Jillian Swipes Right

by Melissa Gowdy Baldwin

Swipe right. Fall hard. Complicate everything.

By day, Jillian Bridges is a dedicated fourth-grade teacher. By night,
she writes steamy romance novels under her pseudonym. After a
brutal breakup with her fiancé, her best friends stage an intervention.
One dating app, a standing Tuesday night at Locals, and one rule:
only the most memorable characters make the cut. Jillian is swiping
for both Mr. Right and Mr. Absolutely Not for her book.

What starts as a fun experiment quickly turns into Jillian’s next big
writing project. Armed with cocktails, confidence, and a whole lot of curiosity, she dives headfirst into the world of online dating,
turning every match into potential story material.

It’s empowering. It’s hilarious.
It’s exactly what she needs…until him.

Trevor Donovan, charming, grounded, and the new owner of Locals was never supposed to be more than a swipe. But when sparks fly, Jillian realizes some major problems: Trevor’s already tangled up in her world and he’s definitely not unattached.

Suddenly, the lines between fiction and reality blur. As her feelings grow, Jillian must decide what she’s willing to risk and what she’s willing to hold onto. Is it her dream of leaving the classroom and becoming a famous writer, or the one relationship
she never saw coming?

Because for the first time, the life Jillian wants may not fit
the story she planned.

352 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 7, 2026

Reviews

[alexis zamlich]

This is one of the most realistic books I’ve read and I love it.

[Kimberly]

Melissa Gowdy Baldwin’s Jillian Swipes Right ended up being so much more than the dating-app romance I thought I was picking up. Running Dog Press, thank you so much for the gifted copy.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

“Because for the first time, the life Jillian wants may not fit the story she planned.”

You know those books that sneak up on you? This was one of them.

I opened my Kindle expecting a fun escape with bad dates, good banter, and maybe a little secondhand embarrassment. I got all of that. I also found myself genuinely caring about Jillian long before I cared about who she might end up with.

Jillian teaches fourth grade during the day and secretly writes spicy romance novels at night. After her engagement falls apart, her friends convince her to try online dating. Instead of letting those awkward dates go to waste, she turns them into inspiration for her next book. Honestly, I loved that idea. If life hands you cringe-worthy dating stories, you might as well put them to work.

Trevor complicates everything, but not in the over-the-top way I expected. Their relationship develops naturally, with plenty of uncertainty along the way. That felt real to me. Not every decision is easy, and not every feeling arrives at the perfect time.

What I kept thinking about, though, were Jillian’s friendships. The nights at Locals, the laughs, the honest conversations, and the people who refused to let her lose sight of herself gave this story so much warmth. Those moments felt just as important as the romance.

By the end, it wasn’t the swiping or even the romance that stayed with me. It was watching Jillian slowly trust herself again. That’s the part I closed the book thinking about.

If you enjoy contemporary romance with believable characters, funny dating disasters, supportive friendships, a little spice, and a heroine who grows along the way, I’d definitely recommend giving this one a chance. I finished it with a smile, and that’s always a good sign.

Genre: Contemporary Romance / Romantic Comedy

Drink Pairing: Raspberry Lemon Drop Martini.

Have you ever started reading for the romance but ended up loving the main character’s journey even more?

#JillianSwipesRight #MelissaGowdyBaldwin #BookReview #RomanceBooks #ContemporaryRomance #RomCom

[Ashley Burciaga]

⚠️ Spoiler alert

So I went into Jillian Swipes Right thinking I knew what I was getting: dating app, swipes, the usual will-they-won't-they and Melissa Gowdy Baldwin completely got me. Because the happily ever after isn't a guy. It's Jillian choosing herself.

Jillian feels SO real. Like, she's funny and tired and a little bit of a mess and just keeps showing up for life. By the end I wasn't rooting for a relationship, I was rooting for her, and I think that's the whole point.

Also, the music throughout is so good. There are great songs noted all through the story, and then a link to a Spotify playlist at the end that I immediately saved. And the drink recipe in the back? Adorable touch. Little extras like that made the whole thing feel like an experience instead of just a book.

Read this if you want a romance that leaves you actually feeling something — with a great playlist and a cocktail to go with it. 💕

[Robin Pulido]

Jillian Swipes Right

I normally don’t choose rom-com books though I do sometimes enjoy a film. However, because I had already read and loved the first two books in Melissa Gowdy Baldwin’s Marriage Wars trilogy (can’t wait for #3), I decided to read Jillian Swipes Right. Boy, am I glad I did. It was so real to me. Even though I’m much older than today’s dating apps, I could relate as former teacher trying to find my way in the dating world. Jillian’s story is an anthem for women looking out for each other and celebrating friendships. This book has plenty of spicy moments as well as comical ones. It’s a good beach read, too. I really enjoyed it and can’t wait for her future rom-coms. Waiting for AppleTV, Amazon, and Netflix to figure out that her books would make good TV/movies, too.

[Sarah Barnes]

My favorite book by Melissa so far! An absolute delight! The characters were so relatable and the dating dramas were intense. I fell in love with Jillian and was rooting for her the whole time. Several OMG moments and a perfect ending. Absolutely recommend this one and hoping Gowdy Baldwin writes more in this genre.

[Jason Agbayani]

What a great book. It will resonate with anyone who has gone through the pitfalls of dating in the social media age. The characters and their relationships are very well written. This story celebrates hope, healing, love, and friendship.

[Kandice]

Full review coming soon...

[Maya Wildgoose]

This was a fun, fresh story about a middle-aged woman finding love in the deep, dark ocean of online dating. I found the main character very relatable. As a teacher and someone who lives in the area the book is set in, it was almost *too* relatable, but also fun to read about a character so similar to myself. This is my first book by Melissa Gaudy Baldwin but I’m excited to check out her backlist!

Thank you to the author for sharing an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!