A funny, heartwarming introduction to a heaven-watched town.
A widower and widow, both pastors touched by tragedy, find new love and faith together in this first of a planned angel-themed romance series.
In 1997, pastor CJ Aldermann returns from the deathbed of his pastor father in nearby Paradise, Wyoming, to discover that his wife and two children died overnight in a fire. Ten years later, CJ lives with his mother in Paradise, is no longer a pastor, and works as a rancher. He finally sparks to life again after meeting Shannon Hutchins, the new pastor of Paradise. She, too, has experienced great loss. Her first husband, who was abusive, shot dead her second spouse and young son several years earlier. Shannon’s daughter, Julie, now 19, survived the rampage, but was left disabled. Shannon, a flame-haired beauty, has taken the Paradise job because Julie wants to set up a service-dog training facility near town. The place they acquired, however, is in bad shape, so they stay at the Aldermann farm during its repair. Attraction builds between Shannon and CJ, who share their stories and soon get engaged. Some townsfolk don’t want a female pastor, however, and some of CJ’s horses are shot dead as a warning. Luckily, this couple is literally on the side of angels. Debut author Spar leavens what could have been heavy-handed spiritual romance/drama with folksy comedy, including having his angels gibe each other (“Okay—‘Grumpy-Gabby’! Get up on the wrong side of the Nebula?”) and a running gag about avoiding the local diner’s lunch special. This narrative is ambitious with subplots, however, and the motives for the horse killing are puzzling. Overall, however, Spar sets an engaging, expansive world in motion, consisting not only of angels but also, given Julie and the clients who arrive near the end of this novel, a commendably diverse array of romance-seeking individuals.
A funny, heartwarming introduction to a heaven-watched town.Pub Date: Aug. 12, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-4917-9792-1
Page Count: 288
Publisher: iUniverse
Review Posted Online: Dec. 27, 2016
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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
A fascinating, thought-provoking, genre-bending romantic read.
When Solène Marchand takes her 12-year-old daughter to a concert by the hottest boy band on the planet, she doesn't expect to fall in love with one of the singers.
Middle-aged art gallery owner Solène hasn’t dated since her divorce, but when her ex-husband buys their daughter and a group of her friends tickets to Vegas and a backstage concert experience, then backs out at the last minute, she steps in as escort. The five guys in the wildly popular English boy band August Moon appeal to women of all ages, but Hayes, the brains behind the group’s success, flirts with Solène at the concert meet and greet, invites them to a party after the show, then pursues her once she gets back to Los Angeles. He’s only 20 and he’s incredibly famous; his attention is flattering and heady. The two fall into an affair that’s supposed to be light and easy, but before long they can’t ignore their intense emotional attachment. Solène is hesitant to tell her daughter, but when she procrastinates, Isabelle learns about it through an online tabloid, which damages their relationship and leaves Solène open to censure from her ex. Then, once the affair goes viral, she experiences the darker side of Hayes’ fan base. What started out as a jaunty adventure turns into an emotionally fraught journey, and Solène must decide what she’s willing to risk for her happiness and what she won’t risk for her daughter’s. Actress Lee, who appeared in Fifty Shades Darker, debuts with a beautifully written novel that explores sex, love, romance, and fantasy in moving, insightful ways while also examining a woman’s struggle with aging and sexism, with a nod at the tension between celebrity and privacy.
A fascinating, thought-provoking, genre-bending romantic read.Pub Date: June 13, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-250-12590-3
Page Count: 384
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Review Posted Online: April 3, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2017
BOOK TO SCREEN
BOOK TO SCREEN
BOOK TO SCREEN
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