Score’s latest romance brings humor, heat, and plenty of hijinks.
A heartbroken romance author travels to small-town Pennsylvania in hopes of curing her writer’s block and finding her own happy ending.
Since Hazel Hart’s marriage ended two years ago, she hasn’t been able to write one believable word about happily-ever-afters. And unfortunately for Hazel, she’s in the business of crafting HEAs that make her millions of fans swoon and come back for more. Stuck in a spiral of writer’s block and trash TV, Hazel is months overdue on the deadline for the latest book in her bestselling Spring Gate series—something Zoey Moody, her best friend and literary agent, seldom fails to let her forget. But when Hazel receives an eviction notice from her ex-husband and her publisher threatens to drop her, she decides it’s time to get her mojo back. Inspiration leads Hazel and Zoey from New York City to the quaint town of Story Lake, Pennsylvania, where Hazel spontaneously purchases a historic fixer-upper known as the Heart House that she’d read about in a newspaper article. She hopes to meet and write about Campbell Bishop, the handsomely rugged contractor who’d done some work on her new home in the past. Hazel and Zoey soon realize that their Hallmark-fantasy town is a bit eccentric, and Hazel experiences her first “meet-disaster” (the opposite of a “meet-cute”) with none other than the man she’s cast as her hero. Between Campbell and his brothers, Levi and Gage, and the town’s wacky locals, there’s enough material for Hazel’s new romance series to practically write itself. And hooking up with Campbell Bishop definitely counts as research, as long as it’s completely casual…but where’s the happily-ever-after in being friends with benefits? Score’s latest is funny and flirtatious, and readers will be charmed by Story Lake’s kooky but lovable townsfolk—even as the book doesn’t skimp on spice and sexual tension. No need to be disappointed when the book’s over: The Campbell brothers are an easy setup for a Story Lake trilogy, and Score drops hints about Zoey and Gage’s future in an author’s note.
Score’s latest romance brings humor, heat, and plenty of hijinks.Pub Date: March 11, 2025
ISBN: 9781728297057
Page Count: 528
Publisher: Bloom Books
Review Posted Online: Jan. 18, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2025
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
A warm and winning "When Harry Met Sally…" update that hits all the perfect notes.
A travel writer has one last shot at reconnecting with the best friend she just might be in love with.
Poppy and Alex couldn't be more different. She loves wearing bright colors while he prefers khakis and a T-shirt. She likes just about everything while he’s a bit more discerning. And yet, their opposites-attract friendship works because they love each other…in a totally platonic way. Probably. Even though they have their own separate lives (Poppy lives in New York City and is a travel writer with a popular Instagram account; Alex is a high school teacher in their tiny Ohio hometown), they still manage to get together each summer for one fabulous vacation. They grow closer every year, but Poppy doesn’t let herself linger on her feelings for Alex—she doesn’t want to ruin their friendship or the way she can be fully herself with him. They continue to date other people, even bringing their serious partners on their summer vacations…but then, after a falling-out, they stop speaking. When Poppy finds herself facing a serious bout of ennui, unhappy with her glamorous job and the life she’s been dreaming of forever, she thinks back to the last time she was truly happy: her last vacation with Alex. And so, though they haven’t spoken in two years, she asks him to take another vacation with her. She’s determined to bridge the gap that’s formed between them and become best friends again, but to do that, she’ll have to be honest with Alex—and herself—about her true feelings. In chapters that jump around in time, Henry shows readers the progression (and dissolution) of Poppy and Alex’s friendship. Their slow-burn love story hits on beloved romance tropes (such as there unexpectedly being only one bed on the reconciliation trip Poppy plans) while still feeling entirely fresh. Henry’s biggest strength is in the sparkling, often laugh-out-loud-funny dialogue, particularly the banter-filled conversations between Poppy and Alex. But there’s depth to the story, too—Poppy’s feeling of dissatisfaction with a life that should be making her happy as well as her unresolved feelings toward the difficult parts of her childhood make her a sympathetic and relatable character. The end result is a story that pays homage to classic romantic comedies while having a point of view all its own.
A warm and winning "When Harry Met Sally…" update that hits all the perfect notes.Pub Date: May 11, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-9848-0675-8
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Berkley
Review Posted Online: March 2, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2021
SEEN & HEARD
SEEN & HEARD
PERSPECTIVES
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