Pleasant for romance fans.
A 17-year-old widow struggles to find happiness in Elizabeth I’s court in 1584.
This second installment of The Lacey Chronicles (The Other Countess, 2011) stands on its own nicely. Lady Jane has survived a good marriage to a kindly elderly man, although her stepsons now intend to steal her dowry and even her wedding ring, through violence if necessary. Meanwhile, Jane secretly loves James Lacey, brother of the earl she was supposed to marry in the series’ first installment. Now a lady-in-waiting to the Queen, Jane spends time with her old friend Milly, who runs a successful business as a seamstress. When her father tries to force her into another unwanted marriage, Jane looks to James for salvation, but he has embarked on Sir Walter Raleigh’s first expedition to America. Can Jane save herself? Can Milly marry Diego, James’ black servant, whom she has loved since childhood? Yes, it’s all quite a soap opera. Edwards manages the historical setting fairly well, having clearly done her homework on the period. While the romance and characterizations remain standard stuff, the history might appeal to some readers. Spiced up with a few sword fights and dastardly attacks on innocent damsels, this fits the bill for historical romance.
Pleasant for romance fans. (Historical romance. 12 & up)Pub Date: April 10, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-385-74091-3
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Delacorte
Review Posted Online: Feb. 4, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2012
BOOK REVIEW
Exactly what the title promises.
A grieving teen’s devotion to romance films might ruin her chances at actual romance.
Liz Buxbaum has always adored rom-coms, not least for helping her still feel close to her screenwriter mother, who died when she was little. Liz hopes that her senior year might turn into a real-life romantic fantasy, as an old crush has moved back to town, cuter and nicer than ever. Surely she can get Michael to ask her to prom. If only Wes, the annoying boy next door, would help her with her scheming! This charming, fluffy concoction manages to pack into one goofy plot every conceivable trope, from fake dating to the makeover to the big misunderstanding. Creative, quirky, daydreaming Liz is just shy of an annoying stereotype, saved by a dry wit and unresolved grief and anger. Wes makes for a delightful bad boy with a good heart, and supporting characters—including a sassy best friend, a perfect popular rival, even a (not really) evil stepmother—all get the opportunity to transcend their roles. The only villain here is Liz’s lovelorn imagination, provoking her into foolish lies that cause actual hurt feelings; but she is sufficiently self-aware to make amends just in time for the most important trope of all: a blissfully happy ending. All characters seem to be White by default.
Exactly what the title promises. (Romance. 12-18)Pub Date: May 4, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-5344-6762-0
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Feb. 22, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2021
BOOK TO SCREEN
There’s not much plot here, but readers will relish the opportunity to climb inside Autumn’s head.
The finely drawn characters capture readers’ attention in this debut.
Autumn and Phineas, nicknamed Finny, were born a week apart; their mothers are still best friends. Growing up, Autumn and Finny were like peas in a pod despite their differences: Autumn is “quirky and odd,” while Finny is “sweet and shy and everyone like[s] him.” But in eighth grade, Autumn and Finny stop being friends due to an unexpected kiss. They drift apart and find new friends, but their friendship keeps asserting itself at parties, shared holiday gatherings and random encounters. In the summer after graduation, Autumn and Finny reconnect and are finally ready to be more than friends. But on August 8, everything changes, and Autumn has to rely on all her strength to move on. Autumn’s coming-of-age is sensitively chronicled, with a wide range of experiences and events shaping her character. Even secondary characters are well-rounded, with their own histories and motivations.
There’s not much plot here, but readers will relish the opportunity to climb inside Autumn’s head. (Fiction. 14 & up)Pub Date: April 1, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-4022-7782-5
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Review Posted Online: Feb. 12, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2013
BOOK REVIEW
SEEN & HEARD
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