A warm treat with just enough spice and complexity to temper the sweetness.
An up-an-coming actor and a bakeshop owner find love in Toronto.
Ryan Kwok is back home under less than stellar circumstances. He’s just finished the press tour for his latest film, the rom-com That Kind of Wedding, and his abs have gotten more positive reviews than the movie. His mother died four months ago, in the middle of his sister’s pregnancy with her first child, and his relationship with his emotionally distant father is strained at best. Ryan is on a walk through downtown Toronto when he passes Kensington Bake Shop, reminding him of an afternoon he spent attempting to bake with his mom. Instead of the sweet treat he bargained for when he popped inside, Ryan accidentally knocks over a tray of special matcha tiramisu donuts, inviting the ire of owner Lindsay McLeod. It’s not the best first impression, but soon after, when Ryan is asked to participate in a celebrity episode of the TV show Baking Fail, he can’t think of anyone better to ask for lessons. Lindsay’s life is also in flux. She loves her bakery and working with her best friend, Noreen. But seven years after Lindsay's father’s death, her mom has started dating again, Noreen is newly married, and Lindsay is living in an apartment she doesn’t own with a roommate she’s barely spoken to. She feels like everyone is moving on without her, but teaching Ryan seems like an interesting step forward. As they grow closer over chocolate ganache, they’ll have to figure out if their romance can survive their insecurities and past traumas. While the connection between Ryan and Lindsay takes center stage, author Lau tackles big issues—Asian representation in media, male body image, grief, postpartum depression, complicated family dynamics—with skill and heart.
A warm treat with just enough spice and complexity to temper the sweetness.Pub Date: Oct. 26, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-593334-30-0
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Berkley
Review Posted Online: Aug. 17, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2021
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
With captivating dialogue, angst-y characters, and a couple of steamy sex scenes, Hoover has done it again.
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. 12, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2021
SEEN & HEARD
BOOK TO SCREEN
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