Laurens maintains her stylish storytelling in another compelling romance with a hint of suspense and an interesting look at...
When Niniver Carrick, the lady of her clan, is harassed by men looking to marry her and usurp her leadership, she turns to neighbor Marcus Cynster for help, never expecting that she might well have met her match in life and love.
As the daughter of the Carrick laird, Niniver is stunned to realize her two older brothers have completely undermined the clan’s stability. Murder, embezzled funds, and suicide have left them and their father dead, and when her younger brother refuses to stand as laird, the clan chooses her as their leader. Niniver understands her unique challenges as lady; not many men in Victorian Scotland would stand next to a wife without feeling diminished by her heightened status, so she's resigned to remaining single, determined to turn the clan’s fortunes around. Hence she is startled and annoyed when a number of clansmen start a campaign of “courting” her, which feels a lot more like stalking. Niniver turns to Marcus Cynster, owner of the neighboring estate, hoping some dedicated attention from the powerful and respected aristocrat might temper her clansmen’s ardor. Her plan is successful, and while Marcus acts as Niniver’s beau, the two admit to a long-held attraction. Niniver can’t trust that a man would want a relationship with her without trying to dominate her, so Marcus has to tread carefully while he convinces her that his affection is sincere and his motives to support her are pure. Meanwhile, as the men of her clan give the couple a respectful distance, it becomes evident that they have another, more menacing enemy to contend with. Laurens’ sprawling series spans multiple generations and families with no end in sight, but with distinctive, engaging storylines and the ever fascinating and uniquely authentic Cynsters, why stop?
Laurens maintains her stylish storytelling in another compelling romance with a hint of suspense and an interesting look at gender roles, power, and partnership.Pub Date: May 26, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-7783-1834-7
Page Count: 448
Publisher: Harlequin MIRA
Review Posted Online: March 16, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2015
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Anyone who believes in true love or is simply willing to accept it as the premise of a winding tale will find this debut an...
True love flares between two people, but they find that circumstances always impede it.
On a winter day in London, Laurie spots Jack from her bus home and he sparks a feeling in her so deep that she spends the next year searching for him. Her roommate and best friend, Sarah, is the perfect wing-woman but ultimately—and unknowingly—ends the search by finding Jack and falling for him herself. Laurie’s hasty decision not to tell Sarah is the second painful missed opportunity (after not getting off the bus), but Sarah’s happiness is so important to Laurie that she dedicates ample energy into retraining her heart not to love Jack. Laurie is misguided, but her effort and loyalty spring from a true heart, and she considers her project mostly successful. Perhaps she would have total success, but the fact of the matter is that Jack feels the same deep connection to Laurie. His reasons for not acting on them are less admirable: He likes Sarah and she’s the total package; why would he give that up just because every time he and Laurie have enough time together (and just enough alcohol) they nearly fall into each other’s arms? Laurie finally begins to move on, creating a mostly satisfying life for herself, whereas Jack’s inability to be genuine tortures him and turns him into an ever bigger jerk. Patriarchy—it hurts men, too! There’s no question where the book is going, but the pacing is just right, the tone warm, and the characters sympathetic, even when making dumb decisions.
Anyone who believes in true love or is simply willing to accept it as the premise of a winding tale will find this debut an emotional, satisfying read.Pub Date: Oct. 16, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-525-57468-2
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Crown
Review Posted Online: July 30, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK TO SCREEN
With frank language and patient plotting, this gangly teen crush grows into a confident adult love affair.
Eleven years ago, he broke her heart. But he doesn’t know why she never forgave him.
Toggling between past and present, two love stories unfold simultaneously. In the first, Macy Sorensen meets and falls in love with the boy next door, Elliot Petropoulos, in the closet of her dad’s vacation home, where they hide out to discuss their favorite books. In the second, Macy is working as a doctor and engaged to a single father, and she hasn’t spoken to Elliot since their breakup. But a chance encounter forces her to confront the truth: what happened to make Macy stop speaking to Elliot? Ultimately, they’re separated not by time or physical remoteness but by emotional distance—Elliot and Macy always kept their relationship casual because they went to different schools. And as a teen, Macy has more to worry about than which girl Elliot is taking to the prom. After losing her mother at a young age, Macy is navigating her teenage years without a female role model, relying on the time-stamped notes her mother left in her father’s care for guidance. In the present day, Macy’s father is dead as well. She throws herself into her work and rarely comes up for air, not even to plan her upcoming wedding. Since Macy is still living with her fiance while grappling with her feelings for Elliot, the flashbacks offer steamy moments, tender revelations, and sweetly awkward confessions while Macy makes peace with her past and decides her future.
With frank language and patient plotting, this gangly teen crush grows into a confident adult love affair.Pub Date: April 10, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-5011-2801-1
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Gallery Books/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2018
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