A sexy romp through glamorous modern Hollywood as seen through the eyes of a self-possessed matchmaker who cannot find her...
An intrepid young matchmaker in Hollywood sparks chemistry with an old flame, an ex-flame and an A-list actor, all while finding love for her clients in this engaging romance.
Cynthia Amas has no trouble juggling her new dating service and a slew of fresh clients from among the Hollywood elite. Her best friend, the outspoken Lolita, has her hands full running a dog-grooming business catering to the stars and managing her three dogs of varying sizes and temperaments, who bring her juicy gossip (at least she hears them talking!) from dogs whose masters are Hollywood stars. Of the two women, only Lolita admits she is looking for love. Cynthia claims she’s too busy, but she entertains erotic fantasies about her high school crush, Pete, and her new client, Jack Stone, a notorious womanizer. When Jack wants to move their relationship from business to personal, when her ex shows up ready to whisk her away for a romantic vacation, and when Pete might be close enough to touch, Cynthia’s world detonates. As she navigates the sexually charged politics of running a matchmaking service for the stars, her friends and even her libidinous mother, Cynthia finds herself caught between her desire for her old flame and the amorous and not-entirely unwelcome advances of Jack. While a feud with Lolita wreaks havoc on her voice mail and her nerves, Cynthia manages to tangle herself in compromising positions with several potential lovers. Dumont’s (Sleeping with Dogs and Other Lovers, 2012) second foray into the turbulent, sexy, often-hilarious world of celebrity dating provides a delightful diversion. As the novel crests, however, a couple of quizzical twists reveal the flatness of several minor characters. Cynthia’s love connection snaps when her flirtation with another star comes to light, but her lover’s over-the-top reaction, followed by his sudden departure, will leave readers befuddled. Although the comical climax featuring Cynthia’s hard-to-believe self-control and Jack’s remarkably outlandish endowments turn an otherwise sexy novel silly, readers will respond favorably to Cynthia’s sensibility as a modern woman and her insight into flawed men.
A sexy romp through glamorous modern Hollywood as seen through the eyes of a self-possessed matchmaker who cannot find her own match.Pub Date: Sept. 4, 2012
ISBN: 978-0985540456
Page Count: 250
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: Aug. 24, 2012
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
Haphazard and undemanding.
A sports agent’s first official client is the man she dumped years ago in college.
After two years of hard work as an underling, Nora Mackenzie is finally being promoted to full-time sports agent. She’s worked hard, kept quiet, and allowed men in the office to call her Mac—a nickname she hates—all to show she’s a team player and “one of the guys.” Unfortunately, her boss instructs her to sign Derek Pender, a football player coming off an injury, who happens to be the man she heartlessly dumped in their senior year of college. Derek signs with her for revenge, seeing it as his opportunity to pay Nora back for callously breaking his heart eight years earlier. He insists she be at his beck and call: answering his emails, running his errands, cooking dinner for his dates. He also refuses to let her explain why she broke up with him without warning or explanation. Nora feels she has no choice but to acquiesce to Derek’s humiliating demands, since she’s worked too hard to let him ruin her dream job. She hopes he’ll thaw and they might become friends, but Derek’s bad behavior is designed to hide the fact that he’s still in love with her. Nora’s characterization is uneven, veering between anger at how she’s treated in the male-dominated field to immature bickering and bantering with Derek. Although Adams likely meant for Derek and Nora’s interactions to have an enemies-to-lovers vibe, the characters instead seem juvenile and stuck in the past. The novel is fueled by a string of tropes—second chance romance! married in Vegas! only one bed!—each randomly deployed to keep the book going despite thin characterization and wan plotting.
Haphazard and undemanding.Pub Date: April 2, 2024
ISBN: 9780593723678
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Dell
Review Posted Online: Jan. 5, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2024
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
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