The Love Audit by Lucy Eden

Workplace rivals collide with small-town secrets in a playful, second-chance setup.

The Love Audit has a great setup, and Lucy Eden leans into it with all the tropes I love: childhood friends with a lingering crush, workplace rivals, one bed, and a fake-honeymoon cover story that forces Jasmine and Derek back into each other’s orbit. Their shared history adds an immediate spark, and I really enjoyed the early tension—especially the hints about what happened between their parents. (I did guess the reveal early, but it still worked.)

Jasmine and Derek have solid moments together, but I often found myself wanting more time with just them. Miller’s Cove is charming, and the extended cast has its place in the story, but the small-town threads sometimes overshadowed the romance. The one character who never loses focus? Tora the dog, who absolutely steals the show the moment he decides Jasmine is his person.

The pacing moves quickly, and the romance stays light and easy, though the late-stage conflict wraps up a bit too fast to fully land. Still, this is a fun, low-angst read with an engaging premise and enough heart to keep me turning the pages.

If The Love Audit sounds like your kind of story, you can pre-order your copy here or request it from your local library.