Title: Romantic HeroAuthor: Kirsty Greenwood
Pages: 368
Publication Date: June 16, 2026
Publisher: Berkley
Genres: Fiction / Romance / Contemporary / Fantasy
Synopsis:
A heartbroken romance novelist is forced to address her writer's block when the villainous cowboy character from her books shows up in the real world, desperately in need of his own Happily Ever After. . . from the bestselling author of GMA book club pick The Love of My Afterlife.
Gertie Bickerstaff writes happily-ever-afters for a living. . . . Or she did, until her own love life fell apart. Now her ex is thriving, her deadline is looming, and she can’t write a single word.
The last thing Gertie needs is more drama—like waking up to find a confused and rugged cowboy on her sofa. And not just any cowboy, but River Oakley, the villain from her unfinished novel. Somehow very real . . . and very shirtless.
River wants to go home. Gertie wants her life back. So they strike a deal: he’ll use his cunning ways to help her win back her ex, she’ll finish the novel, and, surely, he’ll return to whatever world he rode in from.
But as River Oakley proves to be so much more than just the bad guy, Gertie has to choose: the ending she thought she wanted . . . or the plot twist she never saw coming.
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I was so intrigued by Romantic Hero when I read the premise. A romance author accidentally bringing the villain from her unfinished novel into the real world is such a fun idea, and overall, I enjoyed it. Between the magical realism, the humor, and the romance, this was an entertaining read that felt quirky and whimsical, but it also had a lot of heart and some deeper elements.
Gertie was such an easy protagonist to root for. Her inner monologue had me laughing more than once, and even when she was making questionable decisions, I understood where she was coming from, especially when it came to River. River starts out as the villain of Gertie’s books, but the longer they’re together, the more obvious it becomes that there’s much more to him than the role she created. I loved the way the story explored how limited our understanding of people can be when we’re only seeing them through someone else’s perspective. River turned out to be thoughtful, kind, and way more complicated than Gertie expected.
One of my favorite parts of the story (no surprise here lol) was the romance! Watching Gertie and River get to know each other on a deeper level was great. They had a bunch of chemistry from the beginning, and their banter was fun, but there was also a growing emotional connection that was wonderful. As River helped Gertie confront things she’d been avoiding in her own life, their relationship started to feel like more than just a quirky magical situation. I found myself wanting them to figure things out and make it work, even though it seemed impossible considering they’re from literal different worlds.
The magical realism element was great, too. Who hasn’t wanted a swoon-worthy book villain to come to life? I loved seeing River navigate life outside the pages of a book, and the whole concept gave the story a playful, imaginative feel. That said, I wasn’t completely satisfied with how everything played out. Even though I understood why they made certain choices, I wanted them to fight for each other a little more before accepting that things might be over.
Overall, Romantic Hero was a charming and original romance that blended humor, heart, and magical realism. Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley for providing me with a copy of the book. All thoughts are my own.
- fake dating
- forced proximity
- one bed
- opposites attract
Kirsty Greenwood is a top ten bestselling author of funny, fearless and fast-paced romantic comedies about extraordinary love.
When she’s not writing books she composes musicals, cooks new recipes with varying success, walks the blustery hills where she lives, buys too much glittery eyeshadow, sings to her dog, kisses her husband and reads all of the books she can get her grabby hands on.
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