A historical novel that offers a charming, feminist love story.
A matchmaker takes on her biggest client yet in this Regency romance.
Joanna Porter is good at her job: finding perfect matches for the esteemed members of the ton in London in 1817. It’s how the 27-year-old spinster supports her family, including her loving, widowed mother; her younger sister, Bessie; and her best friend, Lilly Appleby, a gifted aspiring architect who has lived with the Porters for years. But Jo’s thrown for a loop when 33-year-old Matthew Leighton, also known as the Duke of Crestmont, enters her office on a mission: get married to a suitable duchess-in-training as soon as humanly possible. Jo knows from experience that even a facilitated relationship takes time to grow, but Matthew has his own reasons for hurrying to wed, namely a scheming uncle with his eyes on the duke’s legacy, and a bruised ego from a past engagement that went awry. And if Jo “could match a duke, then everyone in London—no, all of England—would want to work with her.” When Lilly’s love, Charles Cherrington, reveals that he can’t marry her unless one of his sisters is engaged to a man with sizable enough wealth to erase the Cherrington family’s debt, Jo sees an opportunity. She plans to match Matthew with one of Charles’ many sisters so Lilly and her beau are free and clear to wed. What Jo doesn’t count on is her growing feelings for Matthew, a gruff but good man with passions for meteorology and rowboats—and for his matchmaker. What’s a single woman and loyal friend to do? Haymore has a deft hand with witty dialogue and rom-com–esque circumstances, pushing Jo and Matthew together and pulling them apart in ways that are both realistic and pleasurable for romance fans. Their relationship is built on equality and mutual respect as well as sizzling hot chemistry, evident in scenes that easily blend sensuality with intellect. The subplot involving the Cherringtons, a tightknit group of siblings who stick together no matter what, is entertaining and heartfelt. And Lilly, bursting with design talent in an era when women are only expected to marry—and marry well—is a delightful sidekick and friend.
A historical novel that offers a charming, feminist love story.Pub Date: Sept. 27, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-64937-275-8
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Entangled: Amara
Review Posted Online: July 26, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2022
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A book about revenge that’s more punishing than purposeful.
A woman from a matriarchal society kidnaps a prince from a neighboring kingdom, planning to force him into marriage.
Five hundred years ago, the wife of the abusive king of Amarra prayed to her goddess for mercy; in return, the goddess granted every woman in the country the ability to rule over men. Amarra’s queens have governed with vengeance ever since, creating a fiercely violent matriarchy. Now, 21-year-old Olerra Corasene, a gifted military strategist and powerful general, is competing with her cunning and devious cousin, Glenaerys, to be the next queen. Since Glen is trying to secure the throne by currying favor with the wealthy nobles, Olerra decides on a different tactic, the time-honored Amarran tradition of kidnapping a husband. Her target is a good-looking younger prince from the neighboring country of Brutus, but she accidentally and unknowingly nabs Sanos, the king’s eldest son and heir to the throne. She drags Sanos back to Amarra, where he’s treated with all the contempt for men that is normal in her society: He’s dressed as a sexual plaything, forced to shave his beard and body hair, leashed and restrained for bad behavior. Olerra can’t understand Sanos’ objections to this treatment, and the ensuing power struggle makes up most of the plot. Marketed as romantasy, Levenseller’s first adult novel falls flat as both romance and fantasy. There is little connection or chemistry between Olerra and Sanos, and since both are more caricature than character, neither experiences the kind of growth that creates challenging or interesting romantic relationships. In addition, the worldbuilding is paper thin. Amarra is a world built on reverse misogyny, but the motifs, imagery, and scenes often read more like a brainstormed list (a penis guillotine!) than a fully realized attempt to say something meaningful about women’s rage.
A book about revenge that’s more punishing than purposeful.Pub Date: Sept. 23, 2025
ISBN: 9781250379375
Page Count: 368
Publisher: FEIWEL
Review Posted Online: July 4, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Bailey hits it out of the park with her latest spicy romance.
Two ambitious athletes plus one fake-dating arrangement—what could go wrong?
Though it’s only his first season for the Boston Bearcats hockey team, Robbie Corrigan has a well-established reputation as a playboy. He’s got major skills on the ice, and he’s also much more likely to love ’em and leave ’em than he is to build any long, meaningful relationships. Naturally, he’s just met the one woman who seems completely resistant to his charm: Skylar Page, a Boston University softball pitcher. When they meet over a friendly Saturday morning baseball game, Robbie instantly makes a poor impression by bragging to his teammates about his latest conquest within Skylar’s hearing. He thinks she’s gorgeous, though, and when he sets his sights on her, he’s surprised that she doesn’t seem to know it. Despite her initial distaste for Robbie, Skylar grudgingly confesses that she could use his help. If they pretend to date, maybe her current crush—her brother’s best friend—will finally sit up and take notice of her in a romantic way. The timing is less than ideal, since Robbie will have to team up with Skylar in the Page family’s latest wilderness competition, but it turns out that Robbie’s willingness to play fake boyfriend stems from some very real feelings. He wants to prove to her that he’s a changed man, and redeeming himself in her eyes starts with making sure she knows that she can really trust him. The latest addition to Bailey’s Big Shots series is a sexy, feel-good romance brimming over with the author’s trademark humor and dirty talk. While Skylar and Robbie’s dynamic doesn’t quite reach the level of enemies-to-lovers—he’s so head-over-heels for her that there’s no room for any real mean-spiritedness—their playful snark doubles as a welcome dash of foreplay in the lead-up to some seriously steamy scenes. Robbie’s efforts to show Skylar that he’s turned over a new leaf also result in some of the book’s best moments, emphasizing his commitment to becoming the type of man he knows she deserves.
Bailey hits it out of the park with her latest spicy romance.Pub Date: Sept. 9, 2025
ISBN: 9780063380837
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Avon/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 30, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2025
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