While the heroine’s transformation in a few short weeks is just a bit too extreme to be believable, the book is well-written...
An earl’s sister lives in isolation after a difficult childhood until a friend of her brother’s helps her overcome her bitterness.
Forester (The Highlander’s Bride, 2015) returns with the first book in her new Regency series, The Daring Marriages. Lady Katherine Ashton has come back to England after a long absence. She and her twin brother, Robert, the Earl of Darington, have recovered from their childhood penury and become quite wealthy, thanks to Kate’s financial acumen and Robert’s daring career as a privateer for the English crown. When they meet with a group of investors to repay them for helping finance Robert’s sailing career, Kate is dismayed to find that a certain investor has appeared in person to collect his money. John Arlington, the Earl of Wynbrook, had a steamy encounter with Kate the last time she was in England. Now years of hardship and loneliness have taken their toll. Kate is a grim, unhappy woman, dressed in severe black because masquerading as a widow makes it easier to avoid drawing attention to herself. Although Kate and Robert would like to keep to themselves, a series of mishaps soon makes it clear that they’re being pursued by an unknown enemy. They’re forced to accept the help of the Arlington family, which means Kate and John have to reckon with their past and figure out how to get along. The book is a dramatic tale of debtors prison, kidnapping, gunshot wounds, and runaway maidens. The story is well-paced and absorbing, the characters complicated and likable, and the prose straightforward and clear.
While the heroine’s transformation in a few short weeks is just a bit too extreme to be believable, the book is well-written and most readers will be entertained.Pub Date: July 5, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-4926-0549-2
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Review Posted Online: May 2, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
Hoover is one of the freshest voices in new-adult fiction, and her latest resonates with true emotion, unforgettable...
Sydney and Ridge make beautiful music together in a love triangle written by Hoover (Losing Hope, 2013, etc.), with a link to a digital soundtrack by American Idol contestant Griffin Peterson.
Hoover is a master at writing scenes from dual perspectives. While music student Sydney is watching her neighbor Ridge play guitar on his balcony across the courtyard, Ridge is watching Sydney’s boyfriend, Hunter, secretly make out with her best friend on her balcony. The two begin a songwriting partnership that grows into something more once Sydney dumps Hunter and decides to crash with Ridge and his two roommates while she gets back on her feet. She finds out after the fact that Ridge already has a long-distance girlfriend, Maggie—and that he's deaf. Ridge’s deafness doesn’t impede their relationship or their music. In fact, it creates opportunities for sexy nonverbal communication and witty text messages: Ridge tenderly washes off a message he wrote on Sydney’s hand in ink, and when Sydney adds a few too many e’s to the word “squee” in her text, Ridge replies, “If those letters really make up a sound, I am so, so glad I can’t hear it.” While they fight their mutual attraction, their hope that “maybe someday” they can be together playfully comes out in their music. Peterson’s eight original songs flesh out Sydney’s lyrics with a good mix of moody musical styles: “Living a Lie” has the drama of a Coldplay piano ballad, while the chorus of “Maybe Someday” marches to the rhythm of the Lumineers. But Ridge’s lingering feelings for Maggie cause heartache for all three of them. Independent Maggie never complains about Ridge’s friendship with Sydney, and it's hard to even want Ridge to leave Maggie when she reveals her devastating secret. But Ridge can’t hide his feelings for Sydney long—and they face their dilemma with refreshing emotional honesty.
Hoover is one of the freshest voices in new-adult fiction, and her latest resonates with true emotion, unforgettable characters and just the right amount of sexual tension.Pub Date: March 18, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-4767-5316-4
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Atria
Review Posted Online: May 6, 2014
Roberts’ newest is part thriller, part romance, part survivors’ psychological study with a touch of New Age magic—and a...
The victims of a mass shooting—including two young heroes from the tragedy—are moving forward in their lives, affected in different ways, when they're stunned to discover a serial killer is targeting survivors.
Simone Knox and Reed Quartermaine were both survivors of a mass shooting at a mall in Portland, Maine. Afterward, Simone, grateful to be alive, vows to be a better daughter and at first tries to conform to her parents’ conservative expectations. However, she soon realizes she’ll never be happy appeasing them and finally chooses to follow her artistic dreams in order to lead a more authentic life. Reed, inspired by Essie McVee, the first police officer on the scene, becomes a detective, eventually becoming Essie's partner and close friend. Years later, survivors of the massacre begin to die, and Reed is convinced the deaths are connected—but not even Essie takes him seriously until the killer targets him. Reed is wounded but survives, and suddenly everyone believes him. The cunning psychopath escapes into the ether, armed with money, lots of false identification, and a seething desire for revenge. Taking time to heal, Reed visits Tranquility Island, Maine, his childhood vacation spot, and falls in love with the place. He also meets a charismatic older woman who helps him land the house of his dreams and the position of police chief. Falling in love with her granddaughter, Simone—whom he had been aware of since the tragedy but had never met—seems like fate. Reed settles into his new job and hooks up with the FBI regarding the case, convinced their face-off has frustrated the vengeful killer. As heroic survivors, Reed and Simone are prime targets, and now that they’ve found each other, the stakes are higher than ever. Facing the hunter means fighting for their lives, love, and happiness while silencing the violent echoes of the worst day of their lives. Fascinating characters—Simone's grandmother is a standout—and a sprawling plot that covers a lot of ground yet keeps the reader engaged offer a surprisingly compelling and poignant redemption story that begins with a tragic mass shooting.
Roberts’ newest is part thriller, part romance, part survivors’ psychological study with a touch of New Age magic—and a lively, captivating read.Pub Date: May 29, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-250-16159-8
Page Count: 448
Publisher: St. Martin's
Review Posted Online: March 4, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2018
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