A delightfully vibrant tale of reluctant lovers reunited.
In this Regency romance, two old friends warily consider giving love another try.
In this second volume of Michaels’ Linfield Hall series, following Lady August (2021), Louisa Strickland is content mostly to avoid scheming London in favor of managing her estate in the Kent countryside. “She was more than competent enough by herself,” readers are told, “so much so that she didn’t even employ a land steward.” As the novel opens, Louisa has only one worry: the well-being of her slightly foolish young sister, Flora, who’ll soon be making her society debut in London as an heiress with 30,000 pounds. Little does Louisa know that this very fortune will make Flora irresistibly attractive to the rakish Earl Charles Finch, who’s 20,000 pounds in debt (with the stern Duke of Rutley overseeing his account books and setting up a rigorous payment schedule) and badly needs to marry a rich heiress. This would be a perilous enough situation for the Strickland family women, but there’s an added wrinkle. Years ago, Finch and Louisa shared a brief and torrid moment, and both have tried to forget it ever since. Finch, readers learn, “hadn’t thought about Louisa Strickland in a long time, but just the idea of her red hair was enough to make his heart skip a beat.”
The author has devised a classic setup for a Regency love story of second chances. Longtime romance readers will feel very comfortable knowing exactly what to expect from the plot complications Michaels cooks up. Once the size of Flora’s dowry becomes widely known, debauched and impecunious lords of all kinds start swarming. When some of their attentions spill over to include Louisa, Finch finds himself in the awkward position of feeling protective about one sister even while he’s attempting to take advantage of another. The author skillfully manipulates these conflicting imperatives: Finch is entirely believable and very likable in her handling. And this is doubly true of Louisa, who not only doesn’t resemble her petite and delicate sister physically, but is a completely different kind of person emotionally as well, unconventional and fiercely independent. When one of her suitors, through a combination of guile and good looks, actually manages to tempt her, readers will feel a genuine sympathy for the plight of poor Finch, who by this point realizes that he has never stopped loving Louisa. Even comparatively late in the narrative, Louisa is still fighting her own version of this yearning, mainly on the grounds that she doesn’t want to sacrifice her independence. She “had no desire to become a countess, so attaching herself to the earl couldn’t possibly benefit her,” she thinks. “Why should she sign her life away to him?” This streak of self-sufficiency causes Louisa to put obstacles in the path of her own happiness, but it’s also a large part of what makes her such an intriguing character.
A delightfully vibrant tale of reluctant lovers reunited.Pub Date: Aug. 31, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-73514-015-5
Page Count: 360
Publisher: Mildred Press
Review Posted Online: Sept. 24, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2021
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A wallowing, emotionally wrenching family drama that leaves little time for romance.
Two people with bad luck in relationships find each other through a popular Reddit thread.
Emma Grant and her best friend, Maddy, are travel nurses, working at hospitals for three-month stints while they see the country. Just a few weeks before they’re set to move to Hawaii, Emma reads a popular “Am I the Asshole” Reddit thread from a Minnesota man who thinks he’s cursed—women he dates find their soulmates after breaking up with him, and the latest one found true love with his best friend! Emma has had a similar experience, which inspires her to DM the man and commiserate. She’s delighted by her witty, lively interactions with software engineer Justin Dahl, and is intrigued when he suggests that if they date each other, maybe they’ll each find their soulmate afterward. Emma upends the Hawaii plan and convinces Maddy to move to Minneapolis for the summer so she can meet Justin in person. The overly complex setup brings Emma and Justin together and the two hit it off, with Justin immediately falling head over heels for Emma. Jimenez then pivots to creating romantic roadblocks and melodramatic subplots centering on each character’s family of origin. Justin’s mother is about to serve six years in prison for embezzlement, which means Justin must move back home to care for his three much younger siblings. Emma was traumatized by her own mother for much of her childhood, left to fend for herself and eventually abandoned in the foster system. When her mother shows up in Minnesota, Emma must face her traumatic childhood and admit that she has prioritized her mother’s well-being over her own. There is little time devoted to Emma’s painful efforts to heal herself enough to accept Justin’s love, which leaves the novel feeling unsatisfying.
A wallowing, emotionally wrenching family drama that leaves little time for romance.Pub Date: April 2, 2024
ISBN: 9781538704431
Page Count: 432
Publisher: Forever
Review Posted Online: Feb. 3, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2024
SEEN & HEARD
SEEN & HEARD
Henry fans, rejoice: This is her best yet.
A recently dumped librarian finds herself fake dating her polar opposite.
When Daphne Vincent’s fiance, Peter, dumps her, she’s shocked—but the worst part is that he’s leaving her for his gorgeous best friend, Petra, the woman he’d always told Daphne not to worry about. Now Daphne has to move out of Peter’s home and restart her life in the small Michigan town where she’d moved to be with him. Salvation comes in the form of Miles Nowak, Petra’s ex—he has a tiny spare room in his apartment, and he understands what it’s like to wallow in heartbreak. Daphne feels lucky to have her dream job as a children’s librarian, but other than that, she feels adrift and friendless in Waning Bay—and then she and Miles get invitations to Peter and Petra’s wedding. In a momentary lapse of judgment, Daphne not only says she’ll attend the wedding, but tells Peter she’s dating Miles. It would be the perfect way to show Peter and Petra that they’ve moved on…if only it were true. In the grand tradition of fake-dating romances, Daphne and Miles pretend to be in love, getting to know each other while having various adventures and misadventures. Daphne quickly learns that although she’d dismissed Miles as a pothead with a lack of direction, he’s actually a good time—and a loyal friend. But Daphne knows she needs to get out of Waning Bay, so this fake relationship can’t lead anywhere…can it? Reliable bestseller Henry has written another surefire hit that manages to be dramatic, sexy, and fun. Miles and Daphne have chemistry that leaps off the page, and their will-they-or-won’t-they energy propels the story to its satisfying conclusion. Daphne is an immensely likable character, one whose past realistically informs her current relationships. The world of Waning Bay is charmingly quirky, and Daphne’s co-workers at the library are endearing. As always, Henry’s biggest strength is the sharp, often hilarious dialogue that makes the story a joy to read.
Henry fans, rejoice: This is her best yet.Pub Date: April 23, 2024
ISBN: 9780593441282
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Berkley
Review Posted Online: Feb. 17, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2024
PERSPECTIVES
BOOK TO SCREEN
SEEN & HEARD
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