A revved-up supernatural tale that takes some impressively sharp turns.
A doctor gets caught in a war between vampires and warlocks in this paranormal romance series opener.
Bane rules the Savannah, Georgia–based Vampire Motorcycle Club. He’s more than 300 years old, fiercely protective of those he considers family, and wants the warlocks of an organization called the Chamber out of his territory. A confrontation in Savannah’s National Wildlife Refuge between the two groups reveals that Constantin Durance, a powerful necromancer, is Bane’s true opponent. Bane and his vampire companions Meara Delacourt and Luke Calhoun survive the battle, and days later, Bane learns that his human friend firefighter Hunter Evans has been mortally wounded after saving a child’s life. He uses magic to travel to Savannah General to see Hunter and runs into Dr. Ryan St. Cloud. Bane is fascinated by the fact that she’s not like other humans; to him, her skin strangely glows, and later, it’s revealed that his “Voice” commands don’t work on her. After Bane vanishes with her patient, Ryan goes home, drinks copiously, and assumes she hallucinated the vampire. Then he shows up at her door—but he hasn’t come to claim her just yet. He needs her medical knowledge; Hunter, whom Bane has bitten in order to save his life, isn’t “Turning” properly. Meanwhile, Carter Reynolds, president of the Wolf Pack Motorcycle Club, contends with Sylvie, a warlock working for Constantin. Day opens her new paranormal romance with a scene of impressive vampire action, which includes severed limbs. There’s plenty of sexual tension throughout the narrative; Ryan, who believes herself to be unremarkable, is described, from Bane’s perspective, as having the “most delicious, curvy legs he’d ever hoped to have wrapped around his waist.” Day drops many hints that Ryan’s healing skills and glowing skin have inhuman origins, and readers should expect a fabulous and fitting solution to the mystery. Bane is shown to have empathy for helpless humans in need, which proves that his heart still beats. Day also includes a few amusing genre references along the way, such as naming an Irish Wolfhound Bram Stoker. A final state of domestic bliss presents a strong foundation for a sequel.
A revved-up supernatural tale that takes some impressively sharp turns.Pub Date: Oct. 27, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-68281-475-8
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Entangled: Amara
Review Posted Online: Oct. 7, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2020
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A charming love story that absolutely radiates warmth.
A single mom winds up fake dating an incredibly wealthy man in her hometown.
Dolly Brick is back in her hometown of Whitfield, Rhode Island, for the summer to help her dad and disabled brother manage their house and family business. As a 39-year-old single mother with multiple jobs—which now include working at the Brick Fish House—Dolly is always busy. When her mom left their family years ago, Dolly took over caring for her siblings and father and never really stopped. When she runs into Stewart Whitfield after making a shrimp delivery to his family’s mansion, she doesn’t think they could be more different. She’s had to figure out how to do everything by herself, and he can’t even change a tire. That’s why Stewart’s proposal that she pretend to be his girlfriend feels so unbelievable—but it comes with a hefty check that she desperately needs for home repairs. So she becomes the fake girlfriend of Stewart Whitfield (as in, the Whitfields her town is named after; his real fiancée just dumped him and it’s a bad time for him to be single) and experiences what it’s like to walk into fancy buildings through the front door instead of the service entrance. More than the boats and helicopter and expensive dinners, though, Dolly is impressed by what a kind man Stewart is—and how it feels to let someone else take care of her for a change. Soon, their relationship starts to feel more real than fake. Monaghan creates an impossibly winning story with a charming, lovable heroine. Dolly is capable, hardworking, and will do anything for the people she loves. She and Stewart both possess real flaws, and while their relationship begins with one of the most beloved rom-com tropes, their challenges feel like realistic adult obstacles rather than easily solved miscommunications. It’s also refreshing that, even though Dolly must learn to allow other people to help her, she never views her caretaking responsibilities as burdens. She deeply loves her family, and that love carries through the entire story.
A charming love story that absolutely radiates warmth.Pub Date: May 26, 2026
ISBN: 9780593853979
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Putnam
Review Posted Online: Jan. 19, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2026
SEEN & HEARD
A powerfully strong romance for readers who like their love stories full of torment and passion.
Best friends confront feelings for each other when they take a honeymoon trip together.
Francesca Gardiner and George Saint James have always been best friends—just like Jo and Laurie from Little Women, which they both love. Frankie has a big, complicated family and George was the boy next door who’d moved in with his eccentric grandmother. Their friendship survived childhood, awkward teenage years, and living together as young adults without ever venturing into the romantic—well, except for one kiss, but they don’t talk about that. When Frankie gets engaged to an older professor named Nate, George isn’t happy and a huge fight ensues. Despite his misgivings, George shows up to be her best man, but Nate leaves Frankie right before the wedding with only a cryptic letter. Devastated, Frankie goes to a friend’s house to recuperate, but her honeymoon is already planned and paid for—so she decides to travel to Tofino, a picturesque town on the coast of Vancouver Island, with George taking Nate’s place. Frankie wants to fix her friendship with George, but now that they’re in a romantic suite in a beautiful location, things are more complicated than ever. She’d always thought a relationship would be a bad idea, but she’s slowly beginning to realize they’ll never be able to go back to being kids. Maybe the only way forward involves forging a new kind of relationship. Fortune, the author of romances like This Summer Will Be Different (2024), returns with another love story full of longing and intense angst. The many allusions to Little Women are charming, and Frankie is a delightfully headstrong, feisty character. She and George have explosive chemistry, and Fortune manages to make the “will-they-or-won’t-they” nature of their relationship feel like life-or-death stakes.
A powerfully strong romance for readers who like their love stories full of torment and passion.Pub Date: May 5, 2026
ISBN: 9780593953242
Page Count: 432
Publisher: Berkley
Review Posted Online: Feb. 2, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2026
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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