This engrossing tale skillfully shows two lovers sanding off each other’s rough edges.
Circumstances throw together two broken souls in a torturous romance in this novel.
Decker introduces readers to Justin Abernathy, a man being smothered by grief, most recently losing his beloved mother, and Norah Carpenter, who gets dismissed from her teaching job. Norah’s vengeful ex-boyfriend posted nude photos of her on social media. Unemployment doesn’t work well for Norah, so she takes a temporary job with the Hand to Heart program, visiting and helping shut-ins. At the prodding of his best friend, Davis, the homebound Justin signs up for the program, and he meets Norah. Initially, they annoy each other, but still there is a strong pull of lust between them. Their relationship grows closer when Justin tells Norah the secret that usually kills his relationships: The firefighter-turned–digital marketing strategist is agoraphobic. He developed the condition after the tragic death of his 14-month-old son, Jaxson. Norah wonders if she can be with a man who may never leave his house again. Once she decides she wants to remain with Justin, she creates a plan to overcome his phobia, including outings to challenge his anxiety triggers. But the climactic event in Justin’s recovery is a misunderstanding that occurs when a former lover returns, leading to a rift with Norah. The message that Decker deftly delivers is that you can never be sure what’s happening inside someone’s head. Justin is self-confident and sexy, yet loss is crushing him to the point that he can’t leave his home (“The fact is, some things can break you. I mean, shatter your soul and cast it into the wind in a billion tiny pieces”). The last thing the rebounding Norah needs is to be fixing a troubled man. Yet each is just what the other needs, as they slowly discover. The author alternates between Justin’s and Norah’s takes on their romance, an inspired choice that allows readers to see both lovers’ perspectives. The fact that physical attraction is a bedrock of their relationship also comes through clearly in this edgy, engaging story. Readers will find it refreshing that Justin and Norah manage to recognize that they are soul mates after such a rocky start.
This engrossing tale skillfully shows two lovers sanding off each other’s rough edges.Pub Date: Jan. 13, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-73296-450-1
Page Count: 271
Publisher: Camden Publishing
Review Posted Online: Oct. 14, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2022
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
With captivating dialogue, angst-y characters, and a couple of steamy sex scenes, Hoover has done it again.
After being released from prison, a young woman tries to reconnect with her 5-year-old daughter despite having killed the girl’s father.
Kenna didn’t even know she was pregnant until after she was sent to prison for murdering her boyfriend, Scotty. When her baby girl, Diem, was born, she was forced to give custody to Scotty’s parents. Now that she’s been released, Kenna is intent on getting to know her daughter, but Scotty’s parents won’t give her a chance to tell them what really happened the night their son died. Instead, they file a restraining order preventing Kenna from so much as introducing herself to Diem. Handsome, self-assured Ledger, who was Scotty’s best friend, is another key adult in Diem’s life. He’s helping her grandparents raise her, and he too blames Kenna for Scotty’s death. Even so, there’s something about her that haunts him. Kenna feels the pull, too, and seems to be seeking Ledger out despite his judgmental behavior. As Ledger gets to know Kenna and acknowledges his attraction to her, he begins to wonder if maybe he and Scotty’s parents have judged her unfairly. Even so, Ledger is afraid that if he surrenders to his feelings, Scotty’s parents will kick him out of Diem’s life. As Kenna and Ledger continue to mourn for Scotty, they also grieve the future they cannot have with each other. Told alternatively from Kenna’s and Ledger’s perspectives, the story explores the myriad ways in which snap judgments based on partial information can derail people’s lives. Built on a foundation of death and grief, this story has an undercurrent of sadness. As usual, however, the author has created compelling characters who are magnetic and sympathetic enough to pull readers in. In addition to grief, the novel also deftly explores complex issues such as guilt, self-doubt, redemption, and forgiveness.
With captivating dialogue, angst-y characters, and a couple of steamy sex scenes, Hoover has done it again.Pub Date: Jan. 18, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-5420-2560-7
Page Count: 335
Publisher: Montlake Romance
Review Posted Online: Oct. 12, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2021
SEEN & HEARD
BOOK TO SCREEN
BOOK TO SCREEN
If you like your romance the darker the better, this one is for you.
A young mother returns to the gothic manor of her childhood to dust off the family secrets and face her old flame.
Maven Blackthorn hasn’t been home since her mom died under suspicious circumstances 12 years ago, but the death of her grandmother, Lorinda, forces her return to Solstice, Vermont. Maven’s daughter, Beatrix, has never seen where her mother grew up, but she quickly learns the Blackthorns have a reputation for witchcraft, largely fueled by a centuries-long feud with the powerful Croft family, whose heir apparent, Ronan, was Maven’s forbidden teenage love and “worst nightmare.” Maven hopes to bid farewell to her grandmother and visit with her aunts without running into Ronan, but he proves hard to avoid. Maven’s hatred for Ronan runs deep and she believes the feeling is mutual. From Ronan’s perspective, it’s clear their painful unraveling was full of misunderstandings. When Lorinda’s body goes missing from the funeral home, Maven is forced to accept Ronan’s help in discovering what happened. While Maven dives into her family history and the many unfortunate events befalling Blackthorn women, Ronan is forever in her ear, seducing her back to him. The push and pull of their romance feels immature, which isn’t helped by the first-person present narration. At times, it’s easy to forget Maven and Ronan aren’t still teenagers, until the erotica is punched up a thousand percent in the final third. Controlling lines from Ronan like “Don’t test my patience, woman” might read better if his perspective were explored more, though fans of Geissinger’s dark erotica, including Brutal Vows (2025), may not be fazed. Maven’s perspective dominates, and though her investigation into family lore and increasing paranoia are the most compelling arc, the million and one ways in which she threatens Ronan with physical violence—“What I really want to do is tie you to a tree, disembowel you with my bare hands, feed your guts to the wolves, and cut off your head”—is a bit one-note. Trigger warnings abound.
If you like your romance the darker the better, this one is for you.Pub Date: Nov. 4, 2025
ISBN: 9781250379139
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Bramble Books
Review Posted Online: Sept. 13, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2025
© Copyright 2025 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
