A few mentions of snow-peaked mountains aside, this heartfelt journey—with sex—could transfer anywhere.
Astrid and Damon find lasting love and family in the second of Ashenden's Alaska Homecoming series.
Caleb West was the owner of the self-proclaimed "middle of nowhere" village of Deep River, Alaska. Dead in a plane crash, he willed the town to his three Army buddies, Silas, Zeke, and Damon. But to Damon Fitzgerald, he also sent a very special letter, asking his friend to look after Connor, the teenage son he'd fathered at 17 and abandoned. Connor's mother, Astrid James, had found sanctuary in Deep River five years ago after fleeing an abusive relationship. With nowhere to go, she'd reached out to Caleb, who gave her and Connor a place to live in the small, eccentric town, where she has thrived. Astrid became the town mayor. She's also its librarian; she started the hot yoga class; she's putting together a food cooperative so that vegetables don't have to be airlifted to the Alaska wilderness. And she's working on tourism ideas so that villagers won't sell their land to oil companies, which have located petroleum underneath the town. But there’s one thing she hasn't done in five years: She hasn't felt like a woman. Damon, an Alaska bush pilot and the handsomest man she's ever seen, was on his way home to Los Angeles to look after his sick mother. Instead, loyal to a fault, he comes to Deep River to keep his promise to his friend. Damon had also had a child at 17, but his daughter, Ella, died of cancer and her mother left him, and now he likes to live life on the surface: no emotions, no commitments, and absolutely no serious relationships with women. He sees Astrid as a Snow Queen. But in fact it's Damon who melts. Both wounded and hurting in different ways, the couple discover that love conquers pain, and putting down roots in a community trumps living an uninvolved life.
A few mentions of snow-peaked mountains aside, this heartfelt journey—with sex—could transfer anywhere.Pub Date: March 30, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-72821-689-8
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Review Posted Online: Jan. 12, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
A funny but uneven take on love at the end of the world.
It’s the end of the world as she knows it, but the Prince of Hell is fine.
Callie, a recent college graduate living back at home with her mother, is admittedly “flailing a bit” at adulthood. With no idea what to do with her history degree, she's helping to run The Great Escape, the family’s successful escape room business. But on Callie's first weekend taking the reins while her mom is away, all hell breaks loose—literally. A satanic cult headed by the blackhearted Solomon Elerion has been drawn to the occult-inspired escape room for a prop book of spells that turns out to be very real, hoping to summon a high-level demon. Their plan? To bargain for the location of The Holy Lance, which they will use to bring about the apocalypse. Luke Morningstar, Prince of Hell, is also finding adulthood harder than he imagined. He has yet to receive his wings and is under strict orders from his father to start harvesting souls for the underworld. When his supervisor, Lucifuge Rofocale, is summoned by Elerion, Luke goes in his stead with grand plans to accomplish this task and get his dad off his back. What he doesn’t plan for is Callie, their immediate attraction, or how much he wants to help her save the world. The author successfully creates a tongue-in-cheek supernatural adventure held up by witty banter and a ragtag team of heroic underdogs, including Callie's nonbinary best friend, the artistic and stylish Mag. But the lackluster instalove romance between a stereotypically bookish heroine and a demon who's supposed to be hot as hellfire but lacks any sinister devilishness, pacing that's off, and ham-fisted pop-culture references drag the novel down.
A funny but uneven take on love at the end of the world.Pub Date: Oct. 5, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-2507-7174-2
Page Count: 320
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Review Posted Online: Aug. 31, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2021
A unique story of transcendent love.
An aimless young musician meets the girl of his dreams only to have his newfound happiness threatened by several inexplicable—and possibly supernatural—events.
The story opens as Leeds Gabriel meets with a detective while his girlfriend, Layla, is restrained in a room one flight above them. Through the interview, readers learn that Leeds was wasting both his time and his musical talent playing backup for a small-town wedding troupe called Garrett’s Band when he spied Layla dancing her heart out to their mediocre music at a wedding. When Leeds approaches Layla, their connection is both instant and intense. A blissful courtship follows, but then Leeds makes the mistake of posting a picture of himself with Layla on social media. A former girlfriend–turned-stalker wastes no time in finding and attacking Layla. Layla spends months recovering in a hospital, and it seems the girl Leeds fell for might be forever changed. Gone is her special spark, her quirkiness, and the connection that had entranced Leeds months before. In a last-ditch effort to save their relationship, he brings Layla back to the bed-and-breakfast where they first met. When they get there, though, Leeds meets Willow, another guest, and finds himself drawn to her in spite of himself. As events unfold, it becomes clear that Willow will either be the key to saving Leeds’ relationship with Layla or the catalyst that finally extinguishes the last shreds of their epic romance. Told entirely from Leeds’ point of view, the author’s first foray into paranormal romance does not disappoint. Peppered with elements of mystery, psychological thriller, and contemporary romance, the novel explores questions about how quickly true love can develop, as well as the conflicts that can imperil even the strongest connections. Despite a limited cast of characters and very few setting changes, the narrative manages to remain both fast-paced and engaging. The conclusion leaves a few too many loose ends, but the chemistry between the characters and unexpected twists throughout make for a satisfying read.
A unique story of transcendent love.Pub Date: Dec. 8, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-5420-0017-8
Page Count: 301
Publisher: Montlake Romance
Review Posted Online: Sept. 15, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2020
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