Tilly is great at writing suspense and creating strong heroines, but her book deserved a better ending.
Mary, the mysterious character from Hidden Cove (2019), the third volume of Tilly's Solace Island series, unmasks herself as Sarah Rainsford, a wealthy heiress running away from her violent, abusive husband.
Sarah and her cat, Charlie, are on the run and stuck in Los Angeles with no money. Sarah's parents were killed in a car crash. In their will, they left her hundreds of millions of dollars sewed up in a trust her brutal husband, Kevin, cannot touch. In a black rage, he beats pregnant Sarah until she begins to hemorrhage and loses her baby. Because of a fairly unbelievable complication, Sarah can't get a divorce because she has no personal papers to prove her identity. Her old family lawyer, the increasingly pernicious Phillip, has never sent her the documents she needs. Four years later, Kevin is viciously pursuing her, hoping to take Sarah alive and submissive. Sarah's a survivor. Using a fake ID, dyeing her hair, and calling herself Rachel Jones, she's hired as a live-in personal assistant to Mick Talford, a famous young Hollywood director and notorious hell-raiser living in an exclusive LA canyon mansion. Tilly, a Golden Globe–winning actress, has firmly established herself as a romance writer, and though she's been away from the Hollywood scene for a long time, she clearly knows the territory. Mick might be living the dream, but he grew up with his grandmother, a madam who ran a brothel in the Nevada desert. And he knows that Sarah, who is clearly a class act from the East Coast, is in trouble. He also starts to enjoy having someone around. But one day, while Sarah is out getting the fixings for apple pie, she sees police officers checking out her license plate, and she knows that Kevin, also a cop, has found her. Mick gains Sarah's trust, and the pair set off to repair her life as Kevin the villain, who has now drowned a friend of Mick's, pursues them. Tilly has a skillful way of interweaving a suspenseful thriller with the growing love that Sarah and Mick have for each other. But even with a plot twist at the end, the happily-ever-after is trite and contrived.
Tilly is great at writing suspense and creating strong heroines, but her book deserved a better ending.Pub Date: July 27, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-593-20108-4
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Berkley
Review Posted Online: June 15, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A thrilling, immersive tale that shows that some bargains demand more than just a crown.
A reluctant princess is thrust into deadly political intrigue in Perry’s sweeping, high-stakes romantasy.
Odessa is the overlooked and underestimated princess of Quentis, whose life takes an unexpected turn when a deal is struck between her father and the formidable Turan warriors force her into an arranged marriage with their enigmatic prince, Zavier Wolfe. Intended as a mere formality to secure trade routes and military alliances, the betrothal spirals into something far more dangerous when ancient magic, a ruthless Guardian, and a looming war threaten to upend everything she knows. Finally emerging from the shadow of her seemingly perfect half sister, Mae, Odessa must navigate court politics, monstrous creatures, and her own uncertain place in a world where survival often depends on strategy rather than strength. As tensions rise, she finds herself entangled with the dangerous, enigmatic Guardian—a man whose silver eyes hold secrets of their own. Perry’s worldbuilding is lush and immersive, crafting a kingdom rife with old magic, deadly beasts, and political machinations that add depth. The pacing is relentless, carrying Odessa from one life-altering event to another as she grapples with duty, defiance, and a destiny she never chose. Her internal conflict is compelling, torn between the expectations placed upon her and the fierce independence that threatens to make her an outcast in her own kingdom. Romance simmers as Odessa struggles to reconcile her obligations with her growing attraction to the Guardian, whose past is as shadowed as his reputation. Mae is introduced as Odessa’s political foil, and although her presence drives much of Odessa’s internal drama—being constantly overshadowed or underestimated—she’s mostly seen through Odessa’s perspective. Her motivations, ambitions, and political maneuverings might have benefited from deeper exploration to give more nuance to the power dynamics. However, Perry’s evocative prose and intricate plotting make for a gripping tale. Readers looking for a slow-burn romantasy with rich political intrigue and a protagonist forced to create her own fate will find much to enjoy.
A thrilling, immersive tale that shows that some bargains demand more than just a crown.Pub Date: May 6, 2025
ISBN: 9781649378514
Page Count: 528
Publisher: Entangled: Red Tower Books
Review Posted Online: March 26, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2025
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A charming dual-timeline romance about learning from past mistakes.
In Yarros’ latest romance novel, a young woman hires a handsome but infuriating writer to complete her late great-grandmother’s half-finished book.
After her marriage to a Hollywood producer ends in high-profile divorce, 28-year-old Georgia Stanton returns to her childhood home in Colorado. When she arrives at the house where she was raised by her great-grandma—the famous romance author Scarlett Stanton—she finds her mother, Ava, lying in wait. Georgia is in possession of the only unfinished manuscript that her deceased relative left behind, and her own mom wants her to sell the rights so they can get some cash. Georgia succumbs to the pressure and enters a deal in which another author will finish the book’s second half. The manuscript tells Scarlett’s life story, including how she found, and lost, her one true love. Georgia feels strongly that the finished novel must reflect the true events of Scarlett’s life, as difficult as they may have been. Unfortunately, the publishers hire Noah Harrison, a stubborn writer at the height of his career, who has his own fictional vision for the novel’s ending. As Noah and Georgia butt heads, each of them researches Scarlett’s history in England during World War II. As they learn more about Scarlett and Jameson Stanton, the fighter pilot she loved, Georgia and Noah must navigate their own increasingly complicated relationship. With two equally engrossing storylines, this book will draw in even seasoned romance readers. As the story jumps between past and present, the author also alternates present-day perspectives between Georgia and Noah, moving deftly between her characters’ distinct voices. The relationships are well developed, and the love that Scarlett felt for Jameson is especially palpable. Along with the sweetly romantic themes, the book explores several heftier topics, including personal ambition, grief, family discord, and self-esteem. The story has a few digressions that do little to advance the plot, but the main characters are sufficiently engrossing that readers will want to stick with them to the end.
A charming dual-timeline romance about learning from past mistakes.Pub Date: Feb. 23, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-68281-566-3
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Entangled: Amara
Review Posted Online: Jan. 20, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2021
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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