A convincing tale about the evolution of a friendship and a romance.
Two old college friends get more than they bargained for when they revive a youthful marriage pact in this debut novel about millennial self-discovery.
As Hannah Abbott celebrates her 30th birthday in the office of Deafening Silence New York, the indie music magazine where she works, she is overwhelmed by complex emotions. Social media posts spark nostalgia with pictures of her with college friends Kate Novack and Will Thorne, “three musketeers” navigating the challenges of young adulthood. The mysterious delivery of white carnations stirs her curiosity, as she’s pretty sure her boyfriend, Brian, would have no clue they are her favorite. Overlying everything is a vague but constant sense of dissatisfaction that interferes with her sense of accomplishment. She loves her job, but it offers no medical benefits to help her deal with a worrying knee injury. Her relationship with Brian feels distant and unfulfilling, though she can’t put her finger on exactly why. Into this emotional turmoil comes Will, returning to Hannah’s life to make good on a pact the two best friends made in college to marry each other if neither had found a mate by the age of 30. Will’s life is also in free fall, triggered by the discovery that his girlfriend, Madison, was cheating on him with his older brother, Jon. Diving into a rabbit hole of depression and alcohol has not improved Will’s position at the family firm, run with an iron hand by his father, Jonathan. Marriage to each other could provide both Hannah and Will with the stability they need, but will it strengthen or destroy their friendship? Writing within a sometimes-formulaic genre, Dembowski has created genuinely appealing characters in Hannah and Will, and she succeeds in making their unusual relationship journey absorbing and satisfying. She has a sure hand with millennial vernacular, including texting and the ever present social media, as in Hannah’s sister’s succinct text response to the protagonist’s announcement of her sudden marriage: “Ruh-roh—preggo?” If some of the obstacles to romance seem a bit forced (Hannah’s obliviousness to Will’s discomfort around Madison and Jon is hard to believe), the novel’s grounding in its era never is.
A convincing tale about the evolution of a friendship and a romance.Pub Date: April 21, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-94-805168-2
Page Count: 322
Publisher: Red Adept Publishing
Review Posted Online: June 4, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2021
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A charming love story that absolutely radiates warmth.
A single mom winds up fake dating an incredibly wealthy man in her hometown.
Dolly Brick is back in her hometown of Whitfield, Rhode Island, for the summer to help her dad and disabled brother manage their house and family business. As a 39-year-old single mother with multiple jobs—which now include working at the Brick Fish House—Dolly is always busy. When her mom left their family years ago, Dolly took over caring for her siblings and father and never really stopped. When she runs into Stewart Whitfield after making a shrimp delivery to his family’s mansion, she doesn’t think they could be more different. She’s had to figure out how to do everything by herself, and he can’t even change a tire. That’s why Stewart’s proposal that she pretend to be his girlfriend feels so unbelievable—but it comes with a hefty check that she desperately needs for home repairs. So she becomes the fake girlfriend of Stewart Whitfield (as in, the Whitfields her town is named after; his real fiancée just dumped him and it’s a bad time for him to be single) and experiences what it’s like to walk into fancy buildings through the front door instead of the service entrance. More than the boats and helicopter and expensive dinners, though, Dolly is impressed by what a kind man Stewart is—and how it feels to let someone else take care of her for a change. Soon, their relationship starts to feel more real than fake. Monaghan creates an impossibly winning story with a charming, lovable heroine. Dolly is capable, hardworking, and will do anything for the people she loves. She and Stewart both possess real flaws, and while their relationship begins with one of the most beloved rom-com tropes, their challenges feel like realistic adult obstacles rather than easily solved miscommunications. It’s also refreshing that, even though Dolly must learn to allow other people to help her, she never views her caretaking responsibilities as burdens. She deeply loves her family, and that love carries through the entire story.
A charming love story that absolutely radiates warmth.Pub Date: May 26, 2026
ISBN: 9780593853979
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Putnam
Review Posted Online: Jan. 19, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2026
SEEN & HEARD
A deliciously dramatic look at how one woman’s past influences her future.
A happily engaged woman is pulled back to her hometown—and her first love—when tragedy strikes.
Billie Wright is living her dream, running a thriving fertility clinic in New York City and engaged to a wonderful trauma surgeon named Dean. Her happily-ever-after meant giving up her life in Wisconsin, where she left behind many friends as well as her high school sweetheart, Mick. Although they’d been deeply in love, when Billie’s ambition pulled her away from home and toward the city, Mick couldn’t handle either the distance or her busy schedule. Billie has finally moved on from that heartbreak—but then she receives a phone call from Mick, the first communication between them in years. Her best friend, Erin, died in a car accident, leaving behind an 11-year-old daughter, Phoebe. Now Billie must return home to help sort Erin’s affairs and provide some kind of comfort to Phoebe while grieving the loss of her best friend. Of course, being back home also means being in close contact with Mick. Their feelings for each other may not have ever gone away, and their proximity leads to big decisions for Billie. Can she ever reconcile her current life in Manhattan with her past in Wisconsin? And which one will be her future? Giffin knows how to do drama, and she ratchets up the stakes with every page as she continues to reveal new obstacles for Billie. The ending wraps up quite neatly, but the nostalgia-filled ride is full of twists and turns that will keep readers flipping the pages.
A deliciously dramatic look at how one woman’s past influences her future.Pub Date: July 7, 2026
ISBN: 9780593600320
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Ballantine
Review Posted Online: April 6, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2026
SEEN & HEARD
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