A captivating series kickoff from an author soaring to a new level of excellence.
A scoundrel in need of a wife meets his match with a lady who has a secret taste for the scandalous.
After Kieran Ransome, third son of an earl, plays a role in a scandal alongside his brother, Finn, and best friend, Dom, the three are given an ultimatum: Find upstanding wives or be financially cut off from their parents. Kieran asks Dom’s prim and proper sister, Celeste Kilburn, to help by introducing him into respectable social circles. She offers him a deal—in exchange, he must show her the less proper parts of London, like gaming hells, before she has to marry a pompous earl. Celeste grew up poor, and even though her father’s business turned them wealthy, they are still not fully accepted by society, and she feels her family’s reputation falls on her shoulders. As Celeste and Kieran's bargain gets afoot, they fall for each other, but the expectations forced on them from society and their families stand in their way. Many romances explore young women fighting against the patriarchal standards that dictate their lives. This story not only does that with aplomb, but also considers the intersection of gender and class. It’s notable for showcasing how these trappings also hurt the seemingly privileged like Kieran, who has felt the need to hide the truth of his emotional poet self because of unrealistic expectations of masculinity. The romance is never weighed down by these complex conflicts but rather is bolstered because of them. Delightful dirty talk and dazzling prose contribute to making this book a standout.
A captivating series kickoff from an author soaring to a new level of excellence.Pub Date: Feb. 22, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-06-308627-2
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Avon/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Nov. 29, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
With captivating dialogue, angst-y characters, and a couple of steamy sex scenes, Hoover has done it again.
After being released from prison, a young woman tries to reconnect with her 5-year-old daughter despite having killed the girl’s father.
Kenna didn’t even know she was pregnant until after she was sent to prison for murdering her boyfriend, Scotty. When her baby girl, Diem, was born, she was forced to give custody to Scotty’s parents. Now that she’s been released, Kenna is intent on getting to know her daughter, but Scotty’s parents won’t give her a chance to tell them what really happened the night their son died. Instead, they file a restraining order preventing Kenna from so much as introducing herself to Diem. Handsome, self-assured Ledger, who was Scotty’s best friend, is another key adult in Diem’s life. He’s helping her grandparents raise her, and he too blames Kenna for Scotty’s death. Even so, there’s something about her that haunts him. Kenna feels the pull, too, and seems to be seeking Ledger out despite his judgmental behavior. As Ledger gets to know Kenna and acknowledges his attraction to her, he begins to wonder if maybe he and Scotty’s parents have judged her unfairly. Even so, Ledger is afraid that if he surrenders to his feelings, Scotty’s parents will kick him out of Diem’s life. As Kenna and Ledger continue to mourn for Scotty, they also grieve the future they cannot have with each other. Told alternatively from Kenna’s and Ledger’s perspectives, the story explores the myriad ways in which snap judgments based on partial information can derail people’s lives. Built on a foundation of death and grief, this story has an undercurrent of sadness. As usual, however, the author has created compelling characters who are magnetic and sympathetic enough to pull readers in. In addition to grief, the novel also deftly explores complex issues such as guilt, self-doubt, redemption, and forgiveness.
With captivating dialogue, angst-y characters, and a couple of steamy sex scenes, Hoover has done it again.Pub Date: Jan. 18, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-5420-2560-7
Page Count: 335
Publisher: Montlake Romance
Review Posted Online: Oct. 12, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2021
SEEN & HEARD
BOOK TO SCREEN
BOOK TO SCREEN
A rare miss from Liese.
A friendship that began with a lie about being ex-lovers is put to the test during a vacation.
Two years ago and newly divorced from their spouses, Thea Meyer and Alex Bruscato told a lie that would change the course of their lives. When they bumped into each other on the stoop of Thea’s former home and discovered their exes were dating, they quickly concocted a story that they’d been first-loves who were serendipitously reunited. Thea and Alex assumed their white lie would be short-lived; their exes’ fling might only last a week. But it’s been two years and the foursome are still very much intertwined. Alex co-parents his 6-year-old daughter, Mia, with ex-wife Jen, who’s still dating Thea’s ex-husband, Ethan. Meanwhile, Ethan and Thea do their best to share custody of their dog, Argos. Since that fateful morning, Alex and Thea have become best friends, playing off their fake romantic history only when around their former spouses. When the two of them are invited on a two-week vacation with Jen and Ethan, with Mia and Argos in tow, they agree to tag along, but relaxing on the beach becomes the perfect catalyst as Thea and Alex realize their yearslong friendship has blurred into something more. The narrative jumps back and forth between the early days of their friendship and the countdown to their vacation: and two years is a long time to maintain a lie. Present-day Thea and Alex make a much more compelling duo, with plenty of banter and yearning as they begin to realize and confront their feelings; jumping back to their past selves is always a disappointment. Ethan and Jen are an unlikable supporting cast whose poor first impressions are never fully salvaged. Expect some soreness from all the aggravated jaw-clenching any time they’re on the page.
A rare miss from Liese.Pub Date: April 14, 2026
ISBN: 9781668205471
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Gallery Books/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Feb. 2, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2026
BOOK REVIEW
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