An uneven romance novel with two compelling, well-matched main characters.
A New Jersey artist and Native American professor reconnect in this second-chance romance.
Mangus “Manny” Chattoche, a New Mexico native and member of the Apache tribe, has taken a position as an architectural history professor at a university in Long Branch, New Jersey. However, there’s more to his cross-country move than professional development. Five years earlier, Manny learned that his college relationship with classmate Carrie resulted in a child. Now that daughter, Emily, is 15 and eager to spend as much time as possible with her father, and Manny sees an opportunity to make up for lost time with both mother and daughter. Meanwhile, Carrie is conflicted. While she’s still wildly attracted to Manny and admires his devotion to their teenager, her Jersey Shore stubbornness kicks in. She questions whether this is too much, too soon. When Manny’s services are retained by local real estate developer Thomas Turner and his daughter, Rachel—whose undergrad crush on Manny hasn’t gone anywhere—the land where they all live and love faces major commercialization that will forever change the loyal community of intellectuals and creatives. Soon, Manny and Carrie find themselves at a crossroads where their homeland, family, and newly reformed romantic bond are all at risk. Austen has created a unique couple in Manny and Carrie. Not only is Manny smart, sensual, and sensitive, he also has strong ties to his family on the reservation in New Mexico. For her part, Carrie is a formidable romance lead who has raised a daughter on her own while making a living as a painter and art teacher. These characters and their history make for rich conflict, to the point where the subplot of Rachel’s personal insecurity and persistent interest in Manny feel clichéd and unnecessary. Also, though a subplot about Emily’s best friend Johnny and his battles in the foster care system is strong, Emily herself often comes off as much younger than her 15 years.
An uneven romance novel with two compelling, well-matched main characters.Pub Date: Oct. 11, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-73581-980-8
Page Count: 284
Publisher: Emlu Press
Review Posted Online: Dec. 17, 2020
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A cozy, easily read Christmas tale in which the couples happily pair off and disagreements are resolved.
As a ferry stalls halfway between Bremerton and Seattle two days before Christmas, new connections are made and old ones rekindled.
Avery Bond is on her way to Seattle to meet her brother, Reed, for their first Christmas since their grandmother’s passing. Also on board is Harrison Stetler, a Navy man, on his way to spend Christmas with his sister, Kellie, whom he hasn’t seen in two years. Six-year-old Olivia Sullivan is off to see Santa along with her mother, Beth, and father, Logan. Virginia Talbot, a grandmother, is heading to see her estranged twin sister, Veronica. A band is en route to play their first paid gig. And James is stressed beyond all recognition because his wife has gone into labor on land and they don’t have any nearby family. Everyone is eagerly anticipating their arrival in Seattle. But half an hour into what should have been a quick trip, the ferry stalls; then the cafeteria runs out of food. What begins as anger gradually shifts into acceptance. As the hours pass, the aggravation begins to grow. But then the group comes together to help James with the stress of not being at the hospital with his wife. This is a straightforward, old-fashioned set of love stories where the roles play out as expected, with clear signposts for readers—the beautiful single woman and the overeager sailor deep into love-at-first-sight; the co-workers who hit it off; the separated parents brought back together by their child; the harried father-to-be; the estranged sisters—and each story neatly concluded by the end of the book.
A cozy, easily read Christmas tale in which the couples happily pair off and disagreements are resolved.Pub Date: Oct. 21, 2025
ISBN: 9780593974674
Page Count: 272
Publisher: Ballantine
Review Posted Online: Aug. 29, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2025
Sink your teeth into this delightful paranormal romance with a modern twist.
A vampire and an Alpha werewolf enter into a marriage of convenience in order to ease tensions between their species.
As the only daughter of a prominent Vampyre councilman, Misery Lark has grown accustomed to playing the role that’s demanded of her—and now, her father is ordering her to be part of yet another truce agreement. In an effort to maintain goodwill between the Vampyres and their longtime nemeses the Weres, Misery must wed their Alpha, Lowe Moreland. But it turns out that Misery has her own motivations for agreeing to this political marriage, including finding answers about what happened to her best friend, who went missing after setting up a meeting in Were territory. Isolated from her kind and surrounded on all sides by the enemy after the wedding, Misery refuses to let herself forget about her real mission. It doesn’t matter that Lowe is one of the most confounding and intense people she’s ever met, or that the connection building between them doesn’t feel like one born entirely of convenience. There’s also the possibility that Lowe may already have a Were mate of his own, but in spite of their biological differences, they may turn out to be the missing piece in each other’s lives. While this is Hazelwood’s first paranormal romance, and the book does lean on some hallmark tropes of the genre, the contemporary setting lends itself to the author’s trademark humor and makes the political plot more easily digestible. Misery and Lowe’s slow-burn romance is appealing enough that readers will readily devour every moment between them and hunger to return to them whenever the story diverts from their scenes together.
Sink your teeth into this delightful paranormal romance with a modern twist.Pub Date: Feb. 6, 2024
ISBN: 9780593550403
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Berkley
Review Posted Online: Oct. 21, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2023
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