A satisfying, Gothic-flavored rescue fantasy.
A disfigured man is drawn to a woman working under duress in a New Orleans bordello in Smith’s post–Civil War dark romance novel.
Philippe Renault, who has “an ultra-thin, round, black leather patch that lay flat and flush over the apple of his left cheek,” is being shown his options in a New Orleans bordello circa 1870. He spots a dark-haired beauty seemingly about to pitch herself down the stairs. The madam warns him that this woman, named Lilah, is “very disagreeable.” Undeterred, Renault requests Lilah, with whom he feels an affinity since she has the “same vanquished, hopeless look” that he had during the time when he was kidnapped by Romani people and made to perform as a circus freak due to his congenitally scarred face. Renault takes Lilah home to his nearby manor. When Lilah has a traumatic response to his rose petal–strewn bed, he refrains from pursuing a sexual encounter. Renault and Lilah (or Diana, as he later comes to know her) intellectually connect over books in his library. The novel proceeds to detail Lilah and Renault’s growing mutual attraction and the eventual revelations of Lilah’s dark secrets. After a physical consummation of their love, Renault realizes that “It wouldn’t surprise him if the next time he looked in the mirror, he saw Diana’s face instead of his own.” Attempting to save Lilah/Diana from her miserable circumstances, Renault takes actions that, in his mind, mark him as forever damned. The author has crafted an atmospheric, intense amalgam of The Phantom of the Opera and Beauty and the Beast. Smith gracefully handles the alternating mood and tone required for the masked Renault and Lilah to bond over books as well as engage in carnality. While Smith has the couple endure travails that are at times unbelievably nightmarish, these elements are also typical of the dark romance genre, and the back-to-earth conclusion is a particularly satisfying relief and catharsis after the drama and angst that preceded it.
A satisfying, Gothic-flavored rescue fantasy.Pub Date: N/A
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: 215
Publisher: Manuscript
Review Posted Online: March 3, 2023
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
A steamy, romantic summer read with a charming setting.
A florist attempts to avoid her best friend’s brother—and their powerful chemistry—on Prince Edward Island.
When Lucy Ashby visits her best friend Bridget’s family home on Prince Edward Island for the first time, Bridget gives her three rules: Eat your weight in oysters….Leave the city behind. And, most importantly, Don’t fall in love with my brother. Unfortunately for Lucy, she sleeps with Felix basically the second her plane lands, unaware that he’s Bridget’s brother until it’s too late. Lucy has never felt understood or accepted by her immediate family, and Bridget is one of the very few people she allows into her inner circle, so Lucy’s desperate to abide by these rules. And so she and Felix try to avoid each other on every one of Lucy’s visits to PEI over the years. And, of course, they fail spectacularly, always returning to each other when they’re in between relationships. But it’s never been anything serious…Lucy makes sure of that, backing off whenever her emotions feel too strong. In her “real life” back in Toronto, it’s easier for Lucy to avoid thinking of Felix as she runs a busy floral shop, working herself into the ground. But when Bridget asks Lucy to come to PEI for an emergency girls’ trip less than two weeks before Bridget is supposed to get married, Lucy drops everything to be there for her best friend. She doesn’t expect to find Felix there, along with feelings that are stronger and more difficult than ever to ignore. Even more than jeopardizing her relationship with Bridget, Lucy is afraid that giving in to her feelings could ruin the life she’s worked so hard to build. Fortune, the author of hits like Every Summer After (2022), gives readers another refreshingly summery story full of angst, romance, and sex scenes aplenty. The PEI setting is a beautiful backdrop for Lucy and Felix’s secret hookups and Lucy’s journey of self-discovery as she learns how to stand on her own two feet as a business owner, friend, and daughter. In addition to frequent (and welcome) Anne of Green Gables references, there are oysters galore and many sandy, windy scenes that transport readers straight to the island.
A steamy, romantic summer read with a charming setting.Pub Date: May 7, 2024
ISBN: 9780593638880
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Berkley
Review Posted Online: March 9, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
A warm and winning "When Harry Met Sally…" update that hits all the perfect notes.
A travel writer has one last shot at reconnecting with the best friend she just might be in love with.
Poppy and Alex couldn't be more different. She loves wearing bright colors while he prefers khakis and a T-shirt. She likes just about everything while he’s a bit more discerning. And yet, their opposites-attract friendship works because they love each other…in a totally platonic way. Probably. Even though they have their own separate lives (Poppy lives in New York City and is a travel writer with a popular Instagram account; Alex is a high school teacher in their tiny Ohio hometown), they still manage to get together each summer for one fabulous vacation. They grow closer every year, but Poppy doesn’t let herself linger on her feelings for Alex—she doesn’t want to ruin their friendship or the way she can be fully herself with him. They continue to date other people, even bringing their serious partners on their summer vacations…but then, after a falling-out, they stop speaking. When Poppy finds herself facing a serious bout of ennui, unhappy with her glamorous job and the life she’s been dreaming of forever, she thinks back to the last time she was truly happy: her last vacation with Alex. And so, though they haven’t spoken in two years, she asks him to take another vacation with her. She’s determined to bridge the gap that’s formed between them and become best friends again, but to do that, she’ll have to be honest with Alex—and herself—about her true feelings. In chapters that jump around in time, Henry shows readers the progression (and dissolution) of Poppy and Alex’s friendship. Their slow-burn love story hits on beloved romance tropes (such as there unexpectedly being only one bed on the reconciliation trip Poppy plans) while still feeling entirely fresh. Henry’s biggest strength is in the sparkling, often laugh-out-loud-funny dialogue, particularly the banter-filled conversations between Poppy and Alex. But there’s depth to the story, too—Poppy’s feeling of dissatisfaction with a life that should be making her happy as well as her unresolved feelings toward the difficult parts of her childhood make her a sympathetic and relatable character. The end result is a story that pays homage to classic romantic comedies while having a point of view all its own.
A warm and winning "When Harry Met Sally…" update that hits all the perfect notes.Pub Date: May 11, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-9848-0675-8
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Berkley
Review Posted Online: March 2, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2021
SEEN & HEARD
SEEN & HEARD
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