In the months between Saddam Hussein’s invasion of Kuwait and the war that might end life as she knows it, a young Indian woman attempts to build a future.
Dubai’s Discover Arabia Tours has been low on bookings since the nearby invasion. Even so, Riya shepherds her few remaining guests from pristine beaches to desert safaris, pointing out the camel caravans without mentioning that their young riders are indentured servants. Riya herself is stuck in the “paradise" she spends her time shilling. At home in India, Riya’s struggling family eagerly awaits each remittance. A visit home would cost Riya her job and her visa, so she stays, working for paychecks she wires away as soon as she earns them, building a life in a country where citizenship is unachievable. As Riya puts it: “Forever was an impossibility here.” When César Rodriguez, a dodgy import/export magnate, selects Riya for a dangerous job, she must decide whether to risk everything for a chance at more. Riya and her colleagues, a pack of young international professionals, dream of faraway futures while George H.W. Bush’s ultimatum ticks closer and closer to war. They inhabit a kind of hyperpresent in their brand new city whose future is as uncertain as their own. In December, when rumor spreads that charcoal might prove useful in the event of chemical warfare, the group manages to scrounge up enough to fuel their beach barbecue. Leaving the war to the epilogue, Malik’s novel tautly occupies the in between. Dubai itself pulls many of the strings, with a dark glamour that outshines the protagonist’s nebulous inner life. Riya’s understanding of and involvement in international affairs prove more interesting than her personal conflicts, which are resolved in a rush. Despite an uneven plot, Malik manages to propel the reader forward while conveying the stagnation of Riya’s circumstances.
A suspenseful story stowed in the moment before a major historical event.Pub Date: May 2, 2023
ISBN: 9781951213695
Page Count: 225
Publisher: Unnamed Press
Review Posted Online: March 27, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2023
Categories: HISTORICAL FICTION | GENERAL FICTION
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A wistfully nostalgic look at endings, beginnings, and loving the people who will always have your back.
41
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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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Through palpable tension balanced with glimmers of hope, Hoover beautifully captures the heartbreak and joy of starting over.
59
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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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