At times amusing but too often meandering and incomprehensible.
A young man from Colombia seeks adventures and a new family at sea.
Beginning in San Andrés in 2001, Gutierrez Perez’s novel follows 18-year-old Elías Gómez, who’s raised by his employer, Lina Vespucio. Elías dreams of the sea (despite losing his father years earlier to a shark attack), and when he meets Ludwig Bineo, an old friend of the Vespucio family and captain of El Valhalla, he feels instantly drawn to the man. As Bineo’s new cabin boy, Elías sails all over the world, from Finland to Mallorca, hoping to find and reconnect with his estranged mother. Soon, however, his quest turns away from distant lands and toward two young women who capture his heart—Helena, Bineo’s niece, and Leena, a young Finnish woman. Gutierrez Perez naturally invokes Moby-Dick throughout this somewhat disjointed sea adventure and positions Elías as a funny, self-aware Ishmael: “My boss—believe it or not, dear reader—hoped that one day I would become the captain of my own ship.” As soon as Helena, Leena, and other women enter the picture, however, the novel dissolves into a string of undeveloped conversations for nearly 400 pages as Elías tries to decide whom he’d rather bed. El Valhalla ends up seeming less like a fishing or trade vessel and more like a party boat, considering how much time Elías spends drinking, gallivanting, and romancing. Despite the title, and unlike Moby-Dick, the sea gets short shrift (we hear little about Elías’ duties). Additionally, stiff phrasing, grammatical inconsistencies (while Leena is a cis woman, her pronouns are all over the place), and frequent typos make it difficult to enjoy the wandering plot or the many steamy love scenes (“I pulled to my face and he kissed me. But not only that! She put her tongue inside me, and she caressed it with great speed and enormous excitement”). Still, there’s an originality and humor here that will lure readers should the author choose to revisit and revise.
At times amusing but too often meandering and incomprehensible.Pub Date: May 30, 2023
ISBN: 9798369491911
Page Count: 636
Publisher: XlibrisAu
Review Posted Online: Nov. 22, 2023
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A thoughtful and pensive tale with intelligent characters and a satisfying romance.
A promise to his best friend leads an Army serviceman to a family in need and a chance at true love in this novel.
Beckett Gentry is surprised when his Army buddy Ryan MacKenzie gives him a letter from Ryan’s sister, Ella. Abandoned by his mother, Beckett grew up in a series of foster homes. He is wary of attachments until he reads Ella’s letter. A single mother, Ella lives with her twins, Maisie and Colt, at Solitude, the resort she operates in Telluride, Colorado. They begin a correspondence, although Beckett can only identify himself by his call sign, Chaos. After Ryan’s death during a mission, Beckett travels to Telluride as his friend had requested. He bonds with the twins while falling deeply in love with Ella. Reluctant to reveal details of Ryan’s death and risk causing her pain, Beckett declines to disclose to Ella that he is Chaos. Maisie needs treatment for neuroblastoma, and Beckett formally adopts the twins as a sign of his commitment to support Ella and her children. He and Ella pursue a romance, but when an insurance investigator questions the adoption, Beckett is faced with revealing the truth about the letters and Ryan’s death, risking losing the family he loves. Yarros’ (Wilder, 2016, etc.) novel is a deeply felt and emotionally nuanced contemporary romance bolstered by well-drawn characters and strong, confident storytelling. Beckett and Ella are sympathetic protagonists whose past experiences leave them cautious when it comes to love. Beckett never knew the security of a stable home life. Ella impulsively married her high school boyfriend, but the marriage ended when he discovered she was pregnant. The author is especially adept at developing the characters through subtle but significant details, like Beckett’s aversion to swearing. Beckett and Ella’s romance unfolds slowly in chapters that alternate between their first-person viewpoints. The letters they exchanged are pivotal to their connection, and almost every chapter opens with one. Yarros’ writing is crisp and sharp, with passages that are poetic without being florid. For example, in a letter to Beckett, Ella writes of motherhood: “But I’m not the center of their universe. I’m more like their gravity.” While the love story is the book’s focus, the subplot involving Maisie’s illness is equally well-developed, and the link between Beckett and the twins is heartfelt and sincere.
A thoughtful and pensive tale with intelligent characters and a satisfying romance.Pub Date: Feb. 26, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-64063-533-3
Page Count: 432
Publisher: Entangled: Amara
Review Posted Online: Jan. 2, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2019
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Henry fans, rejoice: This is her best yet.
A recently dumped librarian finds herself fake dating her polar opposite.
When Daphne Vincent’s fiance, Peter, dumps her, she’s shocked—but the worst part is that he’s leaving her for his gorgeous best friend, Petra, the woman he’d always told Daphne not to worry about. Now Daphne has to move out of Peter’s home and restart her life in the small Michigan town where she’d moved to be with him. Salvation comes in the form of Miles Nowak, Petra’s ex—he has a tiny spare room in his apartment, and he understands what it’s like to wallow in heartbreak. Daphne feels lucky to have her dream job as a children’s librarian, but other than that, she feels adrift and friendless in Waning Bay—and then she and Miles get invitations to Peter and Petra’s wedding. In a momentary lapse of judgment, Daphne not only says she’ll attend the wedding, but tells Peter she’s dating Miles. It would be the perfect way to show Peter and Petra that they’ve moved on…if only it were true. In the grand tradition of fake-dating romances, Daphne and Miles pretend to be in love, getting to know each other while having various adventures and misadventures. Daphne quickly learns that although she’d dismissed Miles as a pothead with a lack of direction, he’s actually a good time—and a loyal friend. But Daphne knows she needs to get out of Waning Bay, so this fake relationship can’t lead anywhere…can it? Reliable bestseller Henry has written another surefire hit that manages to be dramatic, sexy, and fun. Miles and Daphne have chemistry that leaps off the page, and their will-they-or-won’t-they energy propels the story to its satisfying conclusion. Daphne is an immensely likable character, one whose past realistically informs her current relationships. The world of Waning Bay is charmingly quirky, and Daphne’s co-workers at the library are endearing. As always, Henry’s biggest strength is the sharp, often hilarious dialogue that makes the story a joy to read.
Henry fans, rejoice: This is her best yet.Pub Date: April 23, 2024
ISBN: 9780593441282
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Berkley
Review Posted Online: Feb. 17, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2024
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