A charming foray into Regency romance.
Two young women pursue their dreams in Georgian England in this companion to 2023’s An Improbable Season.
Nineteen-year-old Thalia Aubrey, an aspiring poet who’s sworn off love after an ill-advised elopement, has taken a job as companion to young widow Eleanor Lockhart, a post that gives her access to the literary bustle of 1818 London. Seventeen-year-old Eleanor, whose late husband, Albert, was in his forties, values her independence. The terms of Mr. Lockhart’s will stipulate that should Eleanor remarry, her inheritance will be passed on to his nephew—who’s now endlessly pressuring her to wed. Hoping to put an end to his meddling, she asks Henry, her friend Miss Salisbury’s brother, to be her temporary fake fiance—just until she can make another plan. Henry and Thalia have some history, and their feelings for each other grow, even as Eleanor develops an interest in Owen Jones, whom she hires to help her with Albert’s advanced mathematical papers. Lonely Eleanor, who has no family, learns she doesn’t have to push others away, and that family can be found. Meanwhile, Thalia must fight for what she deserves, both in love and when it comes to her writing. Readers will enjoy this immersive world of etiquette, rules, and social stratification with its satisfying romances in which female independence is not surrendered in the pursuit of love. The central cast is cued white.
A charming foray into Regency romance. (author’s note) (Historical romance. 12-18)Pub Date: March 5, 2024
ISBN: 9780374390273
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Review Posted Online: Dec. 16, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A compelling romance inhabited by complex and appealing characters.
When star hockey player Alec Barczewski’s estranged childhood friend, Dani Collins, moves to town, they end up in a mutually beneficial fake-dating relationship that reignites old feelings.
Following her parents’ divorce, Dani and her mom move in with Dani’s hockey legend grandfather in Southview, Minnesota, where she spent a month every summer as a child and where her friendship with Alec grew. Between visits, the two were pen pals, but they eventually fell out of touch. Despite some tensions over their loss of friendship, the high school seniors reconnect. Desperate to get off Harvard’s waitlist, Dani needs another extracurricular activity, while Alec—whose reputation took a hit when a photo of him holding a bong appeared on social media—is eager to improve his tarnished image for NHL scouts. The pair strike a deal: They’ll fake date, making Alec look like a stable guy whose academically gifted girlfriend is related to hockey royalty, and in exchange, he’ll get Dani a team manager position that will catch the eye of Harvard’s admissions officers. Eventually, complicated feelings about their past, stressful family relationships, and their brewing romance boil over. Romance fans will love the deliciously tension-filled scenes between Alec and Dani, who are believable friends with heavy demands weighing on them. They feel like real teenagers, and readers will enjoy rooting for them as the well-paced story unfolds. Main characters present white.
A compelling romance inhabited by complex and appealing characters. (Romance. 14-18)Pub Date: Sept. 30, 2025
ISBN: 9781665921268
Page Count: 448
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Aug. 2, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2025
SEEN & HEARD
A promising premise that’s lacking in spice.
A fall romance with a New England backdrop.
Autumn leaves aren’t the only stunning thing to hit the town of Briar Glen—so has good-looking new boy Jack Harper, and Lucy Kane is enamored with both. Her new crush is the perfect thing to take her mind off the fact that Java Junction, part of a global chain, is opening across the street from Cup o’ Jo, Lucy’s mother’s coffee shop, where they take pride in baking everything from scratch and avoiding artificial ingredients. But there’s more than coincidence in the timing of the arrivals of both Jack and Java Junction: The Harper family moved to Briar Glen specifically to open this franchise location, which will bring competition that threatens Cup o’ Jo. This scenario has the makings of a perfect autumnal adversaries-to-lovers romance, but the writing lacks charm and chemistry. Jack seems to be completely enamored with Lucy, but her character isn’t sufficiently developed to warrant his attention. Lucy’s friends are continually supportive of her but have few distinguishing characteristics, and the story is weakened by confusing timelines and repetitive elements. The resolution relies upon successes that come too easily and do not feel earned. Major characters are cued white.
A promising premise that’s lacking in spice. (Romance. 12-16)Pub Date: Aug. 6, 2024
ISBN: 9781339030753
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: May 17, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2024
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