Trophy Husband

Lauren Blakely is one of the most consistent producers in modern romance, with a back catalogue that runs into dozens of standalones, novellas, and series across contemporary, sports, and rom com territory. Her readers come to her for fast paced, often funny novels that lean into banter and slow burn tension, with male leads who are usually emotionally available and willing to actually communicate.

Trophy Husband is the kind of title that signals the trope right up front. The trophy spouse setup, where a younger or otherwise considered out of league person ends up with someone wealthier or more famous, has a long history in romance. Blakely tends to flip these setups by making the supposedly trophy character the one with depth and the supposedly impressive partner the one who needs to grow. The reader knows roughly where the book is going. The pleasure is in watching how she gets there.

Blakely writes short and tight. Her novels move quickly, her chapters end with hooks, and she does not waste time on subplot threads that will not pay off. The dialogue carries most of the romantic chemistry, and her couples tend to talk to each other like adults rather than miscommunicate their way through three quarters of the book. That alone puts her ahead of a lot of contemporary romance writers.

Readers who enjoy Christina Lauren, Tessa Bailey, Helena Hunting, or Mariana Zapata's lighter work will find familiar pleasure here. Blakely's standalones can be read in any order. Trophy Husband is a comfortable, well crafted entry into her catalogue and a fair sample of why her readers keep coming back.