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HOW TO LOSE A BRIDE IN ONE NIGHT

An emotionally touching story in which two damaged souls heal and find their happy-ever-after in satisfying ways.

On her wedding night, Annalise is nearly murdered and then thrown from the couple’s honeymoon barge into the river; rescued by a war-wounded earl who nurses her back to health, she vows to never be vulnerable again.

Annalise should have known better than to believe the Duke of Bloodsworth could love her, despite his pretty promises and charming manner. After years on her own as a penniless orphan, her long-lost father may have found her, dressed her in pretty clothes and set to finding her a blue-blood husband, but she was still crippled, plain and of dubious origin. She should have known the duke couldn’t really want her. But still, to try to murder her, then throw her into the river like garbage is even more inconceivable. When she comes to after days of fever and touch-and-go health, she learns that she’s been rescued by an enigmatic man of few words, Owen, who found her on the riverbank and brought her to a gypsy healer then helped the gypsy nurse her back to health. Mortified by her husband’s absolute rejection and premeditated plans to murder her, she feigns amnesia, which Owen never completely believes. When she has healed enough to leave the gypsy camp, Owen takes her to his London townhouse, where she discovers he’s an earl. She’s attracted to his gruff kindness and his ability to make her feel safe, even though he makes it clear he doesn’t want her around and that bringing her to his home was a mistake. As events unfold, Owen and Annalise will have to be honest with themselves and each other in order to find a healing, sustaining love that can save them from internal and external hazards. Well-written and engaging, despite a few too many “come-hither-no-stop-right-there” situations and some repetitive internal character dithering that becomes more irritating as the story moves forward.

An emotionally touching story in which two damaged souls heal and find their happy-ever-after in satisfying ways.

Pub Date: July 30, 2013

ISBN: 978-0-06-203301-7

Page Count: 384

Publisher: Morrow/HarperCollins

Review Posted Online: June 8, 2013

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2013

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IT ENDS WITH US

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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THE IDEA OF YOU

A fascinating, thought-provoking, genre-bending romantic read.

When Solène Marchand takes her 12-year-old daughter to a concert by the hottest boy band on the planet, she doesn't expect to fall in love with one of the singers.

Middle-aged art gallery owner Solène hasn’t dated since her divorce, but when her ex-husband buys their daughter and a group of her friends tickets to Vegas and a backstage concert experience, then backs out at the last minute, she steps in as escort. The five guys in the wildly popular English boy band August Moon appeal to women of all ages, but Hayes, the brains behind the group’s success, flirts with Solène at the concert meet and greet, invites them to a party after the show, then pursues her once she gets back to Los Angeles. He’s only 20 and he’s incredibly famous; his attention is flattering and heady. The two fall into an affair that’s supposed to be light and easy, but before long they can’t ignore their intense emotional attachment. Solène is hesitant to tell her daughter, but when she procrastinates, Isabelle learns about it through an online tabloid, which damages their relationship and leaves Solène open to censure from her ex. Then, once the affair goes viral, she experiences the darker side of Hayes’ fan base. What started out as a jaunty adventure turns into an emotionally fraught journey, and Solène must decide what she’s willing to risk for her happiness and what she won’t risk for her daughter’s. Actress Lee, who appeared in Fifty Shades Darker, debuts with a beautifully written novel that explores sex, love, romance, and fantasy in moving, insightful ways while also examining a woman’s struggle with aging and sexism, with a nod at the tension between celebrity and privacy.

A fascinating, thought-provoking, genre-bending romantic read.

Pub Date: June 13, 2017

ISBN: 978-1-250-12590-3

Page Count: 384

Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin

Review Posted Online: April 3, 2017

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2017

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