. Romance novelist Fizzy Chen has lost her mojo: she hasn't felt either a creative or a sexual spark for over a year. So when she's approached about starring in a Bachelorette-style dating show, she agrees—but puts a twist on things. The men cast to win her heart must embody different romance novel archetypes from a list Fizzy sends producers, among them "hot nerd," "rock star," "Navy SEAL," and "Scottish rogue." Connor Prince is an amicably divorced father of one and a documentary filmmaker with a television network, a job he loves. So when his boss shunts him over to produce Fizzy's show, he's far from happy. Then he meets his vivacious and outspoken star. The pair have explosive chemistry, but Connor isn't among the eight "heroes" vying for Fizzy's hand, putting some bumps in their road to a happily ever after. The authors gleefully play with romance tropes, blending the delight of the meet-cute with smart critiques of more toxic dating habits and wrapping the whole in clever dialogue and refreshing sex-positivity. Readers will have no trouble rooting for Fizzy. Agent: Holly Root, Root Literary. (May)