A shimmery and sexy start to the reissuing of a beloved m/m contemporary romance series.
A one-night stand sparkles far beyond first impressions.
Ash Winters is trapped. His life has to be defined by his routines, which he clings to as his only hope as he recovers from severe depression and a suicide attempt. He avoids contact with friends, his sex life is unsatisfying, and his promising career as a writer has been derailed. But he feels obligated to make it from London to Brighton for his friend’s stag party, and it’s good that he does, because across the dance floor he sees Darian Taylor, a charming, baffling, "glittering pirate of a man," an aspiring model from Essex. They have an electric sexual encounter, but Ash runs away, a panic attack having been triggered when he wakes in a strange place. He’s plunged into another depressive episode. When he reemerges, Darian finds him at a book signing, and despite his anger, they reconnect (quite intimately, over Ash’s desk). As they continue to spend time together, Ash starts to think maybe he could build a new life with Darian—but eventually he pushes Darian away so cruelly that he might not return. This is a republication of Hall’s first book, originally published in 2013, and this new edition has some changes but will be recognizable to readers of the original. Most importantly, it still includes the same extremely Essex voice ascribed to Darian with every sentence of dialogue; this isn't for all readers, but it is remarkably consistent ("hunjed pahcent" comes up a lot), and even when Darian borders on farce it can’t dampen the clear passion the two men have for each other. Hall’s command of tropes and ability to consistently deliver fantastically explicit writing remain top-notch, though fans will notice that while this book is solid, the writing is a bit clumsy compared to recent releases, with some confusing dialogue formatting that can detract from the story. Still, there’s a reason this book, which is the first in the cult favorite Spires series, has had avid readers for years, and it’s because it has the heady combination of red-hot sex scenes with genuine emotional connection that Hall does so well. The clear content guidance at the start of the book is a grace note that underscores the blunt but sensitive treatment of Ash's mental health and shouldn't be skipped.
A shimmery and sexy start to the reissuing of a beloved m/m contemporary romance series.Pub Date: Jan. 17, 2023
ISBN: 978-1-72826-528-5
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Review Posted Online: Nov. 28, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2022
A romance that could have used significant rethinking.
Childhood friends, almost-sweethearts, a misunderstanding, and a funeral.
Blair Lang and Declan Renshaw were best friends who went on one date before a disagreement and an accident sent them in different directions after high school. Now Blair is back from college to be with her great-aunt Lottie, who’s dying, and to support her single mother in small-town Seabrook, California. Finding a job at a coffee shop puts her in the path of her former boyfriend, since he turns out to be its owner. Can the two get past their mistakes? The novel uses the popular second-chance romance trope, but Pham fails to energize it through interesting characters. Blair’s grief over her great-aunt’s death and her plan to help her mother are overshadowed by internal monologues about her feelings, the way her friends aren’t paying attention to her, and the novel she plans to write. Declan’s distinguishing characteristic, besides being a former high school quarterback, is his skill at building birdhouses. Unsurprisingly, the couple doesn’t have much chemistry; when they embrace, their “bodies meld like…memory foam.” The wooden characters, unusual word choices (“conglomerate of pedestrians,” “litany of plants”), and odd turns of phrase (“tension melting from his eyebrows like butter melting in a warm pan”) are almost enough to obscure the lack of plot development. What passes for stakes is easily defused when Blair comes into an inheritance that saves her from working as a consultant at Ernst & Young in New York—so she can write a romance novel.
A romance that could have used significant rethinking.Pub Date: March 3, 2026
ISBN: 9781668095188
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Atria
Review Posted Online: Feb. 16, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2026
Two hot people confronting their trauma, making passionate love, and solving violent crimes! ’Nuff said.
A heartbroken man lusts after his therapist while seeking revenge on a drug kingpin and his enforcer.
Mitch Haskell’s wife, Angela, died two years ago of an apparent suicide, but Mitch has always believed the scene was staged. Certainly, she would never have willingly left their young son, Andrew, behind. Consumed with a thirst for vengeance, Mitch—a former Marine and undercover agent with the Drug Enforcement Administration and currently a police detective—is struggling with alcohol dependency and uncontrolled rage. Andrew is living with his in-laws, who are making not-so-subtle suggestions that they might apply for permanent guardianship if Mitch can’t get it together. So his boss and best friend, John Bowie, mandates that he go into therapy, which puts him in the path of sexy Dr. Dylan Reede. Within a few days, Mitch makes a connection between two new murders and the death of his former partner; finds a big clue that points to the truth about Angela’s death; goes undercover as a homeless man; takes on a vicious drug cartel; and obnoxiously bullies Dylan with a charm offensive that leads them inevitably to bed. While Mitch seems to lean into the stereotype of the ex-soldier/cop with deeply buried trauma who believes that the ends justify the means—at least in law enforcement—Dylan offers the strength and sweetness to help him start breaking down his walls, allowing herself to be vulnerable in turn. Is passionate sex enough to ground a relationship and a family for the long term? For these characters, and the breakneck speed of this thriller, it’s as good a foundation as any.
Two hot people confronting their trauma, making passionate love, and solving violent crimes! ’Nuff said.Pub Date: March 17, 2026
ISBN: 9781538743027
Page Count: 432
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Review Posted Online: Dec. 11, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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