A novel with some appealing byplay that struggles with an inconsistent tone.
A flirty historical romance with an undercurrent of revenge.
Lady Maryann Elanor Fitzwilliam just wants to be a bit wicked—not only to show the townspeople that she’s not a wallflower, but also to get out of a planned marriage to a 50-something friend of her father’s. While pulling a prank on some mean ladies at a party, Maryann realizes too late that the Marquess of Rothbury, Nicolas St. Ives, has unintentionally become entangled in her scheme. Nicolas had been planning to investigate her brother, Crispin, to see if he’s a villain he’s been searching for: a vile figure known as “the black Dahlia.” But when Nicolas finds himself dragged into Lady Maryann’s plot, he gives himself over to it as a fun diversion. Before long, she pops back into his life again—this time, falsely accusing him of sneaking into her bedroom to claim a kiss. Maryann does her level best to ruin her reputation, even though she knows that it will hurt her family. Later, Nicolas is worried that Maryann will be pulled into his own grim investigation, and he sneaks into her bedroom—for real, this time—to warn her away. But once again, her charms and wit are too formidable to resist. Unfortunately, Maryann’s plans don’t work out as she hoped. Over the course of this second novel in the Sinful Wallflowers series, author Reid pens an exciting and often entertaining historical tale. Nicolas and Maryann are amusing in their interactions with other, secondary characters, but they’re at their very best when verbally sparring with each other. If anything, readers will wish that there were even more of these pleasant scenes, because Nicolas’ investigation, which centers on domestic abuse and rape, brings a much darker element to the story that jarringly clashes with the lighthearted manner of most of the tale.
A novel with some appealing byplay that struggles with an inconsistent tone.Pub Date: Dec. 29, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-68281-519-9
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Entangled: Amara
Review Posted Online: Jan. 5, 2021
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK TO SCREEN
A romance that could have used significant rethinking.
Childhood friends, almost-sweethearts, a misunderstanding, and a funeral.
Blair Lang and Declan Renshaw were best friends who went on one date before a disagreement and an accident sent them in different directions after high school. Now Blair is back from college to be with her great-aunt Lottie, who’s dying, and to support her single mother in small-town Seabrook, California. Finding a job at a coffee shop puts her in the path of her former boyfriend, since he turns out to be its owner. Can the two get past their mistakes? The novel uses the popular second-chance romance trope, but Pham fails to energize it through interesting characters. Blair’s grief over her great-aunt’s death and her plan to help her mother are overshadowed by internal monologues about her feelings, the way her friends aren’t paying attention to her, and the novel she plans to write. Declan’s distinguishing characteristic, besides being a former high school quarterback, is his skill at building birdhouses. Unsurprisingly, the couple doesn’t have much chemistry; when they embrace, their “bodies meld like…memory foam.” The wooden characters, unusual word choices (“conglomerate of pedestrians,” “litany of plants”), and odd turns of phrase (“tension melting from his eyebrows like butter melting in a warm pan”) are almost enough to obscure the lack of plot development. What passes for stakes is easily defused when Blair comes into an inheritance that saves her from working as a consultant at Ernst & Young in New York—so she can write a romance novel.
A romance that could have used significant rethinking.Pub Date: March 3, 2026
ISBN: 9781668095188
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Atria
Review Posted Online: Feb. 16, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2026
Two hot people confronting their trauma, making passionate love, and solving violent crimes! ’Nuff said.
A heartbroken man lusts after his therapist while seeking revenge on a drug kingpin and his enforcer.
Mitch Haskell’s wife, Angela, died two years ago of an apparent suicide, but Mitch has always believed the scene was staged. Certainly, she would never have willingly left their young son, Andrew, behind. Consumed with a thirst for vengeance, Mitch—a former Marine and undercover agent with the Drug Enforcement Administration and currently a police detective—is struggling with alcohol dependency and uncontrolled rage. Andrew is living with his in-laws, who are making not-so-subtle suggestions that they might apply for permanent guardianship if Mitch can’t get it together. So his boss and best friend, John Bowie, mandates that he go into therapy, which puts him in the path of sexy Dr. Dylan Reede. Within a few days, Mitch makes a connection between two new murders and the death of his former partner; finds a big clue that points to the truth about Angela’s death; goes undercover as a homeless man; takes on a vicious drug cartel; and obnoxiously bullies Dylan with a charm offensive that leads them inevitably to bed. While Mitch seems to lean into the stereotype of the ex-soldier/cop with deeply buried trauma who believes that the ends justify the means—at least in law enforcement—Dylan offers the strength and sweetness to help him start breaking down his walls, allowing herself to be vulnerable in turn. Is passionate sex enough to ground a relationship and a family for the long term? For these characters, and the breakneck speed of this thriller, it’s as good a foundation as any.
Two hot people confronting their trauma, making passionate love, and solving violent crimes! ’Nuff said.Pub Date: March 17, 2026
ISBN: 9781538743027
Page Count: 432
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Review Posted Online: Dec. 11, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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