by Rachel Rener ‧ RELEASE DATE: N/A
An engaging, sexy love story with chills, humor, and supernatural intrigue.
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In this paranormal romance series starter, a tattoo artist finds love and deadly danger in the dark world of the fae.
A red-eyed serpent is loose in the Flourish and Dots Tattoo Parlor in Miami, and it looks remarkably like a design that tattoo artist Talia Kestenbaum just etched on the rear end of her last customer: “I had just witnessed a man get attacked by his own butt cobra.” Could the special ink she had used, which belonged to her sexy, enigmatic employer Zayn, have anything to do with it? In this lively novel, her investigation yields a cascade of revelations that will forever alter what Talia thought she knew of reality. After learning that Zayn is actually a mythological creature known as an incubus, he accompanies her through the treacherous shidden supernatural realm of the fae. However, he struggles to protect Talia, who turns out be a magnet for banshees, vampires, skin-melting plants, and a one-eyed giant, among other beings. When the time comes, will Talia be able to overcome her fears to save Zayn, whom she’s come to love? Rener, whose past fantasy works include The Lightning Conjurer series and The Girl Who Talks to Ashes (2020), delivers the first book in her four-volume Gilded Blood series. Readers can expect ambitious and entertaining worldbuilding, which successfully melds aspects of present-day American life with tattoos that are runes of power, blood types that correspond to types of magic, decidedly unfriendly creatures from folk tales and horror stories, and a mystery that involves a ruthless fae king. Feisty protagonist Talia is a familiar character type, but the references to her Jewish heritage give the story added dimension, and her relationship with her family is complex. Her mother’s phone calls at inopportune times are consistently humorous, which helps to balance the darker elements of the plot; so does the author’s colorful rendering of Zayn’s parrot familiar as an evolving personality with hidden depths. A surprise twist and unfinished fae business provide an effective setup for the next volume, Jinxed (2022).
An engaging, sexy love story with chills, humor, and supernatural intrigue.Pub Date: N/A
ISBN: 9798423761783
Page Count: -
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: June 2, 2023
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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by Ali Hazelwood ‧ RELEASE DATE: Nov. 7, 2023
Readers will devour this swoonworthy romance in one sitting.
Two talented chess players challenge each other on and off the board in bestselling author Hazelwood’s YA debut.
Eighteen-year-old Mallory Greenleaf is no longer interested in chess, not since her hypercompetitive dad left—the game calls up painful memories. But she grudgingly agrees to play in a charity tournament as a favor to best friend Easton Peña. After she unexpectedly beats current world champion Nolan Sawyer, she’s offered a fellowship that will prepare her to play professionally. Even though Mallory doesn’t want to play anymore, she needs the money that winning would provide; she’s delayed college to support her family, since her mother is chronically ill with rheumatoid arthritis and is unable to work regularly. The more time she spends with Nolan, the more Mallory comes to like and respect him—and the more time she spends playing chess, the more she remembers how much she loved it. But when she learns that Nolan has been keeping a big secret from her, she isn’t sure if she’ll be able to move past it to build a relationship with him. Filled with the author’s signature humor, well-developed characters, and realistic conflicts, plus the fully realized setting of competitive chess, this captivating romance will delight teen readers as well as Hazelwood’s adult fans. Mallory and Nolan are both cued white; there is some racial diversity among the supporting cast. Mallory and Easton are queer.
Readers will devour this swoonworthy romance in one sitting. (author’s note) (Romance. 14-adult)Pub Date: Nov. 7, 2023
ISBN: 9780593619919
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Putnam
Review Posted Online: Aug. 26, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2023
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PROFILES
by Colleen Hoover ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 2, 2016
Packed with riveting drama and painful truths, this book powerfully illustrates the devastation of abuse—and the strength of...
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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 30, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2016
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SEEN & HEARD
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