An engaging and often lighthearted take on the nuances of relationships.
Dorfman offers a study of tenuous connections between several coworkers at a school-portrait company in this episodic novel.
A man named Blake works for a company called SmilePosts, a company that takes official class photos for elementary schools. Readers meet him as he breaks down crying in front of a very confused fourth grader. This might not seem like the setup for a character-driven soap opera of epic proportions, but that’s what the work becomes. Blake remains as the narrator throughout, even as the book focuses on different SmilePosts employees in each of three sections, and there is a host of secondary characters that readers also get to know and love. Linda and Ed’s friendship crosses the line into an emotional affair; Linda is divorced and struggles with infertility, while Ed tries to convince himself that a stale marriage is worth it for the stability. Dana and Ethan’s brief romantic entanglement forces them both to grow up as her reality as a teenage mother clashes with his spoiled stoner persona. The narrator finally gets his own section in the last third of the book, in which Blake examines how his perpetual optimism in his early 20s is souring as he approaches 30. This self-reflection effectively piggybacks on the story of his growing friendship with fellow employee Josie and his attraction to another one of his coworkers, Hailey. As the book winds to a close, Blake has seemingly disclosed all of the twists and turns and secrets of his colleagues—but then he reveals a twist that may lead some readers to audibly gasp. Overall, this novel presents a series of compelling character sketches with wry humor and heartfelt revelations. Along the way, it also manages to tackle difficult topics with a surprising earnestness, including unwanted pregnancy, faith, and self-harm.
An engaging and often lighthearted take on the nuances of relationships.Pub Date: Aug. 15, 2022
ISBN: 979-8985579116
Page Count: 426
Publisher: Self
Review Posted Online: Oct. 24, 2022
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
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
A book begging to be read on the beach, with the sun warming the sand and salt in the air: pure escapism.
Three woman who join together to rent a large space along the beach in Los Angeles for their stores—a gift shop, a bakery, and a bookstore—become fast friends as they each experience the highs, and lows, of love.
Bree is a friendly but standoffish bookstore owner who keeps everyone she knows at arm’s length, from guys she meets in bars to her friends. Mikki is a settled-in-her-routines divorced mother of two, happily a mom, gift-shop owner, and co-parent with her ex-husband, Perry. And Ashley is a young, very-much-in-love bakery owner specializing in muffins who devotes herself to giving back to the community through a nonprofit that helps community members develop skills and find jobs. When the women meet drooling over a boardwalk storefront that none of them can afford on her own, a plan is hatched to divide the space in three, and a friendship—and business partnership—is born. An impromptu celebration on the beach at sunset with champagne becomes a weekly touchpoint to their lives as they learn more about each other and themselves. Their friendship blossoms as they help each other, offering support, hard truths, and loving backup. Author Mallery has created a delightful story of friendship between three women that also offers a variety of love stories as they fall in love, make mistakes, and figure out how to be the best—albeit still flawed—versions of themselves. The men are similarly flawed and human. While the story comes down clearly on the side of all-encompassing love, Mallery has struck a careful balance: There is just enough sex to be spicy, just enough swearing to be naughty, and just enough heartbreak to avoid being cloying.
A book begging to be read on the beach, with the sun warming the sand and salt in the air: pure escapism.Pub Date: May 31, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-778-38608-7
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Harlequin MIRA
Review Posted Online: March 15, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2022
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