A sharp and funny look at an unhappy woman’s quest to manifest a better life.
An investment banking analyst dreams of becoming a yoga teacher, but that’s easier said than done.
Allegra hates her job. That’s not saying much, since everyone at Anderson Shaw, the most prestigious investment bank on Wall Street, hates their job. It involves pulling constant all-nighters, doing busy work at a moment’s notice, and working such long hours that a steady stream of caffeine is the only way to survive. But Allegra has a secret: Unlike her co-workers, she doesn’t dream of moving up the banking ladder and making a seven-figure salary. Allegra’s passion is yoga, and as soon as she gets her yearly bonus, she plans to quit Anderson Shaw, take a yoga training program, and become a teacher. The only problem is that her job is killing her. After one impulsive night away from the office leads to unknowingly sleeping with her new boss, Allegra’s at rock bottom—stressed, unhappy, and in awful physical shape from sitting hunched over a computer all day. That’s when she runs into her idol, an Instagram yogi named Skylar Smith. Skylar wants to help Allegra break out of her terrible job and into the world of yoga, but some of Skylar’s suggestions (such as fasting for 48 hours) actually create major problems for Allegra at work. Eventually, Allegra starts to realize that she doesn’t fully trust Skylar’s intentions, and she might just have to take more drastic action to get her life back on track. Debut author Henry has a background in both investment banking and yoga, and she imbues the story with believable and horrific details that perfectly illustrate how cutthroat and all-consuming the world of banking is (employees having seizures after working too long without sleep or passing out after overdosing on caffeine pills). Allegra’s work life is an endless stream of misery, but, luckily, on the page it’s much more entertaining due to her profane inner monologue that points out the ridiculousness she encounters in both the banking and yoga worlds.
A sharp and funny look at an unhappy woman’s quest to manifest a better life.Pub Date: July 9, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-982114-53-4
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Atria
Review Posted Online: April 13, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2019
BOOK REVIEW
A well-written but not especially engaging entry in London’s contemporary cowboy series.
In Book 3 of the Princes of Texas series (The Devil in the Saddle, 2019, etc.), a restless rancher is torn between the family business and bigger dreams.
Nick Prince’s dreams of becoming a commercial airline pilot were dashed when he inherited the family’s struggling business, Saddlebush Land and Cattle Company, after his father’s death 18 months ago. Deeply unsatisfied with the cattle rancher life, Nick is grumpy and brooding. His capable office manager, Charlotte Bailey, is a bubbly extrovert who enjoys needling Nick over their differing organization styles and his general moodiness. Sexual tension simmers just below the surface of their banter ever since their steamy encounter at the company Christmas party two years ago. Nick tries to put Charlotte out of his mind so he can focus on fixing up the family finances and leaving for flight school, but neither can resist flirting. Charlotte is funny, loving, and adores their little town of Three Rivers. She likes her job and wants to settle down and start a family, but she knows Nick is not ready: “Why did it have to be so hot and tense between them when he was the one guy who would never be the man she wanted?” Eventually, they give in to their desires and spend more time together, but the central conflict remains. Nick’s dithering and complaining wear thin, but he is surrounded by a lively group of family and friends who offer advice he mostly ignores. An engaging subplot, especially one that foregrounds life on the ranch, might have generated more excitement.
A well-written but not especially engaging entry in London’s contemporary cowboy series.Pub Date: March 3, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-451-49239-5
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Jove/Penguin
Review Posted Online: Jan. 26, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2020
Suspenseful, glamorous story of love, blackmail, and magic, set in New Orleans and Washington, D.C., about a family of high-class magicians practicing the time-honored profession of thievery. When magician Maxmillian Nouvelle adopts the 12-year-old runaway Luke Callahan, he gives him more than a family: He teaches him the secrets of blending what's real and what's not...giving people what they want—and also taking what they value. For the Great Nouvelle is a master jewel-thief; stealing from the undeserving rich warms his blood like the anticipation of good sex, a passion that both Luke and Max's bratty daughter Raxanne eventually share. Thirteen years pass: As Luke practices the fine arts of larceny and escapology, Roxanne grows into a flame-haired witch who turns bell, book, and candle into smoke onstage. Offstage, she trades in her David Cassidy poster for Luke; together, they set off sparks that could make an innocent bystander..go up in flames. But Luke's invincibility, like the Great Houdini's, is deceptive: Slimy Sam Wyatt—a former grifter now running for the Senate—slithers in from Luke's past, his frigid heart full of contempt for the family he once tried to seam. He threatens to frame Luke for murder and expose the Nouvelles' after-hours show unless he disappears. Five years later, a homesick Luke reappears, determined to show the disillusioned Roxanne that he's more than smoke and mirrors. Together, they set out to plot vengeance, staking everything on their most daring sting to date. True to the magician's oath, Roberts reveals no secrets, but the illusion works—in a compelling and detail-rich first hardcover. Good escape reading.
Pub Date: July 17, 1992
ISBN: 0-399-13761-0
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Putnam
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 1992
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