An enjoyable family tale with a tough and memorable hero.
This expansive and elegiac novel focuses on the life of a woman who searches for true love.
Bertelina Solis is a spirited and very beautiful girl, brave and committed enough to have taken a dangerously clandestine part in the Costa Rican revolution of 1948. Always hunting for the true love that her mother never found, Bertelina marries—after a crazy courtship—Oscar, the father of her children, who proves to be undependable and unfaithful. They divorce, and he never seems to have enough money for child support. Further adventures find her as an actor and model, but an attempted rape cheats her of a career in Mexican telenovelas. She and her children eventually move to Los Angeles, where she starts over yet again, as a hotel maid and grocery cashier. (This is where Bertelina becomes Bertha.) Somehow things come together over time, and she realizes that family is all-important. Alvarado has hit on a striking and poignant gambit. When readers first meet the older Bertha, her daughter, Maria, is reading to her from a manuscript. Bertha, who has dementia, is really engaged with it—it’s like a telenovela. What will happen to the hero? Readers will quickly realize that this manuscript is a biography of Bertha that Maria has lovingly written, something that the protagonist no longer has the capacity to recognize. What is emphasized is that Bertha is a classic survivor. She may not find that perfect love, but she is unstoppable. The writing is sometimes awkward (“When he lifted the cigarette onto his lips, the smoke became spiral as it rose”; “stalks of trees” instead of trunks of trees). But this family story is engrossing: Bertha’s kids become successful to varying degrees (middle class at last—the American dream) and can arrange care for her. This is the portrait of a life well lived, even if it is not the journey that Bertha would have planned, which is a reminder and a consolation for readers.
An enjoyable family tale with a tough and memorable hero.Pub Date: Aug. 15, 2022
ISBN: 9781088054192
Page Count: 452
Publisher: Determined2 Publishing
Review Posted Online: Dec. 6, 2022
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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
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
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