by Hilary Fields ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 25, 2015
An engrossing story with a unique cast of characters—both human and animal—written in a unique and confident voice.
A former Olympian finds herself working on a llama ranch in Fields’ (Bliss, 2013) charming new novel.
Merry Manning’s dreams of winning gold for the U.S. Olympic ski team are dashed when she's injured in a horrific accident on the slopes. Broke and struggling to deal with her life post-injury, she scores a job writing a travel column for the online magazine Pulse. When her pieces aren’t garnering enough page views, her boss proposes a new idea for her column: “Don’t Do What I Did.” The plan is to show a different side of travel, and her first assignment has Merry working as a ranch hand for the Last Chance Llama Ranch located in Aguas Milagros, New Mexico. At the ranch, Merry meets owner Dorothy “Dolly” Cassidy, a down-to-earth caretaker to a veritable herd of llamas, alpacas, goats, and other animals. Then there is Dolly’s nephew, Sam Cassidy, who instantly judges Merry as a wealthy snob looking to exploit the locals and terrify the animals. Life on the ranch is tough for Merry, and her prior injuries make the actual ranch work almost impossible, but she refuses to let on how difficult it is for her even to walk when she's being asked to trek up a mountain or carry a heavy load. Truth is, though Merry can barely make ends meet, she has another choice—meet with her parents and settle the inheritance from her grandmother that would have set her up for the rest of her life. But to Merry, that is not an option: at 6-foot-3-inches and clumsy, she has always felt like an outsider in her parents’ world of high society and is intent on making her own way, even after all that she has lost. The novel is interspersed with posts from Merry’s online column—in which grumpy and aloof Sam is cast as the romantic hero and the quirky locals of Aguas Milagros steal the show.
An engrossing story with a unique cast of characters—both human and animal—written in a unique and confident voice.Pub Date: Aug. 25, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-316-27742-6
Page Count: 350
Publisher: Redhook/Orbit
Review Posted Online: May 3, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2015
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by Colleen Hoover ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 2, 2016
Packed with riveting drama and painful truths, this book powerfully illustrates the devastation of abuse—and the strength of...
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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
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SEEN & HEARD
SEEN & HEARD
by Robinne Lee ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 13, 2017
A fascinating, thought-provoking, genre-bending romantic read.
When Solène Marchand takes her 12-year-old daughter to a concert by the hottest boy band on the planet, she doesn't expect to fall in love with one of the singers.
Middle-aged art gallery owner Solène hasn’t dated since her divorce, but when her ex-husband buys their daughter and a group of her friends tickets to Vegas and a backstage concert experience, then backs out at the last minute, she steps in as escort. The five guys in the wildly popular English boy band August Moon appeal to women of all ages, but Hayes, the brains behind the group’s success, flirts with Solène at the concert meet and greet, invites them to a party after the show, then pursues her once she gets back to Los Angeles. He’s only 20 and he’s incredibly famous; his attention is flattering and heady. The two fall into an affair that’s supposed to be light and easy, but before long they can’t ignore their intense emotional attachment. Solène is hesitant to tell her daughter, but when she procrastinates, Isabelle learns about it through an online tabloid, which damages their relationship and leaves Solène open to censure from her ex. Then, once the affair goes viral, she experiences the darker side of Hayes’ fan base. What started out as a jaunty adventure turns into an emotionally fraught journey, and Solène must decide what she’s willing to risk for her happiness and what she won’t risk for her daughter’s. Actress Lee, who appeared in Fifty Shades Darker, debuts with a beautifully written novel that explores sex, love, romance, and fantasy in moving, insightful ways while also examining a woman’s struggle with aging and sexism, with a nod at the tension between celebrity and privacy.
A fascinating, thought-provoking, genre-bending romantic read.Pub Date: June 13, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-250-12590-3
Page Count: 384
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Review Posted Online: April 3, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2017
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