An outlandishly improbable revenge tale.
Some college friends revisit a tragedy that changed their lives and promises to do so again.
In this debut novel, Kate Johansen is a successful political operative in Washington, D.C., working for a prominent female senator. She organizes a reunion of her closest college friends—billed as a fun opportunity to catch up and reminisce—but her true purpose is to discuss a macabre trauma she once suffered and that they have all agreed to bury in secrecy, concealing the truth even from their husbands. One night the girls ventured out to a new bar, and Kate, who was underage, used her friend Eva Mendez’s ID to gain entry. Unfortunately, Kate was mistakenly identified by thugs as Eva, whose father was the Colombian ambassador. They kidnapped Kate, brutally tortured and violated her, and demanded a ransom for her return. The ambassador’s security team—aided by three of Kate’s male friends—assaulted and killed the two Nicaraguans who delivered the captive in exchange for the ransom. Once Kate was rescued, the team took possession of a file of grim photographs documenting her abuse at the hands of her tormentors. Now, years later, Kate and the three friends—Brian, Kevin, and Matthew—who helped kill her abductors are all being blackmailed, and they suspect it’s by the families of the culprits seeking revenge. When she tracks down Eva, Kate discovers that her father and first husband died under mysterious circumstances and that she’s now married to the vice president of Nicaragua. After an attempt is made to kill Brian, Kevin, and Matthew, evidence surfaces that suggests the blackmailing scheme might be part of a political conspiracy, potentially a Nicaraguan coup staged by Eva’s husband. Christiansen was once a Capitol Hill staffer like the book’s protagonist, and her knowledge of Washington’s political culture shines through brightly. In addition, the author keeps the novel’s pace dizzying, delivering nearly constant action. But the intricate story is wildly implausible and often confusing. Furthermore, the writing in general is uneven. Despite the gravity of the subject matter, Christiansen’s narration is reminiscent of a lively teenager’s tone (“She can’t compose herself enough to speak as she walks out the door. Why was it that she had fought to do this?! Thank god her mascara is waterproof…”).
An outlandishly improbable revenge tale.Pub Date: Sept. 11, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-975950-12-5
Page Count: 354
Publisher: CreateSpace
Review Posted Online: Oct. 6, 2017
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Packed with riveting drama and painful truths, this book powerfully illustrates the devastation of abuse—and the strength of...
Hoover’s (November 9, 2015, etc.) latest tackles the difficult subject of domestic violence with romantic tenderness and emotional heft.
At first glance, the couple is edgy but cute: Lily Bloom runs a flower shop for people who hate flowers; Ryle Kincaid is a surgeon who says he never wants to get married or have kids. They meet on a rooftop in Boston on the night Ryle loses a patient and Lily attends her abusive father’s funeral. The provocative opening takes a dark turn when Lily receives a warning about Ryle’s intentions from his sister, who becomes Lily’s employee and close friend. Lily swears she’ll never end up in another abusive home, but when Ryle starts to show all the same warning signs that her mother ignored, Lily learns just how hard it is to say goodbye. When Ryle is not in the throes of a jealous rage, his redeeming qualities return, and Lily can justify his behavior: “I think we needed what happened on the stairwell to happen so that I would know his past and we’d be able to work on it together,” she tells herself. Lily marries Ryle hoping the good will outweigh the bad, and the mother-daughter dynamics evolve beautifully as Lily reflects on her childhood with fresh eyes. Diary entries fancifully addressed to TV host Ellen DeGeneres serve as flashbacks to Lily’s teenage years, when she met her first love, Atlas Corrigan, a homeless boy she found squatting in a neighbor’s house. When Atlas turns up in Boston, now a successful chef, he begs Lily to leave Ryle. Despite the better option right in front of her, an unexpected complication forces Lily to cut ties with Atlas, confront Ryle, and try to end the cycle of abuse before it’s too late. The relationships are portrayed with compassion and honesty, and the author’s note at the end that explains Hoover’s personal connection to the subject matter is a must-read.
Packed with riveting drama and painful truths, this book powerfully illustrates the devastation of abuse—and the strength of the survivors.Pub Date: Aug. 2, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-5011-1036-8
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Atria
Review Posted Online: May 30, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2016
SEEN & HEARD
SEEN & HEARD
A thoughtful and pensive tale with intelligent characters and a satisfying romance.
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
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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