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BETTER HOMES AND HAUNTINGS

Fun, sweet, spooky and sexy.

Billionaire social media magnate Deacon Whitney contracts a group of renovation specialists, including landscape designer Nina Linden, to live and work on his remote island estate.

After generations of neglect, the Crane’s Nest is getting some attention. The once-beautiful estate—which sits in Narragansett Bay—has been left mostly to disintegrate since it was built by Gerald Whitney for his wife, Catherine. Just after the mansion was completed, Catherine was murdered, and the shadow of her mysterious death hung over Gerald for the rest of his life; the family has never been able to restore its fortunes or its reputation. Until Deacon. The island has long been rumored to be haunted, but Deacon—a man of science—refuses to believe it. Nina is so desperate to rebuild her life and career after her former partner (in business and romance) betrayed her that she’s grateful for the opportunity, no matter what misgivings she may have about the place or its oddly attractive owner. As the collection of people—Deacon’s cousin Dotty; his best friend and architect, Jake; and professional organizer Cindy—become colleagues, then friends, none of them can deny that there is some malevolent force on the island, and they have to solve the mystery of Catherine’s murder before history repeats itself. After writing successful Southern contemporary and vampire-themed paranormal romances, Harper turns her humor and charm to a Gothic-haunted-house-on-a-remote-island story. The characters are authentic and appealing, the sexual and romantic tension are perfectly balanced, and the snippets of the past as experienced by modern-day characters in dreams and trances should seem trite but work quite well. With more than one enemy, it’s sometimes hard to know who’s responsible for what, and the ending almost makes it seem like the heroes were at times too easily misled. But Harper is a witty, engaging writer, and any weaknesses are completely overcome by the strength of the writing and storytelling.

Fun, sweet, spooky and sexy.

Pub Date: June 24, 2014

ISBN: 978-1-4767-0600-9

Page Count: 384

Publisher: Pocket

Review Posted Online: May 6, 2014

Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2014

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THE LAST LETTER

A thoughtful and pensive tale with intelligent characters and a satisfying romance.

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A promise to his best friend leads an Army serviceman to a family in need and a chance at true love in this novel.

Beckett Gentry is surprised when his Army buddy Ryan MacKenzie gives him a letter from Ryan’s sister, Ella. Abandoned by his mother, Beckett grew up in a series of foster homes. He is wary of attachments until he reads Ella’s letter. A single mother, Ella lives with her twins, Maisie and Colt, at Solitude, the resort she operates in Telluride, Colorado. They begin a correspondence, although Beckett can only identify himself by his call sign, Chaos. After Ryan’s death during a mission, Beckett travels to Telluride as his friend had requested. He bonds with the twins while falling deeply in love with Ella. Reluctant to reveal details of Ryan’s death and risk causing her pain, Beckett declines to disclose to Ella that he is Chaos. Maisie needs treatment for neuroblastoma, and Beckett formally adopts the twins as a sign of his commitment to support Ella and her children. He and Ella pursue a romance, but when an insurance investigator questions the adoption, Beckett is faced with revealing the truth about the letters and Ryan’s death, risking losing the family he loves. Yarros’ (Wilder, 2016, etc.) novel is a deeply felt and emotionally nuanced contemporary romance bolstered by well-drawn characters and strong, confident storytelling. Beckett and Ella are sympathetic protagonists whose past experiences leave them cautious when it comes to love. Beckett never knew the security of a stable home life. Ella impulsively married her high school boyfriend, but the marriage ended when he discovered she was pregnant. The author is especially adept at developing the characters through subtle but significant details, like Beckett’s aversion to swearing. Beckett and Ella’s romance unfolds slowly in chapters that alternate between their first-person viewpoints. The letters they exchanged are pivotal to their connection, and almost every chapter opens with one. Yarros’ writing is crisp and sharp, with passages that are poetic without being florid. For example, in a letter to Beckett, Ella writes of motherhood: “But I’m not the center of their universe. I’m more like their gravity.” While the love story is the book’s focus, the subplot involving Maisie’s illness is equally well-developed, and the link between Beckett and the twins is heartfelt and sincere.

A thoughtful and pensive tale with intelligent characters and a satisfying romance.

Pub Date: Feb. 26, 2019

ISBN: 978-1-64063-533-3

Page Count: 432

Publisher: Entangled: Amara

Review Posted Online: Jan. 2, 2019

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2019

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LOVE AND OTHER WORDS

With frank language and patient plotting, this gangly teen crush grows into a confident adult love affair.

Eleven years ago, he broke her heart. But he doesn’t know why she never forgave him.

Toggling between past and present, two love stories unfold simultaneously. In the first, Macy Sorensen meets and falls in love with the boy next door, Elliot Petropoulos, in the closet of her dad’s vacation home, where they hide out to discuss their favorite books. In the second, Macy is working as a doctor and engaged to a single father, and she hasn’t spoken to Elliot since their breakup. But a chance encounter forces her to confront the truth: what happened to make Macy stop speaking to Elliot? Ultimately, they’re separated not by time or physical remoteness but by emotional distance—Elliot and Macy always kept their relationship casual because they went to different schools. And as a teen, Macy has more to worry about than which girl Elliot is taking to the prom. After losing her mother at a young age, Macy is navigating her teenage years without a female role model, relying on the time-stamped notes her mother left in her father’s care for guidance. In the present day, Macy’s father is dead as well. She throws herself into her work and rarely comes up for air, not even to plan her upcoming wedding. Since Macy is still living with her fiance while grappling with her feelings for Elliot, the flashbacks offer steamy moments, tender revelations, and sweetly awkward confessions while Macy makes peace with her past and decides her future.

With frank language and patient plotting, this gangly teen crush grows into a confident adult love affair.

Pub Date: April 10, 2018

ISBN: 978-1-5011-2801-1

Page Count: 416

Publisher: Gallery Books/Simon & Schuster

Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2018

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2018

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