Delightful heroine, masterful hero, and an ingenious plot: intelligent, sexy fun.
Lovely lady sets out to cure her new husband’s migraines—which improves their sex life to no end—in another winner from Regency-romancer James (Midnight Pleasure, 2000, etc.).
A serious riding accident six years ago left Quill Dewland with a limp and excruciating three-day migraines triggered by any rocking motion. Horseback riding is out of the question, and as for sexual congress—well, it’s clear to the apoplectic Viscount Dewland that his eldest son may well be unable to provide an heir to the family fortune, even though Quill’s shrewd investments in the East India Company have multiplied said fortune many times over. Younger son Peter will have to marry instead, and the conniving viscount has arranged for a suitable young heiress to be delivered to London all the way from India for just that purpose. Peter, however, is a powdered, pomaded, social-climbing fop; one swift look at Lord Jerningham’s charmingly disheveled daughter, Gabrielle, makes him wince. Other men may admire her provincial impertinence, glorious bosom, and tawny, tumbling curls, but not Peter. Passionate Gabrielle is momentarily piqued—until she falls into Quill’s arms. Darkly handsome, powerfully built, and utterly unlike his finicky brother, he’s the man of her virgin dreams and quickly woos and wins her. But the terrible headaches that afflict him after lovemaking trouble her conscience. She searches for a cure, but Quill has other things on his mind, like the political machinations of unscrupulous Englishmen seeking to put a puppet ruler on an Indian throne to increase their own influence and profits. It’s whispered that Gabrielle smuggled an Indian princeling into England, a feeble-minded boy some want dead, although she’s determined to protect him. Quill gets to the bottom of that mystery, while Gabrielle consults a Brahman priest, whose secret herbal remedies will either cure her husband . . . or kill him.
Delightful heroine, masterful hero, and an ingenious plot: intelligent, sexy fun.Pub Date: June 12, 2001
ISBN: 0-385-33362-5
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Delacorte
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2001
Anyone who believes in true love or is simply willing to accept it as the premise of a winding tale will find this debut an...
True love flares between two people, but they find that circumstances always impede it.
On a winter day in London, Laurie spots Jack from her bus home and he sparks a feeling in her so deep that she spends the next year searching for him. Her roommate and best friend, Sarah, is the perfect wing-woman but ultimately—and unknowingly—ends the search by finding Jack and falling for him herself. Laurie’s hasty decision not to tell Sarah is the second painful missed opportunity (after not getting off the bus), but Sarah’s happiness is so important to Laurie that she dedicates ample energy into retraining her heart not to love Jack. Laurie is misguided, but her effort and loyalty spring from a true heart, and she considers her project mostly successful. Perhaps she would have total success, but the fact of the matter is that Jack feels the same deep connection to Laurie. His reasons for not acting on them are less admirable: He likes Sarah and she’s the total package; why would he give that up just because every time he and Laurie have enough time together (and just enough alcohol) they nearly fall into each other’s arms? Laurie finally begins to move on, creating a mostly satisfying life for herself, whereas Jack’s inability to be genuine tortures him and turns him into an ever bigger jerk. Patriarchy—it hurts men, too! There’s no question where the book is going, but the pacing is just right, the tone warm, and the characters sympathetic, even when making dumb decisions.
Anyone who believes in true love or is simply willing to accept it as the premise of a winding tale will find this debut an emotional, satisfying read.Pub Date: Oct. 16, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-525-57468-2
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Crown
Review Posted Online: July 30, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK TO SCREEN
Packed with riveting drama and painful truths, this book powerfully illustrates the devastation of abuse—and the strength of...
Hoover’s (November 9, 2015, etc.) latest tackles the difficult subject of domestic violence with romantic tenderness and emotional heft.
At first glance, the couple is edgy but cute: Lily Bloom runs a flower shop for people who hate flowers; Ryle Kincaid is a surgeon who says he never wants to get married or have kids. They meet on a rooftop in Boston on the night Ryle loses a patient and Lily attends her abusive father’s funeral. The provocative opening takes a dark turn when Lily receives a warning about Ryle’s intentions from his sister, who becomes Lily’s employee and close friend. Lily swears she’ll never end up in another abusive home, but when Ryle starts to show all the same warning signs that her mother ignored, Lily learns just how hard it is to say goodbye. When Ryle is not in the throes of a jealous rage, his redeeming qualities return, and Lily can justify his behavior: “I think we needed what happened on the stairwell to happen so that I would know his past and we’d be able to work on it together,” she tells herself. Lily marries Ryle hoping the good will outweigh the bad, and the mother-daughter dynamics evolve beautifully as Lily reflects on her childhood with fresh eyes. Diary entries fancifully addressed to TV host Ellen DeGeneres serve as flashbacks to Lily’s teenage years, when she met her first love, Atlas Corrigan, a homeless boy she found squatting in a neighbor’s house. When Atlas turns up in Boston, now a successful chef, he begs Lily to leave Ryle. Despite the better option right in front of her, an unexpected complication forces Lily to cut ties with Atlas, confront Ryle, and try to end the cycle of abuse before it’s too late. The relationships are portrayed with compassion and honesty, and the author’s note at the end that explains Hoover’s personal connection to the subject matter is a must-read.
Packed with riveting drama and painful truths, this book powerfully illustrates the devastation of abuse—and the strength of the survivors.Pub Date: Aug. 2, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-5011-1036-8
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Atria
Review Posted Online: May 30, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2016
SEEN & HEARD
SEEN & HEARD
© Copyright 2025 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
