Still, Violet remains a compelling heroine, and another surprise ending will surely leave readers wanting more.
The third installment of the Embrace series doesn’t shine quite as brightly as its predecessors, but fans will still find plenty to enjoy as Violet and her Grigori brethren prepare for a battle of apocalyptic proportions.
Violet may have accepted the fact that she is half-human and half-angel, but nobody, not even she, knows the full extent of her ever-expanding powers. Finding the time to focus and gain control over them is no easy feat with a father who has decided to finally show up and parent, the temptation of a partner who is also a forbidden soul mate, and an ex who plans to use her to help him open up the gates of hell. Literally. While there is plenty for readers by way of high-stakes action, the novel (ironically, given its title) falls short in the romance department. First, Violet is prone to such hyperbole when describing the feelings that Lincoln ignites in her that it quickly shifts from steamy to comical. Second, the dark and alluring Phoenix is tragically absent. While Phoenix is frequently referred to, he and Violet have relatively few face-to-face encounters, depriving the novel of some of the complicated emotional layers that made the first two books so delicious.
Still, Violet remains a compelling heroine, and another surprise ending will surely leave readers wanting more. (Paranormal romance. 14-18)Pub Date: March 1, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-4022-6846-5
Page Count: 464
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Review Posted Online: Jan. 27, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2013
There’s not much plot here, but readers will relish the opportunity to climb inside Autumn’s head.
The finely drawn characters capture readers’ attention in this debut.
Autumn and Phineas, nicknamed Finny, were born a week apart; their mothers are still best friends. Growing up, Autumn and Finny were like peas in a pod despite their differences: Autumn is “quirky and odd,” while Finny is “sweet and shy and everyone like[s] him.” But in eighth grade, Autumn and Finny stop being friends due to an unexpected kiss. They drift apart and find new friends, but their friendship keeps asserting itself at parties, shared holiday gatherings and random encounters. In the summer after graduation, Autumn and Finny reconnect and are finally ready to be more than friends. But on August 8, everything changes, and Autumn has to rely on all her strength to move on. Autumn’s coming-of-age is sensitively chronicled, with a wide range of experiences and events shaping her character. Even secondary characters are well-rounded, with their own histories and motivations.
There’s not much plot here, but readers will relish the opportunity to climb inside Autumn’s head. (Fiction. 14 & up)Pub Date: April 1, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-4022-7782-5
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Review Posted Online: Feb. 12, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2013
BOOK REVIEW
SEEN & HEARD
A worthy second-chance romance.
In this follow-up to 2021’s Better Than the Movies, a 20-year-old college freshman gets a second chance at his dreams.
After the death of his father and his mother’s subsequent physical and emotional disappearance, Wes Bennett left behind all of his plans and the girl he made them with to go home and take care of Sarah, his younger sister. But now, Sarah has graduated, his mom is back on her feet, and by some miracle, Wes has an offer to pitch for UCLA’s baseball team. Liz Buxbaum, the girl he’s always loved, works for the university’s athletic department, taking photos and video of the team for social media, which means that maybe he can have a second chance at love, too. But since Wes left, Liz has made every effort to protect herself from ever feeling that broken again; there’s no room for love, because she doesn’t believe in it anymore. Or she doesn’t want to. This second-chance sports romance includes fake dates, quippy and quirky best friends, real heartache, and the sweet ache of first love. The clever dialogue keeps readers from drowning in the main characters’ emotional push-and-pull. Reading the first novel isn’t necessary for appreciating this one, although knowing the full history between Wes and Liz will only add to the ache and longing readers feel from and for them. Main characters are cued white.
A worthy second-chance romance. (Romance. 14-18)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2024
ISBN: 9781665947138
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2024
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