by Nancy Herkness ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 14, 2020
A middling romance that fails its suspenseful setup.
A high-finance dreamboat and a mousy bookkeeper become entangled in a white-collar mystery.
Alice Thurber is known for her thoroughness with numbers, finding comfort in their dependability after having grown up in financial uncertainty. But when she takes a chance on new bookkeeping software, the accounts of several of her clients start coming up short, so Alice takes advantage of a free service for small businesses from KRG Consulting Group. Derek Killion, a co-founder of KRG, is riding high after having secured a large international partnership, but his pet project is their new Small Business Initiative. When Alice comes to him with her problem, he assumes he'll find the solution in a matter of minutes. Instead, Derek is stumped, causing him to work a bit more closely with shy, self-conscious Alice. Soon, they're uncovering the origins of Alice's shady bookkeeping software, with its links to Russian programmers, which feels depressingly close to today's news cycle. Alice is living a Cinderella story: Ever since her parents underestimated her looks and her dreams when she was young, she's been full of self-doubt, which permeates every interaction she has with Derek, plus there are clear class differences between her and her Prince Charming. It quickly becomes pitiable to see Alice view herself in such an overwhelmingly negative light. The romance is fine but stilted due to oddly placed information dumps about people like computer pioneer Ada Lovelace and outdated pop-culture references to American Graffiti and The Music Man. The suspense elements are the most interesting part of the book, given their plausibility, but they feel more carefully thought-out than the characters' actual chemistry.
A middling romance that fails its suspenseful setup.Pub Date: April 14, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-5420-0016-1
Page Count: 270
Publisher: Montlake Romance
Review Posted Online: March 1, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2020
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by Colleen Hoover ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 18, 2022
Through palpable tension balanced with glimmers of hope, Hoover beautifully captures the heartbreak and joy of starting over.
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New York Times Bestseller
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
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SEEN & HEARD
SEEN & HEARD
by Rebecca Serle ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 19, 2024
An entertaining love story with moments of depth.
What would you do if you knew your romantic destiny?
When Daphne Bell receives a card that says the word “Jake” and nothing else, she’s pretty sure she’s about to meet the man she will spend the rest of her life with. In many ways Daphne is your average 30-something, with a middling career as a producer’s assistant in Hollywood and a loving family and friends. But Daphne has received a little extra-special gift (mandate?) from the universe: Near the beginning of romantic relationships, she somehow receives a note bearing the name of a man and the exact amount of time they will date. This began in the fifth grade with a postcard saying, “Seth, eight days.” Since Jake’s card lacks a duration, Daphne jumps to the only logical conclusion: He must be “the one.” When Daphne finally meets Jake Green, he turns out to be sweet and sexy and has the delightful quirk of jotting down in a notebook every time he sees someone wearing Doc Martens, so she decides to put her faith in fate and go all in. But, of course, it can’t be so simple. First, Daphne is hiding significant secrets from Jake. And second, there is Hugo (3 months), Daphne’s ex-boyfriend and current best friend. Although Hugo is always dating some woman or other, when he and Jake meet, the awkward encounter makes it clear that not everyone is okay with Daphne and Hugo’s universe-sanctioned breakup. Ultimately, it’s up to Daphne to decide how much she’s willing to risk to take control of her future. Nothing groundbreaking here, but Serle provides an interesting conceit and a healthy dose of wit that readers will appreciate.
An entertaining love story with moments of depth.Pub Date: March 19, 2024
ISBN: 9781982166823
Page Count: 272
Publisher: Atria
Review Posted Online: Jan. 5, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2024
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