A charming, character-driven work that will appeal to 21st-century romantics.
A series-starting Regency romance about a vicar’s daughter faking an engagement, followed by a series of short stories.
Each book in Golden’s new series is an anthology containing a novel and a series of flash-fiction tales that originally appeared in the author’s monthly newsletter. All center on themes of love in the Regency or Georgian era, and the stories feature Trang’s occasional black-and-white illustrations, which often depict specific characters. The titular novel is a Regency romance with protagonist Abbie Walsley, the youngest of a vicar’s four daughters in the sleepy but charming town of Sidvale in England’s Devonshire County. She’s a writer, concocting adventures of her ideal knight in shining armor, “Sir Bartholomew,” while providing tips as the town’s advice columnist, “Mrs. Button,” in the local newspaper. As she’s financially stable, she has no urgent need to marry, and she resolves not to do so unless it’s for love. When Viscount Lord Dunley proposes to her, under orders from his mother, Abbie panics and lies, saying she’s already betrothed to Sir Bartholomew. In an unexpected turn of events, Dunley falsely believes that Percy Randall, the philandering second son of the Earl of Camforth, is Abbie’s betrothed. As Abbie and Percy attempt to preserve their reputations, they strike a mutually beneficial deal—but soon they must contend with their growing mutual attraction. Golden creates tangible chemistry between the apparent London rake and the outwardly drab vicar’s daughter. She also importantly acknowledges the era’s diversity with the inclusion of Leila Owen, a woman of East Indian origin who’s a member of the literary society that Abbie attends, and effectively shows how neither Abbie nor Percy match the stereotypical first impressions they have of each other. Overall, the novel’s greatest strength is its steady, careful character development. By comparison, the flash-fiction pieces, though entertaining, often feel rushed. However, the author shows great creativity with these vignettes, particularly “Midsummer,” about two lovers waiting to be reunited, and “Haunted,” a gothic-horror–inspired tale of a romantic encounter.
A charming, character-driven work that will appeal to 21st-century romantics.Pub Date: July 18, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-73523-600-1
Page Count: 337
Publisher: Self
Review Posted Online: Jan. 25, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2022
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
Haphazard and undemanding.
A sports agent’s first official client is the man she dumped years ago in college.
After two years of hard work as an underling, Nora Mackenzie is finally being promoted to full-time sports agent. She’s worked hard, kept quiet, and allowed men in the office to call her Mac—a nickname she hates—all to show she’s a team player and “one of the guys.” Unfortunately, her boss instructs her to sign Derek Pender, a football player coming off an injury, who happens to be the man she heartlessly dumped in their senior year of college. Derek signs with her for revenge, seeing it as his opportunity to pay Nora back for callously breaking his heart eight years earlier. He insists she be at his beck and call: answering his emails, running his errands, cooking dinner for his dates. He also refuses to let her explain why she broke up with him without warning or explanation. Nora feels she has no choice but to acquiesce to Derek’s humiliating demands, since she’s worked too hard to let him ruin her dream job. She hopes he’ll thaw and they might become friends, but Derek’s bad behavior is designed to hide the fact that he’s still in love with her. Nora’s characterization is uneven, veering between anger at how she’s treated in the male-dominated field to immature bickering and bantering with Derek. Although Adams likely meant for Derek and Nora’s interactions to have an enemies-to-lovers vibe, the characters instead seem juvenile and stuck in the past. The novel is fueled by a string of tropes—second chance romance! married in Vegas! only one bed!—each randomly deployed to keep the book going despite thin characterization and wan plotting.
Haphazard and undemanding.Pub Date: April 2, 2024
ISBN: 9780593723678
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Dell
Review Posted Online: Jan. 5, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
Through palpable tension balanced with glimmers of hope, Hoover beautifully captures the heartbreak and joy of starting over.
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
SEEN & HEARD
SEEN & HEARD
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