A beautiful portrayal of two people navigating love and grief.
Following the death of her best friend, a Brooklyn woman completes her “Live Again list” with the help of a wounded stranger.
After her best friend, Lou Merritt, dies from cancer, Lenny Bellamy feels like she’s barely hanging on. Thankfully, the babysitting gigs she picks up to pay the bills also serve as a bright distraction in her life. Lenny is one of those blessed individuals who knows exactly how to identify with children. She’s warm and endearing, and nannying makes her feel just the slightest bit better—or at least that’s what she tells herself. Her latest job is watching 7-year-old Ainsley. Ainsley’s mom, Reese Hollis, is a single parent, raising her daughter in the swanky apartment left to her by her father, a famous musician who’d died a year earlier, with her moody half brother, Miles Honey, living upstairs in the same building. It’s obvious from Miles’ first appearance in Reese’s apartment that their relationship is strained—he barely knew his father and has only been in Reese’s life for two years. He doesn’t trust Lenny, clearly overprotective of his niece and judgmental about everyone who takes care of her. As Miles transforms into a helicopter uncle, he starts to recognize something familiar in Lenny—the grief that is all but consuming her life, something with which he’s had some experience. When Lenny reveals that she and Lou had compiled a “Live Again list” to help Lenny work through her friend’s death, Miles agrees to help her fulfill the tasks on her list on one condition: He wants Lenny’s help in finding ways to connect with Ainsley and Reese. Bastone’s contemporary romances are truly in a class of their own, creating difficult events and softening them with the comfort of finding a romantic partner who is both supportive and empathetic. Miles’ rough and admittedly awkward edges are smoothed by Lenny’s dogged efforts to carry on through her sadness and pain. This is a tender slow-burn romance with an emotional wallop.
A beautiful portrayal of two people navigating love and grief.Pub Date: March 4, 2025
ISBN: 9780593595732
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Dial Press
Review Posted Online: Dec. 14, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2025
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
A thrilling, immersive tale that shows that some bargains demand more than just a crown.
A reluctant princess is thrust into deadly political intrigue in Perry’s sweeping, high-stakes romantasy.
Odessa is the overlooked and underestimated princess of Quentis, whose life takes an unexpected turn when a deal is struck between her father and the formidable Turan warriors force her into an arranged marriage with their enigmatic prince, Zavier Wolfe. Intended as a mere formality to secure trade routes and military alliances, the betrothal spirals into something far more dangerous when ancient magic, a ruthless Guardian, and a looming war threaten to upend everything she knows. Finally emerging from the shadow of her seemingly perfect half sister, Mae, Odessa must navigate court politics, monstrous creatures, and her own uncertain place in a world where survival often depends on strategy rather than strength. As tensions rise, she finds herself entangled with the dangerous, enigmatic Guardian—a man whose silver eyes hold secrets of their own. Perry’s worldbuilding is lush and immersive, crafting a kingdom rife with old magic, deadly beasts, and political machinations that add depth. The pacing is relentless, carrying Odessa from one life-altering event to another as she grapples with duty, defiance, and a destiny she never chose. Her internal conflict is compelling, torn between the expectations placed upon her and the fierce independence that threatens to make her an outcast in her own kingdom. Romance simmers as Odessa struggles to reconcile her obligations with her growing attraction to the Guardian, whose past is as shadowed as his reputation. Mae is introduced as Odessa’s political foil, and although her presence drives much of Odessa’s internal drama—being constantly overshadowed or underestimated—she’s mostly seen through Odessa’s perspective. Her motivations, ambitions, and political maneuverings might have benefited from deeper exploration to give more nuance to the power dynamics. However, Perry’s evocative prose and intricate plotting make for a gripping tale. Readers looking for a slow-burn romantasy with rich political intrigue and a protagonist forced to create her own fate will find much to enjoy.
A thrilling, immersive tale that shows that some bargains demand more than just a crown.Pub Date: May 6, 2025
ISBN: 9781649378514
Page Count: 528
Publisher: Entangled: Red Tower Books
Review Posted Online: March 26, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2025
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
© Copyright 2025 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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