A delectable rom-com debut.
Two bakeries in the fair city of Olinda, Brazil, are rivals—and two teens fall in love while fighting for their livelihoods.
Lari Ramires grieves the recent passing of her beloved grandmother, her absence deeply felt everywhere, especially in the now-empty spot she occupied in Salt, their family’s bakery. Already struggling to make ends meet thanks to fierce competition with Sugar, the bakery across the street owned by the Molinas, their longtime enemies, the family business takes an even bigger hit when supermarket chain Deals Deals starts driving small businesses to close. Lari finds herself at a crossroads, wanting to help with the bakery but under strict guidance from her mother to concentrate on her studies so that she can be the first Ramires to go to university. To protect Salt, she may do the unthinkable: reach out to Pedro, the Molinas’ teen son, to see if they can work together to save their bakeries. Can Pedro and Lari overcome decades of familial mistrust to work together? Brazilian author Carvalho’s novel is a sweet, charming story that sets its perfectly seasoned enemy-to-lovers tale in the diverse region of northeastern Brazil. As Pedro and Lari’s connection develops, their romance is enriched by the ways they find their own voices despite the weight of family expectations, grief, and financial distress.
A delectable rom-com debut. (Romance. 14-18)Pub Date: Nov. 1, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-335-45433-1
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Inkyard Press
Review Posted Online: Aug. 16, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2022
A lush and hypnotic modern fairy tale.
Ten years ago, enigmatic film star Mireille Foix disappeared from Viloxin, her Mediterranean island home, leaving her pharma tycoon husband and two young daughters bereft.
Eighteen-year-old Manon and 17-year-old Thaïs have lived with their aunt in New York City ever since, and their father’s death the previous summer still stings. Tai is puckish and effervescent, with “beautiful gemstones of stories that she’s sharpened to points” and musical laughter that hides deep insecurity. Noni, on the other hand, is a bookish and unabashedly melancholy young woman. When they get an invitation to return to Viloxin, the “Eden” of their childhood, as guests of honor at a retrospective of their mother’s work, they can’t pass it up. Soon after their arrival, Tai discovers White Fox, a legendary unfinished script penned by her mother. The screenplay, which is nestled in between Tai’s and Manon’s narratives as well as that of Boy, a darkly mysterious third narrator, may hold the key to Mireille’s fate. Desperate for the truth, Tai and Noni are enticed into an eerie and darkly seductive puzzle box of enigmatic clues, revelations, and danger. Faring, an imaginative, tactile, and immensely quotable wordsmith, explores the complexities of sisterhood and grief with a deft hand, and her unusual island setting, with its futuristic touches, draws readers in with a sensuous warmth that belies the sharp teeth beneath its surface. Most main characters seem to be White.
A lush and hypnotic modern fairy tale. (Mystery. 14-18)Pub Date: Sept. 22, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-250-30452-0
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Imprint
Review Posted Online: July 7, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
PERSPECTIVES
Sparkling and lush; a gem.
A witch and two princes are brought together in an adventure to save 8th-century Wales.
When Ffion, a hedgewitch estranged from her powerful magical family, members of the Foxhall coven, suffers a terrible loss, she finds herself in the position to team up on a quest with Taliesin, the “bastard prince” of her kingdom of Powys. Ffion sets out to walk the length of Offa’s Dyke, determined to use her own magic to destroy it in order to return the disappearing magic to Wales. Meanwhile, Tal and his brother, Dafydd, have been pitted against one another in a challenge from their father, King Cadell, to destroy the dyke: Whoever succeeds will inherit the throne. While clever, opportunistic Tal hates magic, he’s desperate to become king. Dafydd would rather spend his days working at his forge as a blacksmith, but he’s coerced by Cadell into competing. Throughout the journey to destroy the dyke and thwart their enemies, the brothers are thrown together with Ffion in ways they couldn’t have predicted. This comforting and cozy fantastical romance bursting with Welsh mythology is told from Ffion’s, Tal’s, and Dafydd’s compelling points of view. It’s an atmospheric jewel box with sympathetic characters readers will root for from the first page; they’ll only be disappointed to learn it’s a stand-alone novel and not a series opener. Ffion in particular shines as a thoughtful, brave hero with a compelling backstory.
Sparkling and lush; a gem. (pronunciation guide, author’s note) (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: March 12, 2024
ISBN: 9780063083578
Page Count: 400
Publisher: HarperTeen
Review Posted Online: Dec. 16, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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