A believable cast populates this somewhat introspective novel that drills down on life lessons.
A complicated relationship between a middle-aged man and his young protégé threads through this saga about flawed people struggling to find happiness.
In Tityk’s debut novel, college student Gwen Bresden wants to be a dentist because it will allow her to be independent. She knows that Dr. Jamey Lee—a Scot 30 years her senior—is one of the best dentists in her home province of British Columbia. She thinks shadowing him at his practice one summer will look good on her dental school applications. Her plan works, and the pair connect occasionally as she progresses through school. Although happily married for 30 years to slightly older Lottie, Jamey falls for Gwen. He also respects her as a dentist and suggests they establish a joint practice. She does have feelings for Jamey, but not lusty ones; besides, she adores his wife. While working long hours together, however, sexual cavorting ensues, even in the dental chair, which was “not designed for such frolicking; the cuspidor kept getting in the way.” Lottie suspects Jamey’s relationship with Gwen isn’t all work, but she “wasn’t unhappy. And so, she decided to say nothing.” When Gwen meets blue-collar Edward, she is “taken off guard by his good looks, his height, and his flirtatious charm.” Now in his 40s, he’s still on the prowl (“God, how he loved the chase”), and he’s taken with Gwen’s professionalism and sophistication. When she discovers he’s married with children, she is already in love with him, and he feels comfortable living a double life for years. This first-time author takes the adage “write what you know about” to heart, as she is a dentist. Information on dentistry, some of it interesting, goes deep into the weeds and could be trimmed. The characters are very real, certainly not always right or even predictable, but worth caring about. And their outcomes are often surprising. Conversations are authentic and descriptions notable, such as, “she looked the part of what he imagined JFK’s second wife would have been: blond, trim, and stylish.” Inclusion of topics such as women’s bodily autonomy is timely.
A believable cast populates this somewhat introspective novel that drills down on life lessons.Pub Date: Sept. 17, 2024
ISBN: 9781038310392
Page Count: 408
Publisher: FriesenPress
Review Posted Online: Nov. 12, 2024
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Have tissues ready as you read this. A small package will do.
A love story about a life of second chances.
In Nassau, in the Bahamas, casino detective Vincent LaPorta grills Alfie Logan, who’d come up a winner three times in a row at the roulette table and walked away with $2 million. “How did you do it?” asks the detective. Alfie calmly denies cheating. You wired all the money to a Gianna Rule, LaPorta says. Why? To explain, Alfie produces a composition book with the words “For the Boss, to Be Read Upon My Death” written on the cover. Read this for answers, Alfie suggests, calling it a love story. His mother had passed along to him a strange trait: He can say “Twice!” and go back to a specific time and place to have a do-over. But it only works once for any particular moment, and then he must live with the new consequences. He can only do this for himself and can’t prevent anyone from dying. Alfie regularly uses his power—failing to impress a girl the first time, he finds out more about her, goes back in time, and presto! She likes him. The premise is of course not credible—LaPorta doesn’t buy it either—but it’s intriguing. Most people would probably love to go back and unsay something. The story’s focus is on Alfie’s love for Gianna and whether it’s requited, unrequited, or both. In any case, he’s obsessed with her. He’s a good man, though, an intelligent person with ordinary human failings and a solid moral compass. Albom writes in a warm, easy style that transports the reader to a world of second chances and what-ifs, where spirituality lies close to the surface but never intrudes on the story. Though a cynic will call it sappy, anyone who is sick to their core from the daily news will enjoy this escape from reality.
Have tissues ready as you read this. A small package will do.Pub Date: Oct. 7, 2025
ISBN: 9780062406682
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: July 18, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2025
SEEN & HEARD
SEEN & HEARD
SEEN & HEARD
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
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