Enticing plot, winning dialogue and genuine historical backdrop, as befits a Regency romance.
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
A heartfelt look at taking second chances, in life and in love.
Two struggling authors spend the summer writing and falling in love in a quaint beach town.
January Andrews has just arrived in the small town of North Bear Shores with some serious baggage. Her father has been dead for a year, but she still hasn’t come to terms with what she found out at his funeral—he had been cheating on her mother for years. January plans to spend the summer cleaning out and selling the house her father and “That Woman” lived in together. But she’s also a down-on-her-luck author facing writer’s block, and she no longer believes in the happily-ever-after she’s made the benchmark of her work. Her steadily dwindling bank account, though, is a daily reminder that she must sell her next book, and fast. Serendipitously, she discovers that her new next-door neighbor is Augustus Everett, the darling of the literary fiction set and her former college rival/crush. Gus also happens to be struggling with his next book (and some serious trauma that unfolds throughout the novel). Though the two get off to a rocky start, they soon make a bet: Gus will try to write a romance novel, and January will attempt “bleak literary fiction.” They spend the summer teaching each other the art of their own genres—January takes Gus on a romantic outing to the local carnival; Gus takes January to the burned-down remains of a former cult—and they both process their own grief, loss, and trauma through this experiment. There are more than enough steamy scenes to sustain the slow-burn romance, and smart commentary on the placement and purpose of “women’s fiction” joins with crucial conversations about mental health to add multiple intriguing layers to the plot.
A heartfelt look at taking second chances, in life and in love.Pub Date: May 19, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-9848-0673-4
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Jove/Penguin
Review Posted Online: March 1, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2020
BOOK TO SCREEN
PERSPECTIVES
A warm and winning "When Harry Met Sally…" update that hits all the perfect notes.
A travel writer has one last shot at reconnecting with the best friend she just might be in love with.
Poppy and Alex couldn't be more different. She loves wearing bright colors while he prefers khakis and a T-shirt. She likes just about everything while he’s a bit more discerning. And yet, their opposites-attract friendship works because they love each other…in a totally platonic way. Probably. Even though they have their own separate lives (Poppy lives in New York City and is a travel writer with a popular Instagram account; Alex is a high school teacher in their tiny Ohio hometown), they still manage to get together each summer for one fabulous vacation. They grow closer every year, but Poppy doesn’t let herself linger on her feelings for Alex—she doesn’t want to ruin their friendship or the way she can be fully herself with him. They continue to date other people, even bringing their serious partners on their summer vacations…but then, after a falling-out, they stop speaking. When Poppy finds herself facing a serious bout of ennui, unhappy with her glamorous job and the life she’s been dreaming of forever, she thinks back to the last time she was truly happy: her last vacation with Alex. And so, though they haven’t spoken in two years, she asks him to take another vacation with her. She’s determined to bridge the gap that’s formed between them and become best friends again, but to do that, she’ll have to be honest with Alex—and herself—about her true feelings. In chapters that jump around in time, Henry shows readers the progression (and dissolution) of Poppy and Alex’s friendship. Their slow-burn love story hits on beloved romance tropes (such as there unexpectedly being only one bed on the reconciliation trip Poppy plans) while still feeling entirely fresh. Henry’s biggest strength is in the sparkling, often laugh-out-loud-funny dialogue, particularly the banter-filled conversations between Poppy and Alex. But there’s depth to the story, too—Poppy’s feeling of dissatisfaction with a life that should be making her happy as well as her unresolved feelings toward the difficult parts of her childhood make her a sympathetic and relatable character. The end result is a story that pays homage to classic romantic comedies while having a point of view all its own.
A warm and winning "When Harry Met Sally…" update that hits all the perfect notes.Pub Date: May 11, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-9848-0675-8
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Berkley
Review Posted Online: March 2, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2021
SEEN & HEARD
SEEN & HEARD
PERSPECTIVES
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