A charming debut filled with cocktails, chocolate, and comedy.
It’s a battle of the best men in screenwriter Karger’s debut romantic comedy.
Max Moody is not what most people think of when they hear the phrase “gay best friend,” and he’s fine with that. No, he’ll never call you “fierce” or gush about Britney Spears, and so what if he unironically wears New Balance sneakers and has a soul-sucking HR gig? Max’s best friend, Paige, has been perfectly content with his basic take on being a GBF...that is, until she gets engaged. Paige enlists Max to be her best man, her “gay of honor,” and, much to his chagrin, her wedding planner. Max always assumed he’d be first of their duo to get married, but the closest thing he has to a relationship is hooking up with his ex or embarrassing himself with strangers in dark corners. Unable to deny Paige, though, Max reluctantly agrees to help her wrangle up her dream wedding in just three months. It turns out that Paige has also recruited her fiance’s brother and best man to help, and sexy chocolatier Chasten Benchley is the ultimate example of a gay best friend. He curbs Paige’s indecision with ease, throws her a fabulous Fire Island getaway with homemade brunch, and hobnobs with New York’s finest in their penthouses. Not only is Chasten a wedding planner extraordinaire, but he’s also one of Max’s embarrassing dark-corner hookups...so basically, he's enemy No. 1. And yet, Max can’t help but hate to love Chasten: He’s hot, thoughtful, and genuine—and yeah, Max wouldn’t mind staring at his “perfect” lips a little while longer. Try as he might to resist Chasten’s charms, when Paige’s indecision threatens to turn into cold feet, the two best men must band together to save their bride. Karger’s debut is laugh-out-loud funny, and Max is the epitome of millennial dry humor: “What’s a group of bridesmaids called? A school? An army? Let’s go with a cackle.” Max and Paige’s friendship is ultimately the star of the show, and readers will find their banter reminiscent of fan favorites like Amy Poehler and Tina Fey or Dan Levy and Annie Murphy.
A charming debut filled with cocktails, chocolate, and comedy.Pub Date: May 2, 2023
ISBN: 9780593439487
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Berkley
Review Posted Online: March 13, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
Through palpable tension balanced with glimmers of hope, Hoover beautifully captures the heartbreak and joy of starting over.
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
SEEN & HEARD
SEEN & HEARD
Packed with riveting drama and painful truths, this book powerfully illustrates the devastation of abuse—and the strength of...
Hoover’s (November 9, 2015, etc.) latest tackles the difficult subject of domestic violence with romantic tenderness and emotional heft.
At first glance, the couple is edgy but cute: Lily Bloom runs a flower shop for people who hate flowers; Ryle Kincaid is a surgeon who says he never wants to get married or have kids. They meet on a rooftop in Boston on the night Ryle loses a patient and Lily attends her abusive father’s funeral. The provocative opening takes a dark turn when Lily receives a warning about Ryle’s intentions from his sister, who becomes Lily’s employee and close friend. Lily swears she’ll never end up in another abusive home, but when Ryle starts to show all the same warning signs that her mother ignored, Lily learns just how hard it is to say goodbye. When Ryle is not in the throes of a jealous rage, his redeeming qualities return, and Lily can justify his behavior: “I think we needed what happened on the stairwell to happen so that I would know his past and we’d be able to work on it together,” she tells herself. Lily marries Ryle hoping the good will outweigh the bad, and the mother-daughter dynamics evolve beautifully as Lily reflects on her childhood with fresh eyes. Diary entries fancifully addressed to TV host Ellen DeGeneres serve as flashbacks to Lily’s teenage years, when she met her first love, Atlas Corrigan, a homeless boy she found squatting in a neighbor’s house. When Atlas turns up in Boston, now a successful chef, he begs Lily to leave Ryle. Despite the better option right in front of her, an unexpected complication forces Lily to cut ties with Atlas, confront Ryle, and try to end the cycle of abuse before it’s too late. The relationships are portrayed with compassion and honesty, and the author’s note at the end that explains Hoover’s personal connection to the subject matter is a must-read.
Packed with riveting drama and painful truths, this book powerfully illustrates the devastation of abuse—and the strength of the survivors.Pub Date: Aug. 2, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-5011-1036-8
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Atria
Review Posted Online: May 30, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2016
SEEN & HEARD
SEEN & HEARD
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