by Sue Clark ‧ RELEASE DATE: N/A
A teenager becomes the scribe of a former fashion icon in this debut literary novel.
Self-conscious 17-year-old Bradley McCreedy responds to an unusual job posting hung in the window of a newsagent’s shop in London: “Wanted!!! Urgent!!! Refined, respectable lady authoress seeks domestic assistant of same ilk. Usual rates.” When he calls the number, the daughter of his potential boss warns him he’ll be working for a dotty older woman, but that’s only the half of it. Eloise Slaughter lives in a stately but filthy mansion, as attentive to her wardrobe and makeup as she is inattentive to the dishes piled up everywhere. She hires Bradley not only to help straighten the place up—something the slightly OCD teen is glad to do—but also to help her with her memoirs. To hear Eloise tell it, she was the high priestess of London fashion in the 1960s and ’70s. Bradley thinks she’s off her rocker, but he takes the job, in part because Eloise doesn’t comment on the massive birthmark on his forehead. She’s certainly a dotty older woman—complete with a locked room he isn’t allowed to go into—but it turns out she isn’t lying about her past. At least not entirely. An unlikely friendship emerges, one that will pay dividends for both parties—at least so long as Bradley doesn’t overreach and bring the whole thing crashing down. Clark is a remarkable ventriloquist, alternating from the working-class vernacular of Bradley to the posh theatricality of Eloise with each chapter. Here, Bradley, who eventually moves into the mansion full time, comments on Eloise’s nocturnal activities: “She prowls at night. I hear her tip-tapping up and down the hallway. Mostly I reckon she gets up to fiddle with her puzzles—loves her jigsaws, Miss E—but sometimes she trots down the corridor in my direction. First time she done that, it got my heart pumping, I can tell you. Lying there, thinking, What if she comes in here and starts acting all weird an’ that?” The characters are richly drawn, and readers will quickly become invested in the odd couple, as individuals and as friends. The story is a pleasure all the way through.
A funny, immersive portrait of an unusual working relationship.Pub Date: N/A
ISBN: 978-1-78-965093-8
Page Count: 291
Publisher: Unbound
Review Posted Online: May 26, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2021
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Categories: LITERARY FICTION | GENERAL FICTION
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by Emily Henry ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 25, 2023
Exes pretend they’re still together for the sake of their friends on their annual summer vacation.
Wyn Connor and Harriet Kilpatrick were the perfect couple—until Wyn dumped Harriet for reasons she still doesn’t fully understand. They’ve been part of the same boisterous friend group since college, and they know that their breakup will devastate the others and make things more than a little awkward. So they keep it a secret from their friends and families—in fact, Harriet barely even admits it to herself, focusing instead on her grueling hours as a surgical resident. She’s ready for a vacation at her happy place—the Maine cottage she and her friends visit every summer. But (surprise!) Wyn is there too, and he and Harriet have to share a (very romantic) room and a bed. Telling the truth about their breakup is out of the question, because the cottage is up for sale, and this is the group’s last hurrah. Determined to make sure everyone has the perfect last trip, Harriet and Wyn resolve to fake their relationship for the week. The problem with this plan, of course, is that Harriet still has major feelings for Wyn—feelings that only get stronger as they pretend to be blissfully in love. As always, Henry’s dialogue is sparkling and the banter between characters is snappy and hilarious. Wyn and Harriet’s relationship, shown both in the past and the present, feels achingly real. Their breakup, as well as their complicated relationships with their own families, adds a twinge of melancholy, as do the relatable growing pains of a group of friends whose lives are taking them in different directions.
A wistfully nostalgic look at endings, beginnings, and loving the people who will always have your back.Pub Date: April 25, 2023
ISBN: 9780593441275
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Berkley
Review Posted Online: Feb. 23, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2023
Categories: ROMANCE | CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE | GENERAL ROMANCE | GENERAL FICTION
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by Colleen Hoover ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 18, 2022
The sequel to It Ends With Us (2016) shows the aftermath of domestic violence through the eyes of a single mother.
Lily Bloom is still running a flower shop; her abusive ex-husband, Ryle Kincaid, is still a surgeon. But now they’re co-parenting a daughter, Emerson, who's almost a year old. Lily won’t send Emerson to her father’s house overnight until she’s old enough to talk—“So she can tell me if something happens”—but she doesn’t want to fight for full custody lest it become an expensive legal drama or, worse, a physical fight. When Lily runs into Atlas Corrigan, a childhood friend who also came from an abusive family, she hopes their friendship can blossom into love. (For new readers, their history unfolds in heartfelt diary entries that Lily addresses to Finding Nemo star Ellen DeGeneres as she considers how Atlas was a calming presence during her turbulent childhood.) Atlas, who is single and running a restaurant, feels the same way. But even though she’s divorced, Lily isn’t exactly free. Behind Ryle’s veneer of civility are his jealousy and resentment. Lily has to plan her dates carefully to avoid a confrontation. Meanwhile, Atlas’ mother returns with shocking news. In between, Lily and Atlas steal away for romantic moments that are even sweeter for their authenticity as Lily struggles with child care, breastfeeding, and running a business while trying to find time for herself.
Through palpable tension balanced with glimmers of hope, Hoover beautifully captures the heartbreak and joy of starting over.Pub Date: Oct. 18, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-668-00122-6
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Atria
Review Posted Online: July 26, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2022
Categories: ROMANCE | CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE | GENERAL ROMANCE | GENERAL FICTION
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SEEN & HEARD
SEEN & HEARD
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