by Jill Shalvis ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 27, 2016
A sexy Shalvis read that fans will love.
When a contractor needs someone to care for his inherited cat, he turns to the neighborhood pet-store owner, not realizing that the two have an unfortunate shared past or that she just may be the future he’s never admitted he’s looking for.
Both Keane Winters and Willa Davis had difficult childhoods: Keane was the son of older, impatient parents who punished him for his energy and curiosity, and Willa was the daughter of an alcoholic mother whose neglect landed her in and out of foster care. When Keane’s great-aunt goes into the hospital, he promises to take care of her cat, a promise that becomes long-term when she goes into a rehab center. Feeling guilty for leaving the cat alone all day, Keane attempts to board her at the neighborhood pet store. Owner Willa agrees to take the cat but is oddly antagonistic despite the fiery attraction they share and doesn’t soften for days even while she cares for the cat. Finally she lets him know that he was responsible for a devastating experience she had in high school that he doesn’t even remember, but he apologizes, does her a huge set of favors, and then asks her out, an invitation she accepts. The two spend time together and finally give in to their attraction, both adamant that it’s just physical and they don’t want anything else. But as the sex gets more impassioned and their lives more entwined, they still have to learn how to trust themselves and each other before they can form a real relationship, which they each resist in their own ways. Shalvis' second Heartbreaker Bay novel hits all the notes the author is celebrated for: realistic characters enveloped in a tight, dependable community; emotionally intense back story and angst-y internal turmoil; rapid-fire dialogue and wordplay; and scorching sexual tension, all of which almost completely camouflages the lack of deep conflict between the characters beyond I’m emotionally unavailable when they patently aren’t.
A sexy Shalvis read that fans will love.Pub Date: Sept. 27, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-062-44804-0
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Avon/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: June 29, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2016
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by Jill Shalvis
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by Jill Shalvis
by Colleen Hoover ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 2, 2016
Packed with riveting drama and painful truths, this book powerfully illustrates the devastation of abuse—and the strength of...
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Hoover’s (November 9, 2015, etc.) latest tackles the difficult subject of domestic violence with romantic tenderness and emotional heft.
At first glance, the couple is edgy but cute: Lily Bloom runs a flower shop for people who hate flowers; Ryle Kincaid is a surgeon who says he never wants to get married or have kids. They meet on a rooftop in Boston on the night Ryle loses a patient and Lily attends her abusive father’s funeral. The provocative opening takes a dark turn when Lily receives a warning about Ryle’s intentions from his sister, who becomes Lily’s employee and close friend. Lily swears she’ll never end up in another abusive home, but when Ryle starts to show all the same warning signs that her mother ignored, Lily learns just how hard it is to say goodbye. When Ryle is not in the throes of a jealous rage, his redeeming qualities return, and Lily can justify his behavior: “I think we needed what happened on the stairwell to happen so that I would know his past and we’d be able to work on it together,” she tells herself. Lily marries Ryle hoping the good will outweigh the bad, and the mother-daughter dynamics evolve beautifully as Lily reflects on her childhood with fresh eyes. Diary entries fancifully addressed to TV host Ellen DeGeneres serve as flashbacks to Lily’s teenage years, when she met her first love, Atlas Corrigan, a homeless boy she found squatting in a neighbor’s house. When Atlas turns up in Boston, now a successful chef, he begs Lily to leave Ryle. Despite the better option right in front of her, an unexpected complication forces Lily to cut ties with Atlas, confront Ryle, and try to end the cycle of abuse before it’s too late. The relationships are portrayed with compassion and honesty, and the author’s note at the end that explains Hoover’s personal connection to the subject matter is a must-read.
Packed with riveting drama and painful truths, this book powerfully illustrates the devastation of abuse—and the strength of the survivors.Pub Date: Aug. 2, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-5011-1036-8
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Atria
Review Posted Online: May 30, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2016
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SEEN & HEARD
SEEN & HEARD
by Robinne Lee ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 13, 2017
A fascinating, thought-provoking, genre-bending romantic read.
When Solène Marchand takes her 12-year-old daughter to a concert by the hottest boy band on the planet, she doesn't expect to fall in love with one of the singers.
Middle-aged art gallery owner Solène hasn’t dated since her divorce, but when her ex-husband buys their daughter and a group of her friends tickets to Vegas and a backstage concert experience, then backs out at the last minute, she steps in as escort. The five guys in the wildly popular English boy band August Moon appeal to women of all ages, but Hayes, the brains behind the group’s success, flirts with Solène at the concert meet and greet, invites them to a party after the show, then pursues her once she gets back to Los Angeles. He’s only 20 and he’s incredibly famous; his attention is flattering and heady. The two fall into an affair that’s supposed to be light and easy, but before long they can’t ignore their intense emotional attachment. Solène is hesitant to tell her daughter, but when she procrastinates, Isabelle learns about it through an online tabloid, which damages their relationship and leaves Solène open to censure from her ex. Then, once the affair goes viral, she experiences the darker side of Hayes’ fan base. What started out as a jaunty adventure turns into an emotionally fraught journey, and Solène must decide what she’s willing to risk for her happiness and what she won’t risk for her daughter’s. Actress Lee, who appeared in Fifty Shades Darker, debuts with a beautifully written novel that explores sex, love, romance, and fantasy in moving, insightful ways while also examining a woman’s struggle with aging and sexism, with a nod at the tension between celebrity and privacy.
A fascinating, thought-provoking, genre-bending romantic read.Pub Date: June 13, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-250-12590-3
Page Count: 384
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Review Posted Online: April 3, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2017
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