Welcome to the 80s, and to the raunchiest summer of your life.
When Lady Opal Fairfax discovers her scoundrel of a husband cheating, she decides to turn the tables on him. Instead of getting a divorce, she’s going to get even. Opal invites five daring (and gorgeous) artists to her manor, offering a life-changing cash prize to the best talent. Among them is Ruby, a talented poet struggling to make ends meet. So when Opal dangles the chance of an all-expenses-paid summer, Ruby can’t resist. But she wasn’t expecting the competition to be quite so fierce – or so sexy.
With all these brilliant and beautiful people around, life at Fairfax Manor promises to be anything but dull. Ruby and Opal aren't just seeking inspiration: they're going to find out a way to come out on top, in more ways than one.
Romp by Ada Barumé will be published May 7, 2026. Avon Books UK provided an early galley for review.
Every now and again, I'll pick up a romance book (not my usual go-to genre) just as a change of pace. This one has an interesting description, and the 1980's are always a go-to decade for me. So it checked both those boxes.
I found the story took awhile to shift into gear (Opal's GBF Gareth does not suggest the artist's retreat until a sixth of the way in, and it is with several of those characters that I finally got engaged). The story has several POVs, shifting around each chapter as the story requires. This helped me enjoy the book a bit more as some of the POV characters were definitely more entertaining than others.
As for the 80's element, it was practically nonexistent; the story could have been set at any time and would have unfolded in nearly the same manner.
In the end, I am glad I stuck with the story. While not an amazing read, for me, there were elements that did work and some of the characters stood out. I think there are certainly readers who will really enjoy it.
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