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Close Relationships with Strangers
By Krista Diamond
Simon & Schuster, June 2026, 320pp.

The Short of It:

Celebrity obsession and its aftermath.

The Rest of It:

Ben, a “sometimes” wildlife photographer unsatisfied with life, is forced to sling food to make ends meet. Las Vegas is a tough town. There’s so much going on, but the glitz and glam don’t make it to him the way they seem to for everyone else. He’s miserable and lacks direction. He watches other people become successful. You know the type.

Enter Ellory. She’s a beautiful burlesque dancer. She’s matter-of-fact and blunt but sees something in Ben that Ben simply cannot. Although their relationship quickly gets physical, the connection between the two grows slowly as they figure out who they want to be and how they want to live.

Creating a life with Ellory sounds good, but Ben’s obsession with an actor named Jack Whitlock becomes all-consuming when Jack’s sex scandal goes public and every paparazzo is on his trail to get that pictorial. Ben decides he could crack the story if he heads to Hollywood.

This is the part of the story where, as a reader, you begin to question all of Ben’s choices. Ben is impulsive and so caught up in the chase that it doesn’t occur to him what he’s asking of Ellory. He’s lost with a false sense of direction. That’s a deadly combination.

I found this story to be very realistic in the telling. The desire to be part of that elite circle clouds Ben’s judgment in the most real way possible. Diamond’s handling of LA culture was spot on. I grew up on the streets of Hollywood, and the grittiness can be heartbreaking, but then you turn a corner and it’s glamorous again. That’s Los Angeles. Homelessness on every corner, but celebs too. It’s impossible not to have a hope or a dream when you wake up and see the Hollywood sign every day.

I liked the imperfect nature of these characters and the glimpse of Hollywood behind the curtain. I found parts of it to be a little surreal, but that’s celebrity culture.

Highly recommend.

Source: Sent to me by the publisher.
Disclosure: This post contains Bookshop.org affiliate links.

Valet
By J.P. Lacrampe
Simon & Schuster / Saga Press, June 2, 2026, 272pp.

The Short of It:

Entertaining and at times, sweet.

The Rest of It:

Cy is a techbot and artificial companion to his thirty-something owner, Grayson. His primary mission is simple in theory: find Grayson a girlfriend and motivate him to do something productive with his life. In practice, it turns out to be far more challenging, and often hilarious.

Grayson is a genuinely likable guy, but he drifts from one interest to the next without any real desire to settle down or commit to a direction. His wealthy mother believes Cy is the solution to that problem. Adding to the pressure, Cy is required to report Grayson’s progress back to her. Success matters because Cy’s utility score depends on it, and one major mistake could leave him headed for the junk pile.

The real strength of this story is the relationship between Cy and Grayson. Their conversations about dating, ambition, and life in general are funny, charming, and surprisingly heartfelt. Despite being a robot, Cy comes across as genuinely invested in his master’s happiness and well-being, which gives the story a lot of warmth.

My main issue is that not much actually happens. There is a subplot involving some shady business that adds a welcome dose of excitement, but I found myself wishing there was more of it. The characters are strong enough to carry much of the book, but a more substantial plot would have made the story even more compelling.

Overall, I enjoyed this one largely because of the characters. Grayson and Cy make a memorable duo, and I ended up caring about Cy far more than I expected, which is impressive considering he’s essentially a robot.

I’d read this author again.

Source: Review copy provided by the publisher.
Disclosure: This post contains Bookshop.org affiliate links.

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