WHILE YOU WERE SEETHING – Charlotte Stein
St. Martin's Griffin
ISBN: 978-1250867995
April 14, 2026
Romantic Comedy

Bangor, Maine & on the road – Present Day

Daisy Emmett loathed famous romance author Caleb Miller since they were in college together. She has managed to avoid him all these years, but now she has been assigned to a public relations tour with him to promote his latest bestseller. Right from the start, when they reconnect in Bangor, they battle each other. He has an attitude of disinterest in what he’s supposed to be doing, while she must do a good job or say goodbye to her job. However, instead of flying to each promotional event, which would lessen time spent alone, he demands that they do it as a road trip. While Daisy seethes at the thought of being trapped in a pickup truck with her mortal enemy, she agrees. At their first stop, something happens that throws the two of them into each other’s arms—literally. And now the rumors are flying that Daisy is the female protagonist of Caleb’s novel. To not disappoint fans, they agree to fake a romance. 

Daisy wishes she were anywhere else but sitting alongside Caleb in an enclosed vehicle in the emotional and funny WHILE YOU WERE SEETHING by Charlotte Stein. They fight and argue, though, at first, there are silent moments between them. Will they last the trip? Yet the more they’re around each other, the more they interact. Soon, there is lust involved, especially when they are forced to spend a night out in the wild inside a too small tent. Things really heat up between them. That is when readers can sense a thaw in their relationship. But still, Caleb doesn’t reveal too much of what he’s thinking. Does he hate Daisy? In WHILE YOU WERE SEETHING, we only see her point of view, and not that of Caleb’s. I must admit that I wished we had seen a little of his thoughts.

As Daisy and Caleb continue their journey, the short-lived truce is about to be shattered. Can she forgive him for what happened in college, while she wishes he would open up to her? New battles are drawn, and they may not survive the trip to the Twin Cities, Minnesota. Caleb and Daisy are both introverted characters, so a lot of what is going on is because they don’t really talk to each other. This might be maddening if you want them to develop a relationship that turns into love. But for these two, it is part of their journey to self-realization and trusting each other. By the end of WHILE YOU WERE SEETHING, will they be together? They will tantalize you with learning the answer by picking this up to find out what happens.

Patti Fischer