“I’m very picky about romance, but Melissa completely won me over – and her writing is sharp, charming, and just incredibly readable in the best way.” ―Mindy Kaling
Award-winning author Melissa R. Collings, a former spine surgery physician associate, brings a vibrant, diverse voice and real-world experience to her captivating and entertaining new rom-com, THE LOVE OPERATION (November 1, 2026; Mindy’s Book Studio). Perfect for fans of Ali Hazelwood and Emily Henry, it’s an amusing and heartfelt second-chance romance with a speculative memory twist that makes it feel entirely fresh. It is also a Buzz Books Fall/Winter 2026 selection, spotlighting it among the season’s most anticipated titles.
As a biracial author, Collings has created the richly layered and refreshingly authentic Dr. Cordelia Wren, a biracial heroine the romance genre has long needed.
“In writing THE LOVE OPERATION, I wanted to honor the struggles that minorities—particularly women and women of color—endure in medicine,” Collings explains. “While I faced my own challenges during training and practice, I was deeply inspired by the countless stories of women surgeons who carved their place in a field not designed for them. Reading the experiences of Black women breaking into medicine was equally humbling and powerful. They deserve recognition. I hope Cord reflects even a small piece of their fight, brilliance, and resilience.”
A brilliant spine surgeon gains the power to perfectly recall her past―only to discover that some memories are better left undisturbed. A witty, emotional story about the intersection of medicine, memory, and the messy reality of loving imperfectly.
Dr. Cordelia Wren has always been in control―of her surgical career, her emotions, and especially her memories. But when she joins a cutting-edge memory enhancement study at her hospital, she gains an unexpected ability: the power to vividly relive any moment from her past. It seems like the perfect opportunity to analyze her failed relationships and finally understand why every man she’s ever loved has walked away.
There’s just one problem. Actually, three:
- She may have…borrowed…access to the highly restricted memory study.
- She’s secretly dating the hospital’s new COO while competing for chief of surgery―a relationship that could destroy both their careers if discovered.
- Her first love has just reappeared in her life, stirring up feelings she thought she’d buried.
As Cordelia dives deeper into her past, the lines between memory and reality begin to blur. The truth she uncovers forces her to question everything she thought she knew about love, ambition, and what it means to be “in control.”
With her career hanging in the balance and her heart pulled in two directions, Cordelia must decide: Should she trust the memories that have shaped her life, or finally let go of the past to embrace an uncertain future?
Warm, witty, and wonderfully real, THE LOVE OPERATION is a poignantly funny love story that lingers long after the final page.
To celebrate the release of THE LOVE OPERATION we are hosting a spectacular virtual book tour throughout the month of November. We hope you’ll follow along as these amazing bookstagrammers share reviews, features, and giveaways:
Sunday, November 1 @speedreadstagram
Monday, November 2 @quilted.reads
Monday, November 2 @purrfectly_booked
Tuesday, November 3 @inspired.j.reads
Tuesday, November 3 @books_withblair
Wednesday, November 4 @nurse_bookie
Wednesday, November 4 @alice.thereader
Thursday, November 5 @rittlereviews
Thursday, November 5 @audreyoaksreadseverything
Friday, November 6 @subakka.bookstuff
Friday, November 6 @books.with.courtney
Saturday, November 7 @the.calm.chapter
Monday, November 9 @secretreadinglife
Monday, November 9 @books.cats.travel.food
Tuesday, November 10 @brianas_best_reads
Tuesday, November 10 @shobizreads any day
Wednesday, November 11 @book.addict.827
Wednesday, November 11 @lovemybooks2020
Thursday, November 12 @webreakforbooks
Thursday, November 12 @booksloveandunderstanding
Friday, November 13 @thebookclubmom
Friday, November 13 @tammyreads62
Saturday, November 14 cmtloveswineandbooks
Sunday, November 15 @bookish_bri
Monday, November 16 @rebekahdolmat
Monday, November 16 @anovelaccount
Tuesday, November 17 @bookprincessofcali
Tuesday, November 17 @bbecca_marie
Wednesday, November 18 @bookswritingandmore
Wednesday, November 18 @books_and_biewers
Thursday, November 19 @danish_mustardreads
Thursday, November 19 @angelareadsbooks
Friday, November 20 @love_my_dane_dolly_
Friday, November 20 @bookphile_belle
Saturday, November 21 @purrfectpages
Monday, November 23 @booksandcoffeemx
Monday, November 23 @bookslover_16
Tuesday, November 24 @sarahs.bookish.reviews
Tuesday, November 24 @deasbookshelf
Wednesday, November 25 @trysmallthings
Wednesday, November 25 @bookrecsbymel
Monday, November 30 @pageandplace
Monday, November 30 @readingdiaries
Tuesday, December 1 @nissa_the.bookworm
Tuesday, December 1 @myburstingbookblog
Wednesday, December 2 @thepageladies
Wednesday, December 2 @thebookcoverlover
Thursday, December 3 reading.late.into.the.night
Thursday, December 3 @thereadervee
Friday, December 4 @mia.read.it
Friday, December 4 @bookapotamus
