A lively, sexy, and fresh take on a beloved classic.
A spirited activist and a real estate CEO clash in a battle of heads and hearts in this inventive Austen retelling.
When Alizé Bennett, otherwise known as Liza B., isn’t showcasing international hip-hop on her radio show, she can be found protecting the housing rights of her tightknit D.C. community. News has spread about the imminent eviction of all residents from the low-income Longbourne Gardens complex due to Pemberley Development’s newest creation, Netherfield Court. Liza, her three siblings, their mother, and Granny—along with dozens of other longtime inhabitants—face losing their homes to make way for vegan bakeries and high-end pet spas. Liza has more than one bone to pick with the man behind the gentrification of her home: Dorsey Fitzgerald, Pemberley's acting CEO. After the tragic death of his adoptive parents and older brother, Dorsey became the heir to his family’s billions despite his feelings of inadequacy and general dislike of the very foundations of real estate development. Adopted from the Philippines at age 9 by the White Fitzgerald family, Dorsey has long felt as if he didn’t belong, and Liza’s fervent public protests of Netherfield do little to grant him credibility. As the two nemeses find themselves constantly in one another’s orbit, however, and as Liza and Dorsey squabble over politics and pride, their burning hatred starts to transform into passion. Soon, simple moments shared in snowstorms and innocent grocery store visits reverberate with their desire. Amid rising sexual tension, viral memes, and distractions from other potential mates, how will Liza and Dorsey make their love last? Payne’s version of Pride and Prejudice deftly explores themes of racism and idealism while providing deep insights into her characters. The author crafts a thoroughly modern update to Austen's novel and even offers a confident replacement for the untying-of-the-corset trope with the satisfying snap of shirt buttons.
A lively, sexy, and fresh take on a beloved classic.Pub Date: Nov. 15, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-593-44094-0
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Berkley
Review Posted Online: Aug. 30, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
With captivating dialogue, angst-y characters, and a couple of steamy sex scenes, Hoover has done it again.
After being released from prison, a young woman tries to reconnect with her 5-year-old daughter despite having killed the girl’s father.
Kenna didn’t even know she was pregnant until after she was sent to prison for murdering her boyfriend, Scotty. When her baby girl, Diem, was born, she was forced to give custody to Scotty’s parents. Now that she’s been released, Kenna is intent on getting to know her daughter, but Scotty’s parents won’t give her a chance to tell them what really happened the night their son died. Instead, they file a restraining order preventing Kenna from so much as introducing herself to Diem. Handsome, self-assured Ledger, who was Scotty’s best friend, is another key adult in Diem’s life. He’s helping her grandparents raise her, and he too blames Kenna for Scotty’s death. Even so, there’s something about her that haunts him. Kenna feels the pull, too, and seems to be seeking Ledger out despite his judgmental behavior. As Ledger gets to know Kenna and acknowledges his attraction to her, he begins to wonder if maybe he and Scotty’s parents have judged her unfairly. Even so, Ledger is afraid that if he surrenders to his feelings, Scotty’s parents will kick him out of Diem’s life. As Kenna and Ledger continue to mourn for Scotty, they also grieve the future they cannot have with each other. Told alternatively from Kenna’s and Ledger’s perspectives, the story explores the myriad ways in which snap judgments based on partial information can derail people’s lives. Built on a foundation of death and grief, this story has an undercurrent of sadness. As usual, however, the author has created compelling characters who are magnetic and sympathetic enough to pull readers in. In addition to grief, the novel also deftly explores complex issues such as guilt, self-doubt, redemption, and forgiveness.
With captivating dialogue, angst-y characters, and a couple of steamy sex scenes, Hoover has done it again.Pub Date: Jan. 18, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-5420-2560-7
Page Count: 335
Publisher: Montlake Romance
Review Posted Online: Oct. 12, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2021
SEEN & HEARD
BOOK TO SCREEN
BOOK TO SCREEN
Sink your teeth into this delightful paranormal romance with a modern twist.
A vampire and an Alpha werewolf enter into a marriage of convenience in order to ease tensions between their species.
As the only daughter of a prominent Vampyre councilman, Misery Lark has grown accustomed to playing the role that’s demanded of her—and now, her father is ordering her to be part of yet another truce agreement. In an effort to maintain goodwill between the Vampyres and their longtime nemeses the Weres, Misery must wed their Alpha, Lowe Moreland. But it turns out that Misery has her own motivations for agreeing to this political marriage, including finding answers about what happened to her best friend, who went missing after setting up a meeting in Were territory. Isolated from her kind and surrounded on all sides by the enemy after the wedding, Misery refuses to let herself forget about her real mission. It doesn’t matter that Lowe is one of the most confounding and intense people she’s ever met, or that the connection building between them doesn’t feel like one born entirely of convenience. There’s also the possibility that Lowe may already have a Were mate of his own, but in spite of their biological differences, they may turn out to be the missing piece in each other’s lives. While this is Hazelwood’s first paranormal romance, and the book does lean on some hallmark tropes of the genre, the contemporary setting lends itself to the author’s trademark humor and makes the political plot more easily digestible. Misery and Lowe’s slow-burn romance is appealing enough that readers will readily devour every moment between them and hunger to return to them whenever the story diverts from their scenes together.
Sink your teeth into this delightful paranormal romance with a modern twist.Pub Date: Feb. 6, 2024
ISBN: 9780593550403
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Berkley
Review Posted Online: Oct. 21, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2023
PERSPECTIVES
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