Fans of Moyes (Paris for One and Other Stories, 2016, etc.) know what to expect from her books—big emotions, quirky...
A horse-loving girl and a cynical lawyer cross paths in this 2009 novel now being published in the U.S.
Fourteen-year-old Sarah lives with her grandfather, a man who once rode with the elite riding school Le Cadre Noir, and spends every spare second working with her horse at an urban stable under railway arches in London, hoping to follow in his footsteps. But when her grandfather suffers a stroke, Sarah is on her own—until she runs into Natasha Macauley, a lawyer who’s used to working with disadvantaged children. Natasha has problems of her own—she’s dealing with her challenging legal career and trying to navigate the messy dissolution of her marriage. When she and her almost-ex-husband impulsively decide to take Sarah in, complications quickly arise. Sarah keeps sneaking out to care for Boo, and as her situation grows more desperate, she begins lying and stealing. Was it a mistake for Natasha to become involved in Sarah’s life? And will Sarah be able to protect her beloved horse? Clocking in at nearly 500 pages, the story sometimes feels bloated. However, it’s easy to become emotionally invested in the characters, and Sarah’s situation is compelling and unique. If readers are willing to stick it out, they’ll be rewarded with an ending that is both satisfying and sweet.
Fans of Moyes (Paris for One and Other Stories, 2016, etc.) know what to expect from her books—big emotions, quirky characters, and a few tears—and this one delivers on all counts.Pub Date: April 11, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-14-313062-8
Page Count: 496
Publisher: Penguin
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2017
Nerve-wracking suspense leavened with romance and spiced with sex: another hit for the prolific Roberts (Blue Smoke, 2005,...
Murder mixes with anguish in steamy Savannah.
FBI-trained hostage negotiator Phoebe MacNamara is a lieutenant in the Savannah police department. Ever since Phoebe and her family were held hostage when she was 12, her mother has been agoraphobic, and Phoebe and her brother Carter still bear the psychological scars, but Phoebe’s used the memory to hone her skills. While talking a suicidal bartender off a ledge, she meets his boss, Duncan Swift. The charming millionaire coaxes her into meeting for a drink, and their relationship slowly deepens. But life takes a turn for the worse when a misogynist cop botches a hostage situation. Suspended, he blames Phoebe and retaliates by viciously attacking her in the precinct house stairwell. He loses his job, but his father’s connections keep him out of jail. Phoebe is physically and mentally injured, but her family and her blossoming relationship with Duncan help her cope until a dangerous pattern develops: A strange man keeps crossing her path. Dead animals begin appearing on her doorstep. A hostage taker is shot after she talks him into surrendering. Her ex-husband is brutally murdered by the mystery man, who phones her with sadistic threats. Is it the spiteful disgraced cop or someone from her past? Phoebe must identify the killer before he can carry out his final outrage.
Nerve-wracking suspense leavened with romance and spiced with sex: another hit for the prolific Roberts (Blue Smoke, 2005, etc.).Pub Date: July 10, 2007
ISBN: 978-0-399-15434-8
Page Count: 480
Publisher: Putnam
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2007
Anyone who believes in true love or is simply willing to accept it as the premise of a winding tale will find this debut an...
True love flares between two people, but they find that circumstances always impede it.
On a winter day in London, Laurie spots Jack from her bus home and he sparks a feeling in her so deep that she spends the next year searching for him. Her roommate and best friend, Sarah, is the perfect wing-woman but ultimately—and unknowingly—ends the search by finding Jack and falling for him herself. Laurie’s hasty decision not to tell Sarah is the second painful missed opportunity (after not getting off the bus), but Sarah’s happiness is so important to Laurie that she dedicates ample energy into retraining her heart not to love Jack. Laurie is misguided, but her effort and loyalty spring from a true heart, and she considers her project mostly successful. Perhaps she would have total success, but the fact of the matter is that Jack feels the same deep connection to Laurie. His reasons for not acting on them are less admirable: He likes Sarah and she’s the total package; why would he give that up just because every time he and Laurie have enough time together (and just enough alcohol) they nearly fall into each other’s arms? Laurie finally begins to move on, creating a mostly satisfying life for herself, whereas Jack’s inability to be genuine tortures him and turns him into an ever bigger jerk. Patriarchy—it hurts men, too! There’s no question where the book is going, but the pacing is just right, the tone warm, and the characters sympathetic, even when making dumb decisions.
Anyone who believes in true love or is simply willing to accept it as the premise of a winding tale will find this debut an emotional, satisfying read.Pub Date: Oct. 16, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-525-57468-2
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Crown
Review Posted Online: July 30, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2018
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