A funny and well-executed enemies-to-lovers tale.
A famous Boston matchmaker finds herself in need of a boyfriend as soon as possible in Baird’s second Blue Hill Brides series romance, following The Duplicate Bride (2020).
Famed celebrity matchmaker Meredith Galanes is poised on the brink of even greater success. She has a local TV show called Matched Up at a network affiliate, but she’s about to appear on an interview on Talk Time, a bigger show, and she’s very aware that there are network executives in the audience who have the power to give her a valuable syndication deal. There’s only one problem, according to rumors flying at the network: “Good luck convincing the network that a single matchmaker has any business telling other people how to run their love lives.” Indeed, Meredith is single, and her personal love life has been a mess for a long time. But with her future on the line, she makes up a story that she does, in fact, have a significant other: an attractive boatbuilder in small-town Blue Hill, Maine. Soon, celebrity-news media are encamped on the doorstep of Blue Hill boatbuilder Derrick Albright, who’s only met Meredith once—and wasn’t all that impressed. Baird thereby launches a winningly hectic romantic comedy of errors, with Meredith offering to reunite Derrick with his ex-wife, Olivia, if he’ll pretend to be her boyfriend just long enough for the syndication deal to go through. The author brings in a large cast of supporting characters (including other members of Derrick’s family), but the main event in these pages is the delightful slow attraction between the two main characters. The general outline of the plot is predictable, but genre fans won’t mind; the relationship between the two main characters is the main draw here. Baird’s dialogue is also sharp throughout: “I think she lives in Acadia,” Meredith tells Derrick about her search for Olivia. “The National Park?” he responds. “Doubtful,” she says. “I don’t think she could get a manicure or find a hair stylist there.”
A funny and well-executed enemies-to-lovers tale.Pub Date: July 27, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-64-937026-6
Page Count: 350
Publisher: Entangled: Amara
Review Posted Online: July 15, 2021
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A wistfully nostalgic look at endings, beginnings, and loving the people who will always have your back.
Exes pretend they’re still together for the sake of their friends on their annual summer vacation.
Wyn Connor and Harriet Kilpatrick were the perfect couple—until Wyn dumped Harriet for reasons she still doesn’t fully understand. They’ve been part of the same boisterous friend group since college, and they know that their breakup will devastate the others and make things more than a little awkward. So they keep it a secret from their friends and families—in fact, Harriet barely even admits it to herself, focusing instead on her grueling hours as a surgical resident. She’s ready for a vacation at her happy place—the Maine cottage she and her friends visit every summer. But (surprise!) Wyn is there too, and he and Harriet have to share a (very romantic) room and a bed. Telling the truth about their breakup is out of the question, because the cottage is up for sale, and this is the group’s last hurrah. Determined to make sure everyone has the perfect last trip, Harriet and Wyn resolve to fake their relationship for the week. The problem with this plan, of course, is that Harriet still has major feelings for Wyn—feelings that only get stronger as they pretend to be blissfully in love. As always, Henry’s dialogue is sparkling and the banter between characters is snappy and hilarious. Wyn and Harriet’s relationship, shown both in the past and the present, feels achingly real. Their breakup, as well as their complicated relationships with their own families, adds a twinge of melancholy, as do the relatable growing pains of a group of friends whose lives are taking them in different directions.
A wistfully nostalgic look at endings, beginnings, and loving the people who will always have your back.Pub Date: April 25, 2023
ISBN: 9780593441275
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Berkley
Review Posted Online: Feb. 23, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2023
Through palpable tension balanced with glimmers of hope, Hoover beautifully captures the heartbreak and joy of starting over.
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 26, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2022
SEEN & HEARD
SEEN & HEARD
© Copyright 2023 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
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.
