by Philip Ellis ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 14, 2023
A delightful, fast-paced escapade full of snappy dialogue.
Two thieves attempt to steal a pricey engagement ring—and maybe each other’s hearts—in this fake-dating rom-com.
Cat Bellamy is at the end of her rope. She’s broke, jobless, and on the verge of being kicked out of her London apartment. The only reason she gets by is because of her slightly morally dubious side gig—picking the pockets of pervy uncles at weddings and bros at the local bar. When her rich college friend Louisa Vincent asks Cat to be her bridesmaid, she feels more panic than joy—how will she ever afford fitting into Louisa’s super fancy lifestyle when she can barely afford dinner? When Louisa brags about her uber-expensive, highly guarded engagement ring, Cat gets an idea—but this will be a bigger job than she’s ever attempted before. Luckily Jake Marlowe, the bartender who’s seen her stealing wallets, has some skills of his own. He’s an even better thief than Cat is, able to slide a Rolex right off a customer’s wrist. If the two of them team up, they can pocket Louisa’s ring and be set for life…but since Jake is Cat’s plus-one, they’ll have to pretend to be a couple. They attend extravagant wedding events (including a bachelor/bachelorette party in Palermo) and hone their skills, fooling the other bridal party members while practicing for the big day. As the line between actual and pretend feelings gets blurry, soon Cat doesn’t know what to believe. Is she just in this for the job, or could her relationship with Jake be something real? In his debut, Ellis combines a heist with a romantic comedy and creates something exciting and vibrant. There’s real depth behind Cat’s tough-girl facade, and her snarky comments are laugh-out-loud hilarious.
A delightful, fast-paced escapade full of snappy dialogue.Pub Date: March 14, 2023
ISBN: 9780593542477
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Putnam
Review Posted Online: Jan. 24, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2023
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More by Philip Ellis
BOOK REVIEW
by Philip Ellis
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 Peyton Corinne ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 4, 2025
Deeply moving and emotional.
A hockey player falls in love with his tutor.
Matt “Freddy” Fredderic is the life of the party at Waterfell University. He’s a starter on the hockey team and can have any girl on campus—but he’s also in danger of failing out if he can’t improve his grades in math and biology. His ADHD, dyslexia, and dyscalculia make him eligible for university tutoring services, and Ro Shariff is his newly assigned tutor. Ro had a crush on Freddy freshman year but convinced herself that she’s over it now, in her senior year. She’s been in an on-again, off-again relationship with a guy named Tyler for the past two years, but he’s manipulative, borderline abusive, and probably cheating on her. Ro is desperate for love and affection and still suffers from bouts of intense homesickness. She and Freddy develop a tentative friendship even though they couldn’t be more different on the surface—he’s a popular, gregarious athlete to her quiet, introverted academic. Ro sees beyond Freddy’s persona as a dumb jock, while he recognizes that she feels lonely and like an outsider. When Freddy swoops in to rescue Ro after an ugly disagreement with Tyler, the two admit that their feelings for each other are more romantic than friendly. Corinne’s second novel is an emotional powerhouse. Ro and Freddy share everything with each other: fears of not being good enough for their friends, details of their harmful previous romantic relationships, and the deep feelings of grief related to illness and loss of parents. They have to learn to trust themselves and each other in the midst of the pressures that come with transitioning from college to adulthood. Their evolution from friends to lovers is a classic slow burn, and it makes for an angsty and deeply affecting read.
Deeply moving and emotional.Pub Date: Feb. 4, 2025
ISBN: 9781668068489
Page Count: 464
Publisher: Atria
Review Posted Online: Jan. 18, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2025
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