But overall, Bowman keeps her prose and characters fresh and interesting; her book is an entertaining renewal of a classic...
A bookish young woman tries to convince her mother she’s just not marriage material in this Regency romance inspired by Much Ado About Nothing, but her mother has the last laugh.
Bowman (The Accidental Countess, 2014, etc.) offers another installment in her Playful Brides series with the story of confirmed spinster and bluestocking Jane Lowndes. Jane is attempting to convince her mother to stop trying to find her an advantageous match. She dusts off her friend Cassandra’s old ruse, inventing a chaperone named Mrs. Bunbury in order to gain permission to attend a house party without her mother. But while at the house party, the unchaperoned Jane finds herself spending more and more time with Lord Garrett Upton, the cousin of one of her closest friends. Garrett and Jane can barely tolerate each other, but when Jane dresses with unwonted care for a masquerade and they spend time together without knowing each other’s identities, the sparks fly. When their mutual friends realize what’s going on, they take a page from Shakespeare’s book, telling Jane that Garrett is in love with her and telling Garrett that Jane is in love with him. Both of them begin looking for signs of affection in the other, and as a result, affection naturally grows. This comedy of errors is an enjoyable read even though the old trope of extreme annoyance being the flip side of love and sexual attraction is a bit boring. The villain in the piece, a manipulative war widow preying on Garrett’s survivor’s guilt, is also crudely drawn and predictable.
But overall, Bowman keeps her prose and characters fresh and interesting; her book is an entertaining renewal of a classic plotline and well worth reading.Pub Date: May 5, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-250-04209-5
Page Count: 320
Publisher: St. Martin's
Review Posted Online: Feb. 14, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2015
Anyone who believes in true love or is simply willing to accept it as the premise of a winding tale will find this debut an...
True love flares between two people, but they find that circumstances always impede it.
On a winter day in London, Laurie spots Jack from her bus home and he sparks a feeling in her so deep that she spends the next year searching for him. Her roommate and best friend, Sarah, is the perfect wing-woman but ultimately—and unknowingly—ends the search by finding Jack and falling for him herself. Laurie’s hasty decision not to tell Sarah is the second painful missed opportunity (after not getting off the bus), but Sarah’s happiness is so important to Laurie that she dedicates ample energy into retraining her heart not to love Jack. Laurie is misguided, but her effort and loyalty spring from a true heart, and she considers her project mostly successful. Perhaps she would have total success, but the fact of the matter is that Jack feels the same deep connection to Laurie. His reasons for not acting on them are less admirable: He likes Sarah and she’s the total package; why would he give that up just because every time he and Laurie have enough time together (and just enough alcohol) they nearly fall into each other’s arms? Laurie finally begins to move on, creating a mostly satisfying life for herself, whereas Jack’s inability to be genuine tortures him and turns him into an ever bigger jerk. Patriarchy—it hurts men, too! There’s no question where the book is going, but the pacing is just right, the tone warm, and the characters sympathetic, even when making dumb decisions.
Anyone who believes in true love or is simply willing to accept it as the premise of a winding tale will find this debut an emotional, satisfying read.Pub Date: Oct. 16, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-525-57468-2
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Crown
Review Posted Online: July 30, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK TO SCREEN
With frank language and patient plotting, this gangly teen crush grows into a confident adult love affair.
Eleven years ago, he broke her heart. But he doesn’t know why she never forgave him.
Toggling between past and present, two love stories unfold simultaneously. In the first, Macy Sorensen meets and falls in love with the boy next door, Elliot Petropoulos, in the closet of her dad’s vacation home, where they hide out to discuss their favorite books. In the second, Macy is working as a doctor and engaged to a single father, and she hasn’t spoken to Elliot since their breakup. But a chance encounter forces her to confront the truth: what happened to make Macy stop speaking to Elliot? Ultimately, they’re separated not by time or physical remoteness but by emotional distance—Elliot and Macy always kept their relationship casual because they went to different schools. And as a teen, Macy has more to worry about than which girl Elliot is taking to the prom. After losing her mother at a young age, Macy is navigating her teenage years without a female role model, relying on the time-stamped notes her mother left in her father’s care for guidance. In the present day, Macy’s father is dead as well. She throws herself into her work and rarely comes up for air, not even to plan her upcoming wedding. Since Macy is still living with her fiance while grappling with her feelings for Elliot, the flashbacks offer steamy moments, tender revelations, and sweetly awkward confessions while Macy makes peace with her past and decides her future.
With frank language and patient plotting, this gangly teen crush grows into a confident adult love affair.Pub Date: April 10, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-5011-2801-1
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Gallery Books/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2018
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