Kendall, Beverley

This smart and steamy novel from Kendall (Played) will appeal to readers who enjoy their contemporary romance with a healthy dose of social commentary and story lines featuring fake dating and strong female friendships. Give to fans of Jasmine Guillory.

The plotting and characterizations here are well done, but because so much of the backstory happened in previous book in an earlier series, the emotional arc of the romance is uneven. Still, there is plenty here to appeal to fans of Sherry Thomas and Tessa Dare.

Although When in Paris… is Kendall's first contemporary romance—she's better known for her historical romances (e.g., An Heir of Deception)—she has a clear grasp of the subgenre. The story is well layered and moves at a good pace. Romance readers will definitely enjoy!