An American event planner deals with the public scrutiny that comes with dating an openly gay British prince.
Carter Ogden is almost 30 and his life isn’t what he thought it would be. He’s an “associate event architect” (a fancy name for “event planner”) in New York City, and he’s heartbroken over the vain actor who just dumped him. So he visits St. Patrick’s Cathedral (even though he’s Jewish) and sends up a sort-of prayer: He wants a big life. He wants purpose and love and the chance to make a difference in the world. His prayer is almost immediately answered in the form of Edgar, the Prince of Wales, who's doing a press conference (planned by Carter’s company, of course) at the United Nations for a charity devoted to providing clean drinking water to people who need it. But Prince Edgar isn’t just charitable—he’s also impossibly good-looking and openly gay. Carter both admires and hates him for being so perfect (or, as he puts it, “I seriously wanted to slap his photo or have sex with it”). As soon as Carter meets Prince Edgar, however, he realizes that he’s more than just a man who’s next in line to the throne—he’s also the guy of Carter’s dreams. They begin a whirlwind romance that’s full of public dates and even more public humiliations, such as Carter getting food poisoning on live TV. But their problems are larger than just an ill-timed bout of projectile vomiting. Carter isn’t sure if their relationship can withstand tabloid headlines, constant public opinions, and the fact that the queen doesn’t much care for their union. As the scrutiny intensifies and the obstacles mount, Carter wonders if he and Edgar are doomed—or if their royal romance is his happily-ever-after. Carter is a wickedly sharp and snarky narrator, throwing in pop-culture references and self-deprecating asides that make it a delight to be inside his head. Edgar, however, isn’t as easy to like. Because his relationship with Carter develops so quickly, it’s hard to understand his motivations or get invested in the men's love story. However, Rudnick (who, in addition to being a novelist, is a playwright and screenwriter) rounds out their world with a gaggle of wacky side characters who make it easy to coast along on the surface.
A light and frothy take on royal romance.Pub Date: May 25, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-593-09941-4
Page Count: 272
Publisher: Berkley
Review Posted Online: March 3, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2021
Categories: ROMANCE | LBGTQ | GENERAL ROMANCE
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PERSPECTIVES
Through palpable tension balanced with glimmers of hope, Hoover beautifully captures the heartbreak and joy of starting over.
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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 27, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2022
Categories: ROMANCE | CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE | GENERAL ROMANCE | GENERAL FICTION
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SEEN & HEARD
SEEN & HEARD
Packed with riveting drama and painful truths, this book powerfully illustrates the devastation of abuse—and the strength of...
187
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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 31, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2016
Categories: GENERAL ROMANCE | ROMANCE | CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE
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SEEN & HEARD
SEEN & HEARD
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