A diplomatic tale that’s rich in history and filled with enticing drama.
A novel celebrates the life of a brilliant European power broker of the early 16th century.
Born in 1480 in Brussels, Margaret, daughter of Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I, is raised to be a queen. But destiny has other plans for the young princess. Betrothed to Charles, the Dauphin of France, when she is 3 years old, she is sent to that country to study its language and culture. Readers meet her in 1491 at the French court, just before the 11-year-old girl is told by Charles, now king, that he has married another. It takes several years but Maximilian, determined to increase the Habsburg influence in Europe and protect his empire from France, forms an alliance with King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain via two marriages. Maximilian’s son Philip gets paired with the monarchs’ second daughter, Princess Juana, and Margaret with the royal couple’s only son, Prince Juan. Margaret and Juan’s wedding in April 1497 is followed by a frolicking six-month honeymoon. But tragedy strikes in October of that year, when the young heir to the Spanish throne is stricken by illness and dies. Four years later, Maximilian arranges another marriage for Margaret, this time to Philibert, Duke of Savoy. Unlike most royal marriages, this one is a passionate love match. Plus, with Philibert only minimally interested in the affairs of state, Margaret, “organized, practical, and sure of her position,” begins managing the Duchy “with a council to guide her.” The experience prepares her for her life’s diplomatic work, especially after 1504, when she is once again widowed. Gaston’s prodigious research brings the early 16th century alive, taking readers inside backroom negotiations and family wranglings over wealth and power. Although the novel is burdened with a plethora of royal names and fluctuating titles, carefully scripted dialogue creates a sometimes poignant and at other times feisty narrative. The intricate minutiae of a multitude of marriage contracts—those broken and those honored—are head-spinning, and Gaston’s prose occasionally displays the rectitude of a history textbook. Fortunately, the cadence becomes delightfully lighter during those sections brimming with the trials and triumphs of Margaret’s personal life. She emerges as a charming, savvy, and wily hero, capable of manipulating Europe’s political chessboard.
A diplomatic tale that’s rich in history and filled with enticing drama.Pub Date: March 7, 2023
ISBN: 9781732589995
Page Count: 412
Publisher: Renaissance Editions
Review Posted Online: Feb. 27, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2023
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Through palpable tension balanced with glimmers of hope, Hoover beautifully captures the heartbreak and joy of starting over.
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
SEEN & HEARD
SEEN & HEARD
A book begging to be read on the beach, with the sun warming the sand and salt in the air: pure escapism.
Three woman who join together to rent a large space along the beach in Los Angeles for their stores—a gift shop, a bakery, and a bookstore—become fast friends as they each experience the highs, and lows, of love.
Bree is a friendly but standoffish bookstore owner who keeps everyone she knows at arm’s length, from guys she meets in bars to her friends. Mikki is a settled-in-her-routines divorced mother of two, happily a mom, gift-shop owner, and co-parent with her ex-husband, Perry. And Ashley is a young, very-much-in-love bakery owner specializing in muffins who devotes herself to giving back to the community through a nonprofit that helps community members develop skills and find jobs. When the women meet drooling over a boardwalk storefront that none of them can afford on her own, a plan is hatched to divide the space in three, and a friendship—and business partnership—is born. An impromptu celebration on the beach at sunset with champagne becomes a weekly touchpoint to their lives as they learn more about each other and themselves. Their friendship blossoms as they help each other, offering support, hard truths, and loving backup. Author Mallery has created a delightful story of friendship between three women that also offers a variety of love stories as they fall in love, make mistakes, and figure out how to be the best—albeit still flawed—versions of themselves. The men are similarly flawed and human. While the story comes down clearly on the side of all-encompassing love, Mallery has struck a careful balance: There is just enough sex to be spicy, just enough swearing to be naughty, and just enough heartbreak to avoid being cloying.
A book begging to be read on the beach, with the sun warming the sand and salt in the air: pure escapism.Pub Date: May 31, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-778-38608-7
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Harlequin MIRA
Review Posted Online: March 15, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2022
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