by Sherry Lynn Ferguson ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 7, 2012
Enticing plot, winning dialogue and genuine historical backdrop, as befits a Regency romance.
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In Ferguson’s (Major Lord David, 2010, etc.) latest historical romance, an ailing lord falls in love with the woman who restores him to health.
After the loss at Waterloo, Myles Trent—Lord Hayden—takes refuge at Lake Como, his European tour cut short by the fevers that periodically rack his body. His constitution depleted, Myles is determined to return home as soon as possible. En route, he takes ill and recuperates in the village of Wiswood at the countryside home of Anne Whyte, master herbalist and healer. Although Anne’s patient has the appearance of a gentleman, Anne knows him only as “Mister Myles.” During Myles’ convalescence, the two flirt and come to know one another; Lord Hayden’s identity remains unknown to both Anne and her father. A local, Perry Wenfield, hopes to wed Anne, but she rebuffs his advances. Myles, growing ever more enamored, resents Wenfield’s presence in her life. Soon, Myles is well enough to return to his obligations in Braughton, which may include seeking a proper wife from the Birdwistle clan. But will Lord Hayden honor his heart or familial duty? This is an enchanting story, set shortly after Napoleon’s exile to St. Helena. True to Avalon form, heroine Anne is independent; she is accomplished in her use of remedies, with a library of texts and a garden full of herbs for her concoctions. She masterfully prescribes horehound drops for the throat, rosewater compresses for a feverish brow and valerian for sleep. Best friend Vera serves as a touchstone, helping a subdued Anne give voice to her growing feelings for Myles and her doubts that she is his equal in station. Although proud, Myles is at Anne’s mercy in more ways than one, and his extended convalescence provides ample time for mutual affection, respect and admiration to flourish at a steady pace. The narrative has an authentic period feel, with a well-developed subtext about discontent among farmers after the Napoleonic Wars; this undercurrent is artfully used to advance relations between Anne and Myles. The verbal exchanges between these two gentlefolk are a mix of subtlety and spark, and a pleasure to read.
Enticing plot, winning dialogue and genuine historical backdrop, as befits a Regency romance.Pub Date: Feb. 7, 2012
ISBN: 978-0803474611
Page Count: 186
Publisher: Avalon Books
Review Posted Online: June 7, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2012
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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by Ali Hazelwood ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 6, 2024
Sink your teeth into this delightful paranormal romance with a modern twist.
A vampire and an Alpha werewolf enter into a marriage of convenience in order to ease tensions between their species.
As the only daughter of a prominent Vampyre councilman, Misery Lark has grown accustomed to having to playing the role that’s demanded of her—and now, her father is ordering her to be a part of yet another truce agreement. In an effort to maintain goodwill between the Vampyres and their longtime nemeses the Weres, Misery must wed their Alpha, Lowe Moreland. But it turns out that Misery has her own motivations for agreeing to this political marriage, including finding answers about what happened to her best friend, who went missing after setting up a meeting in Were territory. Isolated from her kind and surrounded on all sides by the enemy after the wedding, Misery refuses to let herself forget about her real mission. It doesn’t matter that Lowe is one of the most confounding and intense people she’s ever met, or that the connection building between them doesn’t feel like one born entirely of convenience. There’s also the possibility that Lowe may already have a Were mate of his own, but in spite of their biological differences, they may turn out to be the missing piece in each other’s lives. While this is Hazelwood’s first paranormal romance, and the book does lean on some hallmark tropes of the genre, the contemporary setting lends itself to the author’s trademark humor and makes the political plot more easily digestible. Misery and Lowe’s slow-burn romance is appealing enough that readers will readily devour every moment between them and hunger to return to them whenever the story diverts from their scenes together.
Sink your teeth into this delightful paranormal romance with a modern twist.Pub Date: Feb. 6, 2024
ISBN: 9780593550403
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Berkley
Review Posted Online: Oct. 21, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2023
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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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