A historical romance as tantalizing as the Kama Sutra epigraphs at the beginning of each chapter.
One gamble leads to another.
Nicholas Hatherly is a rake who doesn’t gamble, but gambling has ruined his life anyway. When the future Duke of Barrington learns that his mad father has lost him to the ruthless Alfred Tombs in a card game, and he has been promised as a husband for Tombs' daughter, he immediately plans his escape. For her part, Alice Tombs isn’t much happier than Nick to hear the news; having spent the previous three seasons avoiding marriage, freedom was nearly in her grasp and, with it, the ability to travel abroad to her heart’s content. Sensing an opportunity, Nick and Alice agree that they will marry, spend one summer together, and then head their separate ways. Nick, convinced he is genetically doomed to go mad soon, and Alice, who has secretly been translating the Kama Sutra, marry quickly and start to enjoy their brief wedded bliss. Soon, their passionate evenings leave them wondering whether there could be something more than a few months between them, and both must decide whether their solo plans for the future are worth sacrificing for each other. With the third book in the Disgraceful Dukes series, Bell (If I Only Had a Duke, 2016, etc.) has written a marvelous variation on the traditional marriage-of-convenience story. In particular, Nick and Alice’s relationship outside the bedroom adds serious heat to an already spicy pairing. As Nick realizes he finds Alice’s wit as compelling as her beauty and Alice discovers a secret mission that Nick has been pursuing for years, their mutual admiration adds believable depth to the rapid development of their relationship. Thoughtful exploration of mental health treatment in the Regency era rounds out this satisfying and intelligent romance.
A historical romance as tantalizing as the Kama Sutra epigraphs at the beginning of each chapter.Pub Date: April 18, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-06-239776-8
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Avon/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 14, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Packed with riveting drama and painful truths, this book powerfully illustrates the devastation of abuse—and the strength of...
Hoover’s (November 9, 2015, etc.) latest tackles the difficult subject of domestic violence with romantic tenderness and emotional heft.
At first glance, the couple is edgy but cute: Lily Bloom runs a flower shop for people who hate flowers; Ryle Kincaid is a surgeon who says he never wants to get married or have kids. They meet on a rooftop in Boston on the night Ryle loses a patient and Lily attends her abusive father’s funeral. The provocative opening takes a dark turn when Lily receives a warning about Ryle’s intentions from his sister, who becomes Lily’s employee and close friend. Lily swears she’ll never end up in another abusive home, but when Ryle starts to show all the same warning signs that her mother ignored, Lily learns just how hard it is to say goodbye. When Ryle is not in the throes of a jealous rage, his redeeming qualities return, and Lily can justify his behavior: “I think we needed what happened on the stairwell to happen so that I would know his past and we’d be able to work on it together,” she tells herself. Lily marries Ryle hoping the good will outweigh the bad, and the mother-daughter dynamics evolve beautifully as Lily reflects on her childhood with fresh eyes. Diary entries fancifully addressed to TV host Ellen DeGeneres serve as flashbacks to Lily’s teenage years, when she met her first love, Atlas Corrigan, a homeless boy she found squatting in a neighbor’s house. When Atlas turns up in Boston, now a successful chef, he begs Lily to leave Ryle. Despite the better option right in front of her, an unexpected complication forces Lily to cut ties with Atlas, confront Ryle, and try to end the cycle of abuse before it’s too late. The relationships are portrayed with compassion and honesty, and the author’s note at the end that explains Hoover’s personal connection to the subject matter is a must-read.
Packed with riveting drama and painful truths, this book powerfully illustrates the devastation of abuse—and the strength of the survivors.Pub Date: Aug. 2, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-5011-1036-8
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Atria
Review Posted Online: May 30, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2016
SEEN & HEARD
SEEN & HEARD
Entertaining and unpredictable; Reid makes a compelling argument for happiness in every life.
Reid’s latest (After I Do, 2014, etc.) explores two parallel universes in which a young woman hopes to find her soul mate and change her life for the better.
After ending an affair with a married man, Hannah Martin is reunited with her high school sweetheart, Ethan, at a bar in Los Angeles. Should she go home with her friends and catch up with him later, or should they stay out and have another drink? It doesn’t seem like either decision would have earth-shattering consequences, but Reid has a knack for finding skeletons in unexpected closets. Two vastly different scenarios play out in alternating chapters: in one, Hannah and Ethan reconnect as if no time has passed; in the other, Hannah lands in the hospital alone after a freak accident that marks the first of many surprising plot twists. Hannah’s best friend, Gabby, believes in soul mates, and though Hannah has trouble making decisions—even when picking a snack from a vending machine—she and Gabby discover how their belief systems can alter their world as much as their choices. “Believing in fate is like living on cruise control,” Hannah says. What follows is a thoughtful analysis of free will versus fate in which Hannah finds that disasters can bring unexpected blessings, blessings can bring unexpected disasters, and that most people are willing to bring Hannah her favorite cinnamon rolls. “Because even when it looks like she’s made a terrible mistake,” Hannah’s mother observes, “things will always work out for Hannah.” The larger question becomes whether Hannah’s choices will ultimately affect her happiness—and it’s one that’s answered on a hopeful note as Hannah tries to do the right thing in every situation she faces.
Entertaining and unpredictable; Reid makes a compelling argument for happiness in every life.Pub Date: July 7, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-4767-7688-0
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Washington Square/Pocket
Review Posted Online: April 14, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2015
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