by Susan DiPlacido ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 17, 2010
A sexy romantic comedy that occasionally goes off course when focusing on secondary characters and storylines.
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A poker-playing travel writer meets her celebrity crush in DiPlacido’s romance novel.
The book opens with a sex scene—the first of many—and with Izzy Santillo’s first mention of famous card shark Nick Nolan. Nick isn’t the man in bed with her, but she’s fantasizing about him and calling out his name. Izzy has never even met Nick, but that changes soon enough, as Izzy, a travel writer and poker hobbyist, heads from her home in Pittsburgh to Las Vegas to play in a poker tournament and write a travel article. There, she meets Nick, literally falling for him: “I stumble, I bump into Nick, jostling me the other way, stumble again, and this time my heel slides on the smooth floor and I go down, yelping again.” The two hit it off, and romance blossoms as Nick, a popular and handsome poker champion, begins to help Izzy with her card playing. The book immerses the reader in the world of high-stakes poker, with all of its glitz and glamour. The narrative focuses on romance, sex, and, of course, poker as Izzy begins to work her way up the ladder in the card-playing world. Though there’s a lot of poker talk, nonaficionados will be able to figure out the ins and outs, while players will appreciate the attention to detail. The novel is likable and can be laugh-out-loud funny. Nick is handsome and cocky in a charming sort of way, and though his relationship with Izzy has its requisite ups and downs, it’s one that readers will root for. But there are a few problems: The author tells the story from both Izzy’s and Nick’s points of view, which adds a layer of confusion, and some of the characters, particularly Jennifer, Izzy’s father’s trophy wife, are both one-dimensional and annoying. The novel works best when it sticks to the world of poker and the steamy romance between Izzy and Nick.
A sexy romantic comedy that occasionally goes off course when focusing on secondary characters and storylines.Pub Date: March 17, 2010
ISBN: 9781450588591
Page Count: 424
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
Review Posted Online: June 8, 2023
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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BOOK REVIEW
by Colleen Hoover ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 18, 2022
Through palpable tension balanced with glimmers of hope, Hoover beautifully captures the heartbreak and joy of starting over.
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New York Times Bestseller
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
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SEEN & HEARD
SEEN & HEARD
by Rebecca Yarros ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 23, 2021
A charming dual-timeline romance about learning from past mistakes.
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In Yarros’ latest romance novel, a young woman hires a handsome but infuriating writer to complete her late great-grandmother’s half-finished book.
After her marriage to a Hollywood producer ends in high-profile divorce, 28-year-old Georgia Stanton returns to her childhood home in Colorado. When she arrives at the house where she was raised by her great-grandma—the famous romance author Scarlett Stanton—she finds her mother, Ava, lying in wait. Georgia is in possession of the only unfinished manuscript that her deceased relative left behind, and her own mom wants her to sell the rights so they can get some cash. Georgia succumbs to the pressure and enters a deal in which another author will finish the book’s second half. The manuscript tells Scarlett’s life story, including how she found, and lost, her one true love. Georgia feels strongly that the finished novel must reflect the true events of Scarlett’s life, as difficult as they may have been. Unfortunately, the publishers hire Noah Harrison, a stubborn writer at the height of his career, who has his own fictional vision for the novel’s ending. As Noah and Georgia butt heads, each of them researches Scarlett’s history in England during World War II. As they learn more about Scarlett and Jameson Stanton, the fighter pilot she loved, Georgia and Noah must navigate their own increasingly complicated relationship. With two equally engrossing storylines, this book will draw in even seasoned romance readers. As the story jumps between past and present, the author also alternates present-day perspectives between Georgia and Noah, moving deftly between her characters’ distinct voices. The relationships are well developed, and the love that Scarlett felt for Jameson is especially palpable. Along with the sweetly romantic themes, the book explores several heftier topics, including personal ambition, grief, family discord, and self-esteem. The story has a few digressions that do little to advance the plot, but the main characters are sufficiently engrossing that readers will want to stick with them to the end.
A charming dual-timeline romance about learning from past mistakes.Pub Date: Feb. 23, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-68281-566-3
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Entangled: Amara
Review Posted Online: Jan. 20, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2021
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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