A successful journalist with a dark secret mentors an ambitious young reporter in this debut novel.
After an embarrassing career misstep and ugly breakup, 25-year-old Megan Barnes flees New York City and heads back home to the Chicago suburbs for a fresh start. But life in the Windy City isn’t without its complications. Her mother is running for Congress as a Republican, much to the dismay of her left-leaning daughter, and the single job interview Megan lands is a bust. At a rally against sexual assault, she tussles with an angry misogynist, capturing the attention of her personal hero, Jocelyn Jones, an icon of journalism “right up there with Diane Sawyer, Christiane Amanpour, and Leslie Stahl.” Soon, Megan has been hired to assist with PR for Jocelyn’s upcoming memoir, with the promise of a glowing recommendation and referral to an editor at the Chicago Tribune once the job is done. But when an anonymous Twitter user starts hinting about a scandal in Jocelyn’s past, the devoted Megan discovers there’s more to her idol than it appears. In her book, Smith spins a brisk, engrossing tale about an idealistic, occasionally naïve woman who finds her neat assumptions about the world challenged by a messy reality. Megan’s relationship with her overprotective, conservative mother is believably fraught, and her desire to find a strong female role model in Jocelyn is palpable. The author tackles weighty topics, including abortion and the right/left political divide, with grace and finesse. Despite their differences, Megan and her mother are ultimately able to find a common ground. Meanwhile, Jocelyn’s liberal bona fides can’t hide her rotten core. While the idea that a few vague tweets would prompt a full-blown “crisis which could damage” Jocelyn’s reputation and prompt a “horde of reporters” to camp out on her doorstep seems a stretch, Smith manages to sell it. Ultimately, Megan learns an important lesson for anyone, journalist or not: There’s a danger in making judgments based on feelings rather than cold, hard facts.
An engaging and topical tale of politics and journalistic ethics with a feminist slant.Pub Date: March 8, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-64538-262-1
Page Count: 356
Publisher: Ten16 Press
Review Posted Online: July 9, 2021
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Categories: FAMILY LIFE & FRIENDSHIP | GENERAL FICTION
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A wistfully nostalgic look at endings, beginnings, and loving the people who will always have your back.
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Exes pretend they’re still together for the sake of their friends on their annual summer vacation.
Wyn Connor and Harriet Kilpatrick were the perfect couple—until Wyn dumped Harriet for reasons she still doesn’t fully understand. They’ve been part of the same boisterous friend group since college, and they know that their breakup will devastate the others and make things more than a little awkward. So they keep it a secret from their friends and families—in fact, Harriet barely even admits it to herself, focusing instead on her grueling hours as a surgical resident. She’s ready for a vacation at her happy place—the Maine cottage she and her friends visit every summer. But (surprise!) Wyn is there too, and he and Harriet have to share a (very romantic) room and a bed. Telling the truth about their breakup is out of the question, because the cottage is up for sale, and this is the group’s last hurrah. Determined to make sure everyone has the perfect last trip, Harriet and Wyn resolve to fake their relationship for the week. The problem with this plan, of course, is that Harriet still has major feelings for Wyn—feelings that only get stronger as they pretend to be blissfully in love. As always, Henry’s dialogue is sparkling and the banter between characters is snappy and hilarious. Wyn and Harriet’s relationship, shown both in the past and the present, feels achingly real. Their breakup, as well as their complicated relationships with their own families, adds a twinge of melancholy, as do the relatable growing pains of a group of friends whose lives are taking them in different directions.
A wistfully nostalgic look at endings, beginnings, and loving the people who will always have your back.Pub Date: April 25, 2023
ISBN: 9780593441275
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Berkley
Review Posted Online: Feb. 23, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2023
Categories: ROMANCE | CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE | GENERAL ROMANCE | GENERAL FICTION
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Through palpable tension balanced with glimmers of hope, Hoover beautifully captures the heartbreak and joy of starting over.
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The sequel to It Ends With Us (2016) shows the aftermath of domestic violence through the eyes of a single mother.
Lily Bloom is still running a flower shop; her abusive ex-husband, Ryle Kincaid, is still a surgeon. But now they’re co-parenting a daughter, Emerson, who's almost a year old. Lily won’t send Emerson to her father’s house overnight until she’s old enough to talk—“So she can tell me if something happens”—but she doesn’t want to fight for full custody lest it become an expensive legal drama or, worse, a physical fight. When Lily runs into Atlas Corrigan, a childhood friend who also came from an abusive family, she hopes their friendship can blossom into love. (For new readers, their history unfolds in heartfelt diary entries that Lily addresses to Finding Nemo star Ellen DeGeneres as she considers how Atlas was a calming presence during her turbulent childhood.) Atlas, who is single and running a restaurant, feels the same way. But even though she’s divorced, Lily isn’t exactly free. Behind Ryle’s veneer of civility are his jealousy and resentment. Lily has to plan her dates carefully to avoid a confrontation. Meanwhile, Atlas’ mother returns with shocking news. In between, Lily and Atlas steal away for romantic moments that are even sweeter for their authenticity as Lily struggles with child care, breastfeeding, and running a business while trying to find time for herself.
Through palpable tension balanced with glimmers of hope, Hoover beautifully captures the heartbreak and joy of starting over.Pub Date: Oct. 18, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-668-00122-6
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Atria
Review Posted Online: July 26, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2022
Categories: ROMANCE | CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE | GENERAL ROMANCE | GENERAL FICTION
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