by Denise Williams ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 14, 2023
A cute collection without much staying power.
A trio of couples kick-start their happily-ever-afters in this collection of three contemporary romance novellas set in an airport.
The Love Connection begins the trilogy with Olivia, who runs a pet grooming salon in an airport, and Bennett, a risk assessor–turned–romance novelist. Their meet-cute begins with a soapy and sudsy runaway pup named Pepper. Ollie seems to be the cure for Bennett's pesky case of writer's block, and the pair indulge in a series of sweet dates around the airport. In The Missed Connection, a weather emergency leaves Gia's and Felix's planes delayed on New Year's Eve. That doesn't mean they can't share in the spirit of a kiss at midnight. Four months later, they unexpectedly reunite. They're both still thinking about the kiss they shared, but the moment is sullied by the revelation that they're actually academic rivals who have been trading barbs about their work online. Now they're stuck together for a five-city work trip, trying to balance their professional ambitions with their obvious attraction. Lastly, The Sweetest Connection features airport candy shop worker Teagan. When she finds an abandoned love letter in the airport, she ropes her best friend, Silas, into helping her find its owner. But as the two embark on their quest, they'll have to contend with their own hidden feelings for one another. With a range of rom-com tropes in this collection, there's something for everyone to enjoy. The endings of all three give readers hope that the main couples are happy for now, but these short and sweet stories still leave us with a question of what's next for these characters.
A cute collection without much staying power.Pub Date: March 14, 2023
ISBN: 9780593441077
Page Count: 432
Publisher: Berkley
Review Posted Online: Jan. 11, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2023
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by Colleen Hoover ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 18, 2022
Through palpable tension balanced with glimmers of hope, Hoover beautifully captures the heartbreak and joy of starting over.
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New York Times Bestseller
The sequel to It Ends With Us (2016) shows the aftermath of domestic violence through the eyes of a single mother.
Lily Bloom is still running a flower shop; her abusive ex-husband, Ryle Kincaid, is still a surgeon. But now they’re co-parenting a daughter, Emerson, who's almost a year old. Lily won’t send Emerson to her father’s house overnight until she’s old enough to talk—“So she can tell me if something happens”—but she doesn’t want to fight for full custody lest it become an expensive legal drama or, worse, a physical fight. When Lily runs into Atlas Corrigan, a childhood friend who also came from an abusive family, she hopes their friendship can blossom into love. (For new readers, their history unfolds in heartfelt diary entries that Lily addresses to Finding Nemo star Ellen DeGeneres as she considers how Atlas was a calming presence during her turbulent childhood.) Atlas, who is single and running a restaurant, feels the same way. But even though she’s divorced, Lily isn’t exactly free. Behind Ryle’s veneer of civility are his jealousy and resentment. Lily has to plan her dates carefully to avoid a confrontation. Meanwhile, Atlas’ mother returns with shocking news. In between, Lily and Atlas steal away for romantic moments that are even sweeter for their authenticity as Lily struggles with child care, breastfeeding, and running a business while trying to find time for herself.
Through palpable tension balanced with glimmers of hope, Hoover beautifully captures the heartbreak and joy of starting over.Pub Date: Oct. 18, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-668-00122-6
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Atria
Review Posted Online: July 26, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2022
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SEEN & HEARD
SEEN & HEARD
by Lynn Painter ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 12, 2024
Not worth the RSVP.
Two people who scorn love fall for each other while teaming up to help others escape doomed relationships.
When Sophie Steinbeck finds out that her fiance, Stuart, is cheating on her before their wedding, she knows calling it off is the right thing to do. But her dad is employed by Stuart’s father, and Sophie is convinced the boss is just cruel enough to fire her dad out of spite. The solution comes in the form of Max Parks, a wedding objector for hire—he shows up at the chapel and publicly accuses Stuart of infidelity. A drunken celebration following Sophie’s non-wedding leads to a connection between her and Max, and when they decide to team up to help other wronged brides and grooms, sparks begin to fly between them. But with Sophie having just gone through a disastrous engagement, and Max still reeling from a heart-shattering breakup, neither one wants a relationship…right? Painter builds a foundation for entertaining rom-com antics, but none of the pieces hold together. Much of the dialogue, especially the banter between Max and Sophie, is more cringey than humorous. The wedding objector plot—by far the most striking aspect of the novel—moves to the background as the book shifts to a flimsy fake-dating scenario, and since neither Max nor Sophie really needs the money, there’s little urgency to their finding new ceremonies to foil. In fact, there’s little tension at all. Even when Max’s ex-girlfriend reappears toward the end of the novel, it does little to add conflict. Readers who enjoy their rom-coms with a lot of spice won’t be disappointed, but it’s not enough to support an otherwise weak entry in the genre.
Not worth the RSVP.Pub Date: March 12, 2024
ISBN: 9780593638019
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Berkley
Review Posted Online: Dec. 16, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2024
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