One to read on a rainy day when nothing but chocolate and a (mostly) lighthearted romance will do.
Hopeless romantic Emma butts heads with cynical Sophia over love and filmmaking.
Emma and her friends enter a short film contest in the hopes of winning college scholarships. The only issue is Sophia—who, before moving away, was the only other out queer girl in their grade. She’s back in town, and everyone seems to expect them to end up together. They are resistant, but the film and their mutual friend group keep dragging them together. Tensions rise, as Emma wants to make the gay rom-com of her dreams while Sophia thinks an avant-garde piece is the way to go. Emma is the quintessential romance enthusiast while Sophia has soured entirely on the concept of romantic love. The interplay between these two attitudes serves to form the bulk of the plot as the two find their ideas about love growing closer to a middle ground in tandem with their growing feelings for one another. In terms of style and plot beats, the novel reads like a rom-com film distilled into book format; it is easy to imagine these characters acting out their lives on screen. The queer romance and the narrative’s determination not to shy away from discussing attitudes of entitlement distinguish this title. Emma and Sophia read as White.
One to read on a rainy day when nothing but chocolate and a (mostly) lighthearted romance will do. (Romance. 14-18)Pub Date: March 2, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-593-17976-5
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Underlined
Review Posted Online: Dec. 24, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
An uneven tale of revenge, infamy, and thievery in space.
A pair of thieves turn vigilantes when an external force threatens their home planet of Nakara in this Bonnie and Clyde–inspired science fiction.
Eighteen-year-old Shane Mannix and 17-year-old Ava Castor are partners in crime. After Shane’s recent, traumatizing stint in a brutal space prison, they’re working together to exact revenge for Shane’s sake and, while doing so, become infamous as Ava has always dreamed. Meanwhile, on the other side of the law, earnest 18-year-old Cyrus Blake, a recent graduate of Opia’s Air Force Academy, hopes to carve a place for himself within the ranks of privileged classmates while trying to avoid being tempted by handsome Lark into breaking the rules until a devious plan from a rogue military leader to further oppress their homeworld sets Shane, Ava, and their crew on a collision course with Cyrus. Voris’ action-filled debut follows antiheroes Shane and Ava on their murderous, extremely violent space escapades against tyranny. Also central is Cyrus, whose yearnings for Lark and for doing the right thing clash with truths he unveils. A few odd chapters offer flashbacks of Shane and Ava’s first encounter but don’t add much to the overall tale, and while the setting has intriguing elements of political and social unrest, the world at large is underdeveloped. A bittersweet end promises more. Cyrus and Shane are assumed White; Ava is from a mixed fantasy race background.
An uneven tale of revenge, infamy, and thievery in space. (Science fiction. 15-18)Pub Date: March 28, 2023
ISBN: 978-0-593-52521-0
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A bit uneven, but fans of Regency romances will revel in this fantastical affair.
A tailor and a prince become entwined in a tenuous romance.
When Niamh, who’s from a working-class Machlish family, receives an invitation to serve as the tailor for the royal wedding of Avaland’s Prince Christopher to the Castilian Infanta Rosa, she boards the ship, convinced that this Season will change her family’s fortunes. Her ability to imbue emotions into her embroidery has earned her a reputation among the high-born, but using magic comes at a cost to her lifespan. Niamh arrives on Avaland’s shores, only to find the country in turmoil. The exploited Machlish are striking in droves, a gossip columnist has alienated the court, and most troublesome of all, the brooding and reluctant Christopher, who goes by Kit, simultaneously vexes and beguiles her. With patience and persistence, Niamh pierces Kit’s thorny, magicked defenses, but personal and political histories threaten their future. The descriptions of Niamh’s handiwork are delicately crafted, as is the worldbuilding, which evokes a European historical setting and population. Names, the Machland crop famine, and Machlish legends point to Irish influences. Kit’s prickliness and Niamh’s empathetic nature create a heated attraction of opposites that risks positioning Niamh as overly self-sacrificing at the expense of her individuality and a satisfying character arc. However, well-rendered supporting characters are gratifying additions to the narrative, which wraps up somewhat hastily.
A bit uneven, but fans of Regency romances will revel in this fantastical affair. (Fantasy romance. 14-18)Pub Date: Jan. 2, 2024
ISBN: 9781250892836
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Review Posted Online: Sept. 23, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2023
© Copyright 2025 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
