An excellent Victorian romance that uses love to illuminate the darkest places.
A merchant’s son melts the heart of London’s Ice Queen.
After Lady Phoebe Hunt was exiled to America for her participation in a revolutionary plot, she thought nothing would bring her back to London, and she was happy to live in relative anonymity as a private detective overseas. After her abusive father dies, however, she’s forced to return to sell as much of their estate as necessary to support her mother and sister. The hasty auctions bring her back into contact with Sam Fenley, a merchant’s son whose clever investments have allowed him to build a mercantile and real estate empire, despite being routinely snubbed by the ton. And though Sam is struck by Phoebe’s beauty and intelligence, he knew her first as a “villainess of majestic proportions,” and her sangfroid defines their interactions to start. Years of abuse and cruelty have made her prone to bouts of rage and lashing out, even at those she cares for. His steadfast kindness starts to thaw her somewhat, but even as they begin to flirt and their private moments become steamier, any moments of connection are immediately followed by ice. The past still haunts Phoebe, and even Sam’s patience and growing devotion may not be able to help her imagine a different future. Against a restless backdrop of England in 1845, roiled by debates over the Corn Laws and suffrage, Everett has once again created a complex heroine many readers will identify with. This is the second volume of Everett’s Damsels of Discovery series, itself a spinoff of the Secret Scientists of London series, and fans will be delighted to see cameos from many beloved characters at Athena’s Retreat, but the book can be read on its own as well. The story handles Phoebe’s history of self-harm with compassion and is direct and honest about the impact that years of family trauma have had on her mental health and her relationships. Though even some intimate scenes are overshadowed by Phoebe’s internal struggles, Everett balances the darker elements of the story with the happy ending expected by romance readers, and though the pacing falters somewhat at the end, readers will be quite satisfied by the final page.
An excellent Victorian romance that uses love to illuminate the darkest places.Pub Date: March 25, 2025
ISBN: 9780593550489
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Berkley
Review Posted Online: Jan. 18, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2025
A romance that could have used significant rethinking.
Childhood friends, almost-sweethearts, a misunderstanding, and a funeral.
Blair Lang and Declan Renshaw were best friends who went on one date before a disagreement and an accident sent them in different directions after high school. Now Blair is back from college to be with her great-aunt Lottie, who’s dying, and to support her single mother in small-town Seabrook, California. Finding a job at a coffee shop puts her in the path of her former boyfriend, since he turns out to be its owner. Can the two get past their mistakes? The novel uses the popular second-chance romance trope, but Pham fails to energize it through interesting characters. Blair’s grief over her great-aunt’s death and her plan to help her mother are overshadowed by internal monologues about her feelings, the way her friends aren’t paying attention to her, and the novel she plans to write. Declan’s distinguishing characteristic, besides being a former high school quarterback, is his skill at building birdhouses. Unsurprisingly, the couple doesn’t have much chemistry; when they embrace, their “bodies meld like…memory foam.” The wooden characters, unusual word choices (“conglomerate of pedestrians,” “litany of plants”), and odd turns of phrase (“tension melting from his eyebrows like butter melting in a warm pan”) are almost enough to obscure the lack of plot development. What passes for stakes is easily defused when Blair comes into an inheritance that saves her from working as a consultant at Ernst & Young in New York—so she can write a romance novel.
A romance that could have used significant rethinking.Pub Date: March 3, 2026
ISBN: 9781668095188
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Atria
Review Posted Online: Feb. 16, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2026
A deep and moving portrayal of first love.
Two college students rekindle their relationship as they unravel the truth behind their breakup.
On the outside, college senior Bennett Reiner has it all. A goalie for Waterfell University’s hockey team, he lives with a group of friends in a luxurious off-campus house. He and his best friend, Rhys Koteskiy, have fathers who are retired hockey legends. But on the inside, he’s falling apart. Struggling with OCD, a shaky friendship with Rhys, and second thoughts about pursuing a future in hockey, the only thing keeping Bennett afloat is also the one thing breaking his heart: Paloma Blake. All dyed-hair and attitude, Paloma has built a bad reputation on the hockey scene since their relationship ended freshman year—but Bennett knows the real P. Underneath her promiscuous facade lies a scared and lonely girl running from a childhood of abuse. When they were together, it seemed like their romance was perfect, until Paloma broke it off without warning. Since then, Bennett has run to Paloma’s side whenever she needed him, whether she was drunk, lonely, or hurting, and now he’s determined to win her back. For Bennett, Paloma is his antidote, the cure for his compulsions; for Paloma, Bennett is her protector, her safe space. And though Paloma yearns to be with Bennett again, she’s not sure she’s willing to open old wounds and reveal the truth about her painful past. In the third installment of the Undone series, Corinne spotlights familiar characters as they navigate trauma, heartbreak, and first love. Bennett and Paloma’s relationship is raw and vulnerable, and their journey of relinquishing control is both necessary and inevitable. Their romance evolves as they open up to one another, and in return, the reader is rewarded with a love story that’s as lyrical, evocative, and emotional as poetry.
A deep and moving portrayal of first love.Pub Date: April 7, 2026
ISBN: 9781668219423
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Atria
Review Posted Online: Dec. 26, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2026
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