A romance with a believable premise, but its unsympathetic protagonist makes it fall flat.
Krawitz’s debut novel, set squarely in Nicholas Sparks–style territory, offers a romance between a computer programmer and a public relations executive.
Greg Janera is a 20-something man without a plan. He’s gainfully employed as an app designer and happily devoted to his dog, Rocky, but he’s less attached to his girlfriend, Heather, a successful event planner who’s four years his senior. Although there isn’t anything particularly wrong with the relationship, he just can’t see himself settling down with her in the way she expects. When the two take a relationship break following an awkward moment involving an engagement ring at Tiffany’s, Greg isn’t sure what to do. Then he crosses paths with single PR exec Kate Shuster at the park, and the two immediately hit it off. Greg is drawn to her kind, easygoing nature, and Kate finds Greg funny, intelligent, and very handsome. Before long, they fall in love, and Greg decides to break up with his old girlfriend permanently. But when he meets with Heather, she reveals that she’s pregnant. What was once a no-brainer decision becomes an agonizing choice for Greg, who wants to do right by his babies (Heather’s pregnant with twins) but can’t imagine a life without Kate. Instead of being honest with Heather, he makes a decision that has repercussions that last for years. There are moments in this book that appealingly feel like real life; Greg and Kate’s initial connection is believable and charming, and Krawitz has a knack for capturing day-to-day moments with perfect clarity; one particular incident involving a tuna casserole will ring true to any frazzled new parent. However, the author is less successful at garnering sympathy for Greg. It’s only correct for him to want to be a good father to his children, but it’s disappointing that he doesn’t feel the need to be honest with Heather, a woman who deserves the same love and respect that he feels for Kate. He paints himself as making a noble sacrifice, but he sometimes comes across as cowardly. The ending, which removes any sort of accountability from Greg’s shoulders, is also unsatisfying.
A romance with a believable premise, but its unsympathetic protagonist makes it fall flat.Pub Date: March 15, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-4808-2831-5
Page Count: 250
Publisher: Archway Publishing
Review Posted Online: May 31, 2016
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Packed with riveting drama and painful truths, this book powerfully illustrates the devastation of abuse—and the strength of...
Hoover’s (November 9, 2015, etc.) latest tackles the difficult subject of domestic violence with romantic tenderness and emotional heft.
At first glance, the couple is edgy but cute: Lily Bloom runs a flower shop for people who hate flowers; Ryle Kincaid is a surgeon who says he never wants to get married or have kids. They meet on a rooftop in Boston on the night Ryle loses a patient and Lily attends her abusive father’s funeral. The provocative opening takes a dark turn when Lily receives a warning about Ryle’s intentions from his sister, who becomes Lily’s employee and close friend. Lily swears she’ll never end up in another abusive home, but when Ryle starts to show all the same warning signs that her mother ignored, Lily learns just how hard it is to say goodbye. When Ryle is not in the throes of a jealous rage, his redeeming qualities return, and Lily can justify his behavior: “I think we needed what happened on the stairwell to happen so that I would know his past and we’d be able to work on it together,” she tells herself. Lily marries Ryle hoping the good will outweigh the bad, and the mother-daughter dynamics evolve beautifully as Lily reflects on her childhood with fresh eyes. Diary entries fancifully addressed to TV host Ellen DeGeneres serve as flashbacks to Lily’s teenage years, when she met her first love, Atlas Corrigan, a homeless boy she found squatting in a neighbor’s house. When Atlas turns up in Boston, now a successful chef, he begs Lily to leave Ryle. Despite the better option right in front of her, an unexpected complication forces Lily to cut ties with Atlas, confront Ryle, and try to end the cycle of abuse before it’s too late. The relationships are portrayed with compassion and honesty, and the author’s note at the end that explains Hoover’s personal connection to the subject matter is a must-read.
Packed with riveting drama and painful truths, this book powerfully illustrates the devastation of abuse—and the strength of the survivors.Pub Date: Aug. 2, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-5011-1036-8
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Atria
Review Posted Online: May 30, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2016
SEEN & HEARD
SEEN & HEARD
A fascinating, thought-provoking, genre-bending romantic read.
When Solène Marchand takes her 12-year-old daughter to a concert by the hottest boy band on the planet, she doesn't expect to fall in love with one of the singers.
Middle-aged art gallery owner Solène hasn’t dated since her divorce, but when her ex-husband buys their daughter and a group of her friends tickets to Vegas and a backstage concert experience, then backs out at the last minute, she steps in as escort. The five guys in the wildly popular English boy band August Moon appeal to women of all ages, but Hayes, the brains behind the group’s success, flirts with Solène at the concert meet and greet, invites them to a party after the show, then pursues her once she gets back to Los Angeles. He’s only 20 and he’s incredibly famous; his attention is flattering and heady. The two fall into an affair that’s supposed to be light and easy, but before long they can’t ignore their intense emotional attachment. Solène is hesitant to tell her daughter, but when she procrastinates, Isabelle learns about it through an online tabloid, which damages their relationship and leaves Solène open to censure from her ex. Then, once the affair goes viral, she experiences the darker side of Hayes’ fan base. What started out as a jaunty adventure turns into an emotionally fraught journey, and Solène must decide what she’s willing to risk for her happiness and what she won’t risk for her daughter’s. Actress Lee, who appeared in Fifty Shades Darker, debuts with a beautifully written novel that explores sex, love, romance, and fantasy in moving, insightful ways while also examining a woman’s struggle with aging and sexism, with a nod at the tension between celebrity and privacy.
A fascinating, thought-provoking, genre-bending romantic read.Pub Date: June 13, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-250-12590-3
Page Count: 384
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Review Posted Online: April 3, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2017
BOOK TO SCREEN
BOOK TO SCREEN
BOOK TO SCREEN
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