A breezy romance as satisfying as ice cream on the beach.A breezy romance as satisfying as ice cream on the beach.
A young woman moves to the Outer Banks of North Carolina in pursuit of a dream in Hale’s romance novel.
Alice Emerson, a single mother in her mid-20s, is at a crossroads in her life, living in Chesapeake, Virginia, with her 6-year-old son Henry. Her boyfriend of two years has just dumped her; six months earlier, her grandfather Paul died and left her the beachside building that housed his bicycle shop in Kitty Hawk on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. (“Gramps’s shop and his apartment upstairs had always been her solace whenever things went awry.”) Taking a leap of faith, she moves to Kitty Hawk with Henry and their new rescue dog Einstein to open an ice cream shop called the Summer Hideaway. Her best friend, Sasha, dealing with her own heartbreak, joins them. As they use their marketing talents and creativity to realize their dream, they become part of the community. Their neighbor Melly St. James, a nurse at the community hospital, keeps them abreast of local news, including a possible business downturn. Sparks fly between Alice and Jack Murphy, who was her summer crush at age 16, but the situation is complicated by Jack’s imminent return to Chicago for a five-year medical residency. Making things worse, Einstein goes missing. Through it all, they persevere, working to turn the Summer Hideaway into a place where memories are made, love blossoms, and families are reunited. Hale’s prose evokes the magic of the Outer Banks and its hold on Alice—it’s a place “where the sound of the ocean was always there to greet her and the summer breeze seemed to go on forever.” Alice’s vulnerability and uncertainty—offset by her growing self-confidence and determination to prioritize her dreams and her young son’s happiness—are relatable, and readers will root for her happiness. In true romance fashion, loose ends tie up in a heartwarming manner. Recipes for delicious drinks mentioned in the story and a book club guide complement the text, making it perfect for armchair travelers and book clubs in addition to fans of romance.
A breezy romance as satisfying as ice cream on the beach.A breezy romance as satisfying as ice cream on the beach.Pub Date: June 1, 2025
ISBN: 9781786817136
Page Count: 286
Publisher: Harpeth Road Press
Review Posted Online: June 1, 2025
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
This captivating, deeply emotional, and incredibly sexy romance is a balm for the soul.
A blossoming romance infringes on a successful businesswoman's professional aspirations, making her reevaluate her priorities.
At an exclusive party, talent manager Hendrix Barry has an instant connection with billionaire tech mogul Maverick Bell. When he learns that she’s navigating her mother’s Alzheimer's diagnosis, he relates to what she’s going through, having had similar experiences with his grandfather. Maverick makes Hendrix feel seen and understood like no one else, but he’s the recent ex-boyfriend of a woman Hendrix is going into business with as she works toward her goal of executive producing a television show. She tries to set boundaries that would keep him as a friend despite their obvious mutual attraction, but when he expresses interest in her venture capital fund focusing on Black women–led businesses, it leads to spending more time together, and the lines of friendship, business, and pleasure become tangled and blurred. Ryan excels at crafting thoughtful, mature characters who have to manage complicated situations with care and grace. Maverick’s dogged pursuit of Hendrix and the delicious ways he woos her using his wealth and persistence frame him as a determined, headstrong hero. Paired with a weaker heroine, he could have been overbearing, but Hendrix is his perfect match, equally as strong-willed and tenacious. They bring out each other’s softer, more vulnerable sides as well, and both have compassionate hearts. The spicy romance is the core of this satisfying story, but the novel doesn’t shy away from—and is made richer for the inclusion of—hardships like caring for an aging parent and confronting racism in the world of business. The tale also highlights the importance of community and the value of supportive, platonic love through the wonderful cast of side characters.
This captivating, deeply emotional, and incredibly sexy romance is a balm for the soul.Pub Date: May 13, 2025
ISBN: 9781538706855
Page Count: 448
Publisher: Forever
Review Posted Online: May 30, 2025
A wallowing, emotionally wrenching family drama that leaves little time for romance.
Two people with bad luck in relationships find each other through a popular Reddit thread.
Emma Grant and her best friend, Maddy, are travel nurses, working at hospitals for three-month stints while they see the country. Just a few weeks before they’re set to move to Hawaii, Emma reads a popular “Am I the Asshole” Reddit thread from a Minnesota man who thinks he’s cursed—women he dates find their soulmates after breaking up with him, and the latest one found true love with his best friend! Emma has had a similar experience, which inspires her to DM the man and commiserate. She’s delighted by her witty, lively interactions with software engineer Justin Dahl, and is intrigued when he suggests that if they date each other, maybe they’ll each find their soulmate afterward. Emma upends the Hawaii plan and convinces Maddy to move to Minneapolis for the summer so she can meet Justin in person. The overly complex setup brings Emma and Justin together and the two hit it off, with Justin immediately falling head over heels for Emma. Jimenez then pivots to creating romantic roadblocks and melodramatic subplots centering on each character’s family of origin. Justin’s mother is about to serve six years in prison for embezzlement, which means Justin must move back home to care for his three much younger siblings. Emma was traumatized by her own mother for much of her childhood, left to fend for herself and eventually abandoned in the foster system. When her mother shows up in Minnesota, Emma must face her traumatic childhood and admit that she has prioritized her mother’s well-being over her own. There is little time devoted to Emma’s painful efforts to heal herself enough to accept Justin’s love, which leaves the novel feeling unsatisfying.
A wallowing, emotionally wrenching family drama that leaves little time for romance.Pub Date: April 2, 2024
ISBN: 9781538704431
Page Count: 432
Publisher: Forever
Review Posted Online: Feb. 3, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2024
SEEN & HEARD
SEEN & HEARD
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