An earnest and positive novel that explores heavy topics.
In VanPatten’s novel, a recently widowed gay father tries to help a niece whom he suspects is being abused.
After being disowned in Texas as a “sinner” by his parents, Jesse Pérez eventually finds happiness in California with his partner, David, and Matthew, their son with autism. Following David’s untimely death, Jesse and his child attempt to settle into their new reality. Another upheaval occurs with the sudden appearance of Gloria Salazar, Jesse’s teenage niece from Lubbock, who’s pregnant and reluctant to disclose details. Jesse accompanies Gloria when she gets an abortion, knowing it could be risky with Texas’ strict anti-abortion laws that even reach across state borders. Gloria wants to live with Jesse, rather than return home—but then Jesse’s brother-in-law brings her back to Texas against her will. Jesse’s reluctant to leave his routine-loving son, and he also finds himself drawn to Bobby Martínez, a widowed Californian cop he just met; however, he decides to return to the Lone Star State to help his niece. In this novel, VanPatten explores such difficult subjects as antigay bigotry, rape, grief, and religious intolerance. However, the story also has a pleasant flow, with natural, unforced dialogue. It’s very easy to tell the good people from the bad, but this isn’t necessarily a bad thing; Bobby, for instance, is shown to be a helpful police officer who brings Jesse’s son cookies and assists with homework. At another point, a protective services agent lets Gloria stay with her for a few nights, and Jesse’s former high school teacher tells him “I like to think I helped you on your own path.” Spiteful characters, including Jesse’s parents and sister, and a Texas cop who pulls a gun on Jesse, are shown as twisted by discriminatory religious doctrines, while others act from sheer ignorance. For the most part, though, this is a sweet story of how members of chosen families can soothe and heal one another. Although the romance between Jesse and Bobby lacks surprises, this fact enhances, rather than detracts, from the pleasure of reading this comforting book.
An earnest and positive novel that explores heavy topics.Pub Date: Jan. 2, 2024
ISBN: 9798873520886
Page Count: 312
Publisher: Self
Review Posted Online: April 18, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2024
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
An affecting portrait of a prickly woman.
A lifetime’s worth of letters combine to portray a singular character.
Sybil Van Antwerp, a cantankerous but exceedingly well-mannered septuagenarian, is the titular correspondent in Evans’ debut novel. Sybil has retired from a beloved job as chief clerk to a judge with whom she had previously been in private legal practice. She is the divorced mother of two living adult children and one who died when he was 8. She is a reader of novels, a gardener, and a keen observer of human nature. But the most distinguishing thing about Sybil is her lifelong practice of letter writing. As advancing vision problems threaten Sybil’s carefully constructed way of life—in which letters take the place of personal contact and engagement—she must reckon with unaddressed issues from her past that threaten the house of cards (letters, really) she has built around herself. Sybil’s relationships are gradually revealed in the series of letters sent to and received from, among others, her brother, sister-in-law, children, former work associates, and, intriguingly, literary icons including Joan Didion and Larry McMurtry. Perhaps most affecting is the series of missives Sybil writes but never mails to a shadowy figure from her past. Thoughtful musings on the value and immortal quality of letters and the written word populate one of Sybil’s notes to a young correspondent while other messages are laugh-out-loud funny, tinged with her characteristic blunt tartness. Evans has created a brusque and quirky yet endearing main character with no shortage of opinions and advice for others but who fails to excavate the knotty difficulties of her own life. As Sybil grows into a delayed self-awareness, her letters serve as a chronicle of fitful growth.
An affecting portrait of a prickly woman.Pub Date: May 6, 2025
ISBN: 9780593798430
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Crown
Review Posted Online: Feb. 15, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2025
A dark and twisty look at just how far one woman is willing to go to find inspiration.
A struggling writer finds an unexpected muse when a mysterious man shows up at her cabin.
Petra Rose used to pump out a bestselling book every six months, but then the adaptation happened—that is, the disastrous film adaptation of her most famous book. The movie changed the book’s storyline so egregiously that fans couldn’t forgive her, and the ensuing harassment sent Petra into hiding and gave her a serious case of writer’s block. Petra’s one hope is her solo writing retreat at a remote cabin, where she can escape the distractions of real life and focus on her next book, a story about a woman having an affair with a cop. When officer Nathaniel Saint shows up at her cabin door, inspiration comes flooding back. Much like the character from Petra’s book, Saint is married, and he’s willing to be Petra’s muse, helping her get into her characters’ heads. Petra’s book is practically writing itself, but is the game she’s playing a little too dangerous? Does she know when to stop—and, more importantly, is Saint willing to stop? Hoover is no stranger to controversial movie adaptations and internet backlash, but she clarifies in a note to readers that she’s “just a writer writing about a writer” and that no further connections to her own life are contained in these pages—which is a good thing, because the book takes some horrifying twists and turns. Petra finds herself inexplicably attracted to Saint, even as she describes him as “such an asshole,” and her feelings for him veer between love and hate. The novel serves as a meta commentary on the dark romance genre—as Petra puts it, “Even though, as readers, we wouldn’t want to live out some of the fantasies we read about, it doesn’t mean we don’t enjoy reading those things.”
A dark and twisty look at just how far one woman is willing to go to find inspiration.Pub Date: Jan. 13, 2026
ISBN: 9781662539374
Page Count: -
Publisher: Montlake
Review Posted Online: Sept. 27, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2025
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