Publication Date: June 16, 2026
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.
Set in England, Romantic Hero by Kirsty Greenwood is a RomCom filled with some laughs and unexpected moments as Gertie tries to navigate her life after her longtime boyfriend moves out for a break and her creative juices dry up.
Gertie’s neighbor, Mrs. Casablancas, is a hoot and advises her to try to get her writer’s block unlocked and her ideas flowing again. She attempts to get Gertie’s head back in the game through different channels, some with a seemingly magical bent. But when one of Gertie’s characters comes to life and appears in her apartment, all bets are off on what will happen next. Especially since the cowboy, River Oakley, is part of her unfinished book that her publisher is waiting on, and he wants his happily ever after! He seems to know all about her other characters and the fictional town she created. And what’s even more strange is that everyone can see and hear him. It’s like his life has come alive in her books without them ever meeting, and he finds that very disconcerting. Is it a parallel universe they’ve been dropped into?
With her deadline edging closer, I was drawn into the story, but some of it was so out of the box. Henry was definitely a difficult character to like. River seems to get her better than Henry ever did, as he teaches her the art of flirting and more.
There’s definitely more romance between Gertie and River, and most people are rooting for them. She’s coming out of her shell through her interactions with River, and he’s building her self-esteem, whereas Henry always seemed to bring her down by one-upping her. There was closure and a happily-ever-after in the future, but an epilogue would have been great.
Romantic Hero is set in England with a Texas cowboy who teaches Gertie a thing or two about life and living it to the fullest. Â 
Kirsty Greenwood is a bestselling author of funny, fearless and fast-paced romantic comedies about extraordinary love.
When she’s not writing books she composes musicals and explores London where she lives with her husband.
