The Circuit

by Chiara York

Same industry. Wrong feelings.

Ana:
I'm ambitious. Unstoppable, most days. I built my career without help — six years, no shortcuts.
Then I corrected a CEO and my heart did something my career never once allowed it to do.
For months I told myself it was coincidence. Same cities. Same rooms. Sometimes the same bed.
It was never coincidence. But it was easier to say that than the truth.
My work is everything I have. I am not going to let my heart spend it.

James:
I don't get corrected. Not by competitors, not by regulators, not by my own board.
Then she stood up in a room full of people and told me my numbers were wrong.
She didn't apologize. She was right.
I've built a career on precision and self-control. Neither one worked on her.
I told myself the circuit kept putting us in the same room. That was convenient. It was never the truth.
The truth was simpler, and harder to admit: I could have stopped booking those flights. I never did.
I've never once managed to stay away from her. I stopped pretending I could.

427 pages, Kindle Edition

Expected publication August 7, 2026

About the author

I've always had a big imagination. As a kid I made up stories for my family and friends, particularly for my grandmother, whether they asked for one or not. Writing them down took a lot longer — it took me years to find the courage and the time to actually sit down and do it.

By day I work in sales, always in motion, always talking or writing my way through a conversation with someone. I started reading contemporary romance in 2021 and got hooked: slow burn, he-falls-first, forbidden tension, enemies to lovers, friends to lovers, all of it. Ana Huang and T.L. Swan are a big part of why I fell so hard for the genre, and why I eventually decided to write the books I always wanted to read.

When I'm not writing (or reading), you'll probably find me at home with my husband and daughter, planning the next trip, out on a paddleboard, or at the gym.

Reviews

[Chloe’s Book Corner · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Circuit is a slow-burn romance between Ana, a wholesale sales director, and James, the CEO she can't stop running into as the global conference calendar keeps throwing them together across Barcelona, Paris, Oman, and beyond.

The circuit was an incredible read. Not read a romance book like it before. I loved the FMC Ana and MMC James and the tension between them was impeccable. The yearning as well obsessed. Chef kiss 😙

I’m obsessed with the tropes for this book as well!! 🤭🤭
Forbidden romance
He falls first
Workplace tension
Forced proximity
Professional rivals.

The book starts where we meet Ana and James who are both at a workplace convention. She corrected him in front of everyone, she was right and he never forgot it. The tension between these two throughout the whole book was incredible. As things progressed between them seeing how possessive James got over her and the way he yearned for her was so beautiful to read about and had me kicking my feet. 🤭

I was obsessed with the main characters but also the side characters added so much to this story. Ana’s friends are hilarious, supportive and the bestest friends a girl could ask for and James has amazing friends and family as well.

Overall an incredible amazing book I highly recommend!!

[Nora's Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Circuit is a glossy, internationally-set rivals-to-lovers romance that follows Ana Marcovici, a sharp antifraud sales director, and James Vance, an imposing telecom CEO, as the global conference calendar keeps throwing them together across Barcelona, Paris, Oman, and beyond, a clever structural hook that keeps the pacing brisk and gives every chapter a fresh backdrop. Ana is a genuinely great heroine, funny and guarded with real stakes tied to her ambition, James holds his own as more than just a hot exec, and when the central conflict arrives it's a legitimate clash over power and trust rather than a manufactured misunderstanding. Explicit and hot throughout, with a satisfying payoff for both leads.

[Erin Masura · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars! Ana and James both traveling for work and both ending up at the same places. It is a slow burn and the payoff is well worth the wait. The banter and flow of the story are beautifully done. Rules were made and rules were broken. I loved how two people that were supposed to be together fell in love and the spicy parts don’t take away from the story. Amazing read!!

[Anshul and Sanshia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, I am high on this book right now😩🫶
Will come back with my full review soon!