In this romance sequel, a young woman must find a fiance by a deadline or else fall prey to a modern-day arranged marriage.
Misty Delaney and her two sisters love living in Majestic, Maine, where they work at Bearberry Brews, the coffee shop their parents opened years earlier. Unfortunately, money has recently been tight for their parents and the shop. When their mother receives an offer to merge with another company, which will save the Delaneys from financial ruin, the young women are elated until they discover that the deal requires one of them—any one of them—to marry Aidan Strong, the son of their parents’ competitor. The siblings decide that if any sister should land a fiance within 30 days, she will be exempt from the arrangement. After one of them does just that, the race is on between Misty and her sister Charlotte to lock in true love before their window of opportunity slams shut. Meanwhile, Lucas Reyes, an employee at Bearberry Brews, has secretly adored Misty for years. When he discovers the sisters’ competition, he realizes he must do everything in his power to enchant Misty before he loses his chance with her forever. Told in a third-person narration primarily from Misty’s perspective, the story periodically shifts to Lucas’ point of view, offering helpful insights into his motivations. As they spend more time together, Misty’s feelings for Lucas become complicated and misunderstandings arise, some of which feel trite and others refreshingly original. In addition, the dialogue begins to grow delightfully flirtatious. At times, Baird’s plot does stretch the bounds of believability. For example, when Charlotte pays for a billboard advertising that Misty is available for a marriage proposal, the small-town coffee shop is immediately mobbed with potential suitors (“Suddenly their hometown girl was a Highway One celebrity”). Although scenes in the middle of the book drag as Lucas and Misty repeatedly spend too long chatting about minutiae that does not advance the narrative, the tale’s upbeat tone and likable characters are sure to please readers seeking a wholesome romance. With questions left unanswered at the book’s end, it seems likely there will be another installment in this series.
A fun friends-to-lovers story about small-town relationships and family obligations.Pub Date: Oct. 25, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-64937-369-4
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Entangled: Amara
Review Posted Online: Sept. 15, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2022
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Categories: ROMANCE | CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE | CLEAN ROMANCE | GENERAL ROMANCE
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Through palpable tension balanced with glimmers of hope, Hoover beautifully captures the heartbreak and joy of starting over.
43
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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 27, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2022
Categories: ROMANCE | CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE | GENERAL ROMANCE | GENERAL FICTION
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SEEN & HEARD
SEEN & HEARD
With captivating dialogue, angst-y characters, and a couple of steamy sex scenes, Hoover has done it again.
57
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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. 13, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2021
Categories: ROMANCE | FAMILY LIFE & FRIENDSHIP | CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE | GENERAL ROMANCE | GENERAL FICTION
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SEEN & HEARD
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