A gracefully told story of the power of love.
In Baxter's historical novel, a lady, a lord, and his cousin have a chance encounter on a quiet country estate that changes their lives.
In the London countryside during the quiet Regency period, a fiery woman named Abigail Grantham visits her Uncle Longmore’s estate for a rare comet sighting. Her uncle, an accomplished astronomer, encourages his niece’s academic pursuits. After Abby arrives, she meets Lord William Rochvale, the other astronomer who will assist with charting the stars. Abby is struck by the Lord’s towering presence, and he by her beauty. As they get better acquainted, it becomes clear that they have much in common, and romantic tension begins to build. The burgeoning relationship is complicated, however, when the lord’s strikingly handsome cousin, Gerald Burnby, also becomes enamored with Abigail. The two men begin a rather polite war for her affections by accompanying her to historical sites, taking her on elaborate maze outings, and reciting poetry. Abby doesn’t know what to make of all the attention; she’s mainly focused on making an impact in the field of astronomy before she makes her debut in London society next year. Even so, Mr. Burnby’s charms draw her in, and Lord Rochvale’s steady countenance and humble intelligence gives her a feeling of security she never knew she needed. Their relationships become more complicated when speculation swirls about both men’s pasts and doubts arise about their intentions. Fans of Julia Quinn’s Bridgerton series are sure to enjoy this courtly drama, which effectively illuminates the difficulty of finding a mate in a time of propriety. The novel moves quickly, and the author expertly develops the characters and their intertwining lives along the way. The penultimate conflict, however, is rather dull, and although the author employs red herrings to keep things lively, the plot’s resolution is a bit too predictable. Still, the skillful writing makes up for this, and brings the characters to life: “she recognized, as always, how insignificant the ways of men were in comparison to the vastness of the firmament, where stars sang together in such joyful chorus.”
A gracefully told story of the power of love.Pub Date: Nov. 1, 2023
ISBN: 9798866159451
Page Count: 258
Publisher: Dragonblade Publishing
Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2023
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
An engaging, imaginative narrative hampered by its lack of subtlety.
The Medusa myth, reimagined as an Afrocentric, feminist tale with the Gorgon recast as avenging hero.
In mythological Greece, where gods still have a hand in the lives of humans, 17-year-old Medusa lives on an island with her parents, old sea gods who were overthrown at the rise of the Olympians, and her sisters, Euryale and Stheno. The elder sisters dote on Medusa and bond over the care of her “locs...my dearest physical possession.” Their idyll is broken when Euryale is engaged to be married to a cruel demi-god. Medusa intervenes, and a chain of events leads her to a meeting with the goddess Athena, who sees in her intelligence, curiosity, and a useful bit of rage. Athena chooses Medusa for training in Athens to become a priestess at the Parthenon. She joins the other acolytes, a group of teenage girls who bond, bicker, and compete in various challenges for their place at the temple. As an outsider, Medusa is bullied (even in ancient Athens white girls rudely grab a Black girl’s hair) and finds a best friend in Apollonia. She also meets a nameless boy who always seems to be there whenever she is in need; this turns out to be Poseidon, who is grooming the inexplicably naïve Medusa. When he rapes her, Athena finds out and punishes Medusa and her sisters by transforming their locs into snakes. The sisters become Gorgons, and when colonizing men try to claim their island, the killing begins. Telling a story of Black female power through the lens of ancient myth is conceptually appealing, but this novel published as adult fiction reads as though intended for a younger audience.
An engaging, imaginative narrative hampered by its lack of subtlety.Pub Date: Nov. 18, 2025
ISBN: 9780593733769
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: Aug. 16, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2025
With captivating dialogue, angst-y characters, and a couple of steamy sex scenes, Hoover has done it again.
After being released from prison, a young woman tries to reconnect with her 5-year-old daughter despite having killed the girl’s father.
Kenna didn’t even know she was pregnant until after she was sent to prison for murdering her boyfriend, Scotty. When her baby girl, Diem, was born, she was forced to give custody to Scotty’s parents. Now that she’s been released, Kenna is intent on getting to know her daughter, but Scotty’s parents won’t give her a chance to tell them what really happened the night their son died. Instead, they file a restraining order preventing Kenna from so much as introducing herself to Diem. Handsome, self-assured Ledger, who was Scotty’s best friend, is another key adult in Diem’s life. He’s helping her grandparents raise her, and he too blames Kenna for Scotty’s death. Even so, there’s something about her that haunts him. Kenna feels the pull, too, and seems to be seeking Ledger out despite his judgmental behavior. As Ledger gets to know Kenna and acknowledges his attraction to her, he begins to wonder if maybe he and Scotty’s parents have judged her unfairly. Even so, Ledger is afraid that if he surrenders to his feelings, Scotty’s parents will kick him out of Diem’s life. As Kenna and Ledger continue to mourn for Scotty, they also grieve the future they cannot have with each other. Told alternatively from Kenna’s and Ledger’s perspectives, the story explores the myriad ways in which snap judgments based on partial information can derail people’s lives. Built on a foundation of death and grief, this story has an undercurrent of sadness. As usual, however, the author has created compelling characters who are magnetic and sympathetic enough to pull readers in. In addition to grief, the novel also deftly explores complex issues such as guilt, self-doubt, redemption, and forgiveness.
With captivating dialogue, angst-y characters, and a couple of steamy sex scenes, Hoover has done it again.Pub Date: Jan. 18, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-5420-2560-7
Page Count: 335
Publisher: Montlake Romance
Review Posted Online: Oct. 12, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2021
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