May 13, 2024
Ottoni’s fast-paced debut follows a Brazilian game designer who must jump through hoops to land her dream job, including fake dating her attractive roommate. Sol Carvalho is eager to get ahead in her career, even if it means relocating to Denmark. To land a promotion, she must prove to her boss that she’s willing to put down roots in Copenhagen by finding a stable living situation and starting a serious relationship with a Dane. The solution to both problems comes when she matches with burly Erik Storn on a dating app. Erik has a spare room for rent, but he’s been burned before by getting involved with a roommate. Making a pact to let no real feelings develop, the pair agree to fake date. But when they’re in close proximity 24/7, how long can their resolve last? Ottoni has a light and humorous touch with the fake-dating shenanigans, but the romantic development between Sol and Erik feels a bit rushed, making their connection marginally less convincing. Still, this lighthearted contemporary should scratch the itch for die-hard fans of the fake relationship trope. Agent: Ginger Clark, Ginger Clark Literary.
July 19, 2024
Video game developer Sol Carvalho has always known she wanted to expand her horizons beyond her Brazilian hometown, so when the opportunity arises to take a job in Copenhagen, she jumps at the chance. A few months in, though, she finds herself homeless. She can't score a much-desired promotion without proving she's committed to her new home, which means she needs a new place to live--and maybe a steady Danish partner, after telling her boss a tiny fib. Erik Storm's last disastrous relationship was with an attractive roommate, so when he agrees to let Sol move into his spare room, it's with the understanding that strict rules will be followed. When Sol's fibs put her in a desperate position, he agrees to be her fake boyfriend in exchange for her help developing the app he left his last job for. Their partnership will be purely transactional, but things may not go to plan. VERDICT Brazilian author Ottoni's English-language and Harlequin debut is a slow-burn, close-proximity romance about finding one's place in the world and learning to be true to oneself that proves she'll be an author to watch.--Rebecca Moe
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