by Stacy Reid ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 28, 2022
Sexy, feminist, and fun from beginning to end.
Awards & Accolades
Our Verdict
GET IT
In this Regency romance, an emotionally distant earl employs a spirited, young woman.
Times are tough for Wilhelmina “Mina” Crawford. Since a scandalous elopement that ended disastrously six years ago and the deaths of her parents, the 24-year-old woman and her twin brother, the Viscount Anthony Crawford, have lived on their crumbling estate outside London with a bare-bones staff and rapidly dwindling funds. When Anthony reveals he’s challenged Simon Loughton, the Earl of Creswick, to a very illegal duel, Mina—a much more skilled fencer, thanks to her father’s training—decides to go in his place, disguised as her brother. (“Her father had fondly called her his fencing master.”) Upon losing the duel, Simon is stunned to find that his opponent is a woman with fiery red hair and a lush mouth he can’t get out of his mind. When he learns of the Crawfords’ dire financial straits and Mina’s sharp wit, 27-year-old Simon—who’s very involved in local politics, especially when it comes to voting and property rights for women and the lower classes—decides to employ her as his secretary, a bold move considering the time and place. Simon has an ulterior motive as well: Mina will accompany him to the balls of the season as he searches for a wife at the behest of his grandmother the Countess of Creswick. Mina is thrilled with the opportunity to challenge her mind and support her family, but will her attraction to the handsome, intelligent, but aloof earl compromise everything? And when Simon learns of Mina’s checkered past, will this mean the end of a potential happily-ever-after? USA Today bestselling author Reid has deftly crafted a sensuous page-turner from the alternating perspectives of Mina and Simon, who may be separate in class but are united in stubbornness, advocacy for society’s underdogs, and an appreciation for sensual pleasures such as lovemaking and homemade ice cream. Each of the striking protagonists has realistic obstacles to overcome as they navigate a colleagues-to-lovers relationship amid the gossip of the haut ton. The building blocks of this relationship are thoroughly enjoyable to witness.
Sexy, feminist, and fun from beginning to end.Pub Date: June 28, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-64937-096-9
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Entangled: Amara
Review Posted Online: May 23, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2022
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Share your opinion of this book
More by Stacy Reid
BOOK REVIEW
by Stacy Reid
BOOK REVIEW
by Stacy Reid
BOOK REVIEW
by Stacy Reid
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
Share your opinion of this book
More by Ali Hazelwood
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
More About This Book
PERSPECTIVES
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...
Awards & Accolades
Likes
375
Our Verdict
GET IT
New York Times Bestseller
IndieBound Bestseller
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
Share your opinion of this book
More by Colleen Hoover
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
More About This Book
SEEN & HEARD
SEEN & HEARD
© Copyright 2024 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Hey there, book lover.
We’re glad you found a book that interests you!
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Don’t fret. We’ll find you.