From the publisher:
Falling in love with your husband is anything but convenient in this steamy romance from the New York Times bestselling author of Business or Pleasure.
Dani Dorfman has somehow made it to her thirties without knowing what she wants to do with her life. So when an office romance ends poorly and gets her fired, she applies for a job in Amsterdam, idly dreaming of escaping the mess she’s created, but never imagining she’ll actually get it.
Except she does. By the end of her first week in Amsterdam, she’s never felt more adrift or alone. Then she crashes her bike into her high school ex-boyfriend—and suddenly life is blooming with new opportunities.
Wouter van Leeuwen was a Dutch exchange student Dani’s family hosted, a forbidden love that ended in a painful breakup. Years later, there’s still sizzling chemistry between them, and okay, maybe a little animosity. More importantly, Wouter needs to be married to inherit a gorgeous family home on a canal—and when Dani’s job falls apart, she needs a visa. As the marriage of convenience pushes them together in unexpected ways, Dani must decide whether her new life is yet another mistake—or if it’s worth taking a risk on a second chance.“Solomon showcases her talent for creating flawed by appealing characters, and it’s gratifying to see Dani and Wouter’s relationship mature.”—Publishers Weekly
https://amzn.to/3GuoPSK
Dani Dorfman met Wouter van Leeuwen in high school, when he lived with her family as an exchange student from Amsterdam. They spent a year falling in love—until he dumped her via text after returning home, leaving Dani heartbroken.
Now thirty, Dani’s life has hit rock bottom. Her boyfriend cheated, their breakup went public when she accidentally forwarded his explicit emails to their entire office, and she lost her job—while he got promoted. So when a job opportunity with a tech startup in Amsterdam appears, Dani jumps at the chance for a fresh start, despite her overprotective parents’ objections.
Born a micro-preemie with asthma and a cosmetic port-wine stain, Dani’s been coddled her whole life. Determined to prove she can thrive on her own, she moves across the world—only to find her new job is drudgery, her basement apartment has no flooring (a quirky Amsterdam rental reality), and then it floods. To top it off, the startup goes under.
Things start looking up after she literally crashes her bike into Wouter. It’s their first encounter in over a decade, and it leads to an unexpected offer: move into his lovely ground-floor apartment, and he’ll charge her the same reduced rate she’s been paying. Reluctantly, Dani agrees—she has nowhere else to go.
Unless she finds another job, Dani is on the brink of losing her visa. Wouter proposes a solution: a green card marriage. He needs to be married to inherit his family home, and Dani needs to stay in the country. What starts as a pragmatic arrangement soon stirs up old feelings neither of them are ready to face.
This trope-packed romance—complete with fake marriage, forced proximity, and second chances—is full of heart and humor. Dani and Wouter’s story is not just about rekindled love, but personal growth, healing, and the messy beauty of imperfect people finding connection.
Solomon also refreshingly breaks romance norms: Wouter has thinning hair (yes, a balding romantic lead!), a rare and welcome touch of realism in a genre that often prizes superficial perfection. With the thousands of romances that I have read, I can’t think of another with a balding protagonist. There may have been a few shaved heads, but that’s about it (given that my memory isn’t what it used to be!)
Consider this, from a study entitled, “Prevalence of male pattern hair loss in 18-49 year old men” in PubMed: “The proportion of men with moderate to extensive hair loss was 42%. The proportion of men with moderate to extensive hair loss increased with increasing age, ranging from 16% for men 18-29 years of age to 53% of men 40-49.”
Yet balding men are severely underrepresented in romance novels, so I loved that – my hero/husband included! When my husband and I were getting married – I was 23, he was 25 – I convinced him to go to my hair stylist instead of his usual barber. But the stylist pointed out that his hair was thinning in the back, and my husband never forgave him. If women only want men with full heads of hair, they need a lot of luck or to marry rich – Exhibit A, Elon Musk was balding when he was in the U.S. on a student visa, (although he never actually attended any classes.)
If you haven’t read Solomon, this is as good a place as any to start – but truth be told, I’ve loved all of her books with their flawed protagonists. Yes, there is still the fantasy, but touches of reality too, and I think that is a good thing. With its rich Amsterdam atmosphere and relatable characters, this is a smart, funny, and emotional love story. Don’t miss it.
5/2025 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch
WHAT HAPPENS IN AMSTERDAM by Rachel Lynn Solomon. Berkley (May 6, 2025). ISBN: 978-0593548554. 384p.
Stacy Alesi's BookBitch.com™ 