by Jodi Thomas ‧ RELEASE DATE: Nov. 5, 2013
Though flawed, a generally fun adventure.
Just minutes after discovering her fiance is the last person she wants to marry, Beth McMurray survives a train crash through the brave actions of a shadowy character who might be an outlaw; claiming she’s married to him seems the best way to save them both.
Sneaking off her family’s Texas ranch to marry her fiance early sounds like a fine idea, until Beth boards the train disguised as a man and listens as the senator brags about landing the wealthy heiress and lays out his plans to get Beth and her fortune under his thumb. Planning to quietly head back home once the train reaches Dallas, she retreats to the rail car where her horse is stalled and witnesses a group of men breach the train, obviously intent on robbery. Unfortunately, the train jumps the tracks, but one of the men grabs Beth and propels them both clear of the wreckage, bearing the brunt of a hard landing and falling unconscious. When he wakes up in the hospital with only vague memories of the incident, writer Andrew McLaughlin follows Beth’s lead and supports her story that they are married, which proves to be important, since the senator has caught sight of Beth and is trying to get her under his influence. A young woman traveling alone in Texas in 1879 has few rights, and Andrew quickly understands that the senator does not have Beth’s best interests at heart. However, other odd events are going on at the hospital, and when Beth and Andrew leave, they have assembled an entourage of vulnerable souls that they take with them, first to Fort Worth and then on to Beth’s family’s ranch. They’ve also created enemies, and Andrew is distrustful of love—two major obstacles in their winding road to happily-ever-after. The novel has a lot going on and keeps readers engaged and entertained despite a few elements that strain suspension of disbelief (including the ridiculously idiotic senator).
Though flawed, a generally fun adventure.Pub Date: Nov. 5, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-425-25074-7
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Berkley
Review Posted Online: Nov. 3, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2013
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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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