An uncomfortable start is saved by the secondary characters and setting.
A romance reader's once-in-a-lifetime trip to meet her favorite audiobook narrator goes awry when he never shows up, leaving her stuck with a snarky tour guide instead.
Georgia “Gigi” Rutherford owns a romance bookshop and is dogged in her pursuit of love. Sadly, she thinks she's reached the limit of her tolerance for dating apps, instead fantasizing about audiobook narrator Zane Wilkenson. She takes it as a sign that he narrates the book that, years ago, caused her own parents to fall in love. Through internet sleuthing, Gigi discovers that Zane works for his parents' tour-guide business in London. For her 30th birthday, her dearest friends buy her a ticket to England for a 10-day bus tour hosted by none other than Zane. Gigi embarks on a whirlwind vacation, nearly missing the tour bus, but her bubble is burst when Zane is a no-show. In a pinch, Angus, one of the company's oldest employees, and Taj, a surly and snappy man with a love of mystery novels, step in to kick off the trip, with a promise that Zane will catch up with them later. It's hard to enjoy Gigi as a main character considering her parasocial relationship with Zane. Her desire for a man she's never met, has only listened to via audiobooks, and has only seen through social media photos comes across as concerning. Thankfully, she snaps out of it, though some readers may not have the patience to wait that long. Once Gigi's attention turns to Taj, though, there's a delightfully meta quality to their relationship, as Gigi is a dedicated romance reader who references familiar tropes and author names while Taj has his own bookish indulgences. The detailed descriptions of the English countryside, combined with a motley crew of Gigi's fellow tour-goers, add coziness and charm.
An uncomfortable start is saved by the secondary characters and setting.Pub Date: March 28, 2023
ISBN: 9781496735379
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Kensington
Review Posted Online: Jan. 24, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
A fun and effervescent, if uneven, debut.
In this debut queer romance, a musician must convince an old high school friend, now an actual movie star, to perform at his father's retirement concert.
Quito Cruz and Emmett Aoki seemed like opposites in high school. Emmett was a popular athlete, already modeling underwear for Macy's ads. Quito was the son of Sunvalley High School's choir teacher, and while he was gifted with music, his sexuality made him a target for bullies. When Emmett joined the choir after dropping out of woodshop, both Quito and his father saw a diamond in the rough. With a less-than-subtle nudge, Mr. Cruz convinced Quito to tutor Emmett in singing, leading to a tentative friendship and a secret relationship between the boys. Now, as adults, they haven't spoken in decades. Quito plays at a Manhattan piano bar and dreams of producing his own Broadway show. Emmett is a famous action star, starring in a spy thriller on Apple TV. When Quito's father decides to retire, he tells Quito he's announced plans to host a retirement fundraising concert and has already promised attendees that Emmett will be performing. It's clear to Quito that his father has vastly overstated the two men's current relationship, but, unwilling to disappoint his dad, he decides to try to reunite with Emmett. With Quito narrating, the book is split between “Then” and “Now” chapters, juxtaposing awkward and sometimes painful high school moments with Quito’s current life, in which he's very much stuck both professionally and romantically. He also has trouble saying no to people, which frequently leads him to overpromise things at the expense of his own emotional well-being. While the romance between Quito and Emmett is sizzling and sweet, it takes a back seat to Quito’s journey of self-fulfillment, and there’s a disjointedness to the book as Lim piles on the romance tropes without pause. The romance and Quito’s own personal journey are both compelling, but they could have used more breathing room. There’s a lot of promise in Lim’s debut, though, with its dual-timeline storytelling, charming cast, and love of show tunes.
A fun and effervescent, if uneven, debut.Pub Date: June 6, 2023
ISBN: 9781538725382
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Forever
Review Posted Online: March 28, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
Another heartwarming seasonal Macomber tale, which fans will find as bright and cozy as a blazing fire on Christmas Eve.
Friendly Julia Padden can’t stand her grumpy neighbor, Cain Maddox, but when her best friend goads her to kill him with kindness for the Christmas season, both their lives begin to change for the better—until he discovers she’s chronicling the experiment on a blog.
Julia’s life isn’t perfect, but she has a job at Macy’s that pays her bills while she’s looking for a marketing position. She also volunteers at her church and at the Boys and Girls Club, which helps her stay in the holiday mood even when she can’t get back to visit her family because of her hectic retail schedule. She tries hard to keep a positive attitude, so perhaps that’s why her neighbor across the hall in her apartment building is so vexing. He seems to go out of his way to be unpleasant. But when she’s complaining about the man, her best friend challenges her to be even kinder, in the true spirit of the season—and encourages her to use the experience as blog fodder, since Julia is in the running for a corporate social media position and her success depends on her ability to create a successful audience. So she begins, 12 days before Christmas, but as the days pass, she discovers that her kind acts have softened not only Cain’s demeanor, but her heart as well—and created a huge blog following. The two become friends, and Julia learns how painful Cain’s life has been and exactly why he keeps himself at arm’s length. Just when it looks like they’ll be hanging stockings together, Cain discovers Julia’s blog—which pushes every abandonment and trust button he has. Time is running out, but Julia knows that a job and a blog are nothing compared to the forever happiness just beyond their grasp, and making it right will be the best Christmas gift ever, if she can just figure out how.
Another heartwarming seasonal Macomber tale, which fans will find as bright and cozy as a blazing fire on Christmas Eve.Pub Date: Oct. 4, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-553-39173-2
Page Count: 266
Publisher: Ballantine
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2016
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