A mixed start for a feisty fantasy romance series.
A magical error binds human and Fae and thaws a kingdom’s frozen secrets.
As a member of a druid order sworn to protect the Winter Fae, 18-year-old Keltania has spent most of her life training to serve as a guard in the Winter Lands, the sole place in the kingdom where magic still thrives. The initial honor she feels about protecting Valen, the court’s reluctant heir, quickly vanishes upon meeting the arrogant, wolfish, 19-year-old Fae. She performs her duty to safeguard Valen’s life and clandestine magic while warding off his repeated advances. When the use of a protective sigil has unexpected consequences, Keltania and Valen are plunged into events stemming from truths about Valen’s origins, the histories of their people, and their growing mutual attraction. Chapters alternate between the leads’ first-person perspectives, allowing for rich internal monologues that soften Valen’s persistently sexual dialogue and negging, which readers may find abrasive when combined with the unequal power dynamics. Shifting the setting beyond the Winter Lands invigorates the pacing and plot development. An entertaining side quest involving trolls enriches the narrative and serves to introduce several well-developed supporting characters like a trickster kelpie. The briskly paced ending brings initial resolution and forecasts conflict for additional installments. Keltania and Valen are described as pale-skinned; Keltania has red hair and hazel eyes, and Valen has black hair and violet eyes.
A mixed start for a feisty fantasy romance series. (Fantasy romance. 16-adult)Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2023
ISBN: 9781649374028
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Entangled Teen
Review Posted Online: July 13, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
Exactly what the title promises.
A grieving teen’s devotion to romance films might ruin her chances at actual romance.
Liz Buxbaum has always adored rom-coms, not least for helping her still feel close to her screenwriter mother, who died when she was little. Liz hopes that her senior year might turn into a real-life romantic fantasy, as an old crush has moved back to town, cuter and nicer than ever. Surely she can get Michael to ask her to prom. If only Wes, the annoying boy next door, would help her with her scheming! This charming, fluffy concoction manages to pack into one goofy plot every conceivable trope, from fake dating to the makeover to the big misunderstanding. Creative, quirky, daydreaming Liz is just shy of an annoying stereotype, saved by a dry wit and unresolved grief and anger. Wes makes for a delightful bad boy with a good heart, and supporting characters—including a sassy best friend, a perfect popular rival, even a (not really) evil stepmother—all get the opportunity to transcend their roles. The only villain here is Liz’s lovelorn imagination, provoking her into foolish lies that cause actual hurt feelings; but she is sufficiently self-aware to make amends just in time for the most important trope of all: a blissfully happy ending. All characters seem to be White by default.
Exactly what the title promises. (Romance. 12-18)Pub Date: May 4, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-5344-6762-0
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Feb. 22, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2021
BOOK TO SCREEN
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
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