The action-packed plot and creative worldbuilding keep us enthralled; the romance and sexual tension keep us emotionally...
After agreeing to wed a rival’s daughter to form an alliance, Hunter, a vampire clan leader, must break an ancient curse while facing his misgivings about the other clan, his aversion to his would-be mate and his blazing attraction to her twin sister.
After agreeing to marry Rasha, the firstborn daughter of the ShadowSpawn vampire clan, Hunter, the leader of the MoonBound clan, has immediate second thoughts. He’s always known that ShadowSpawn follow a heavy-handed and sometimes-cruel code of conduct known as the Way of the Raven, but he’s shocked by Kars’ brutal and despotic leadership, and the more he learns about ShadowSpawn’s harsh treatment of Rasha’s twin sister, Aylin, the more he despises the man. However, the vampire race is in peril, and creating alliances seems crucial to survival. Ever since humans discovered the existence of vampires, they have enslaved them and experimented on them, and hostilities are escalating. In theory, a match between Hunter and Rasha makes sense, but when the betrothal is announced and Rasha refuses to go through a series of expected trials, Hunter becomes more uneasy. Aylin, despised by her own clan for her physical weakness and gentle nature, steps up to the task and, during the quest, finds powers she never knew she had, suddenly becoming a valuable commodity. To Hunter, she’s become much more than that, and he will do everything in his power to protect her and find a way to marry her, preferably without causing war among the clans, while also doing all he can to keep vampires safe. Ione has created a fascinating vampire world steeped in Native American traditions and lore and developed a path to happiness for Hunter and Aylin that is fraught with potent and poignant internal and external conflicts.
The action-packed plot and creative worldbuilding keep us enthralled; the romance and sexual tension keep us emotionally invested.Pub Date: Sept. 30, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-4767-0018-2
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Pocket
Review Posted Online: Aug. 27, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2014
BOOK REVIEW
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
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK TO SCREEN
With frank language and patient plotting, this gangly teen crush grows into a confident adult love affair.
Eleven years ago, he broke her heart. But he doesn’t know why she never forgave him.
Toggling between past and present, two love stories unfold simultaneously. In the first, Macy Sorensen meets and falls in love with the boy next door, Elliot Petropoulos, in the closet of her dad’s vacation home, where they hide out to discuss their favorite books. In the second, Macy is working as a doctor and engaged to a single father, and she hasn’t spoken to Elliot since their breakup. But a chance encounter forces her to confront the truth: what happened to make Macy stop speaking to Elliot? Ultimately, they’re separated not by time or physical remoteness but by emotional distance—Elliot and Macy always kept their relationship casual because they went to different schools. And as a teen, Macy has more to worry about than which girl Elliot is taking to the prom. After losing her mother at a young age, Macy is navigating her teenage years without a female role model, relying on the time-stamped notes her mother left in her father’s care for guidance. In the present day, Macy’s father is dead as well. She throws herself into her work and rarely comes up for air, not even to plan her upcoming wedding. Since Macy is still living with her fiance while grappling with her feelings for Elliot, the flashbacks offer steamy moments, tender revelations, and sweetly awkward confessions while Macy makes peace with her past and decides her future.
With frank language and patient plotting, this gangly teen crush grows into a confident adult love affair.Pub Date: April 10, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-5011-2801-1
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Gallery Books/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2018
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