A witty and often amusing marriage drama.
A young woman must choose between old loyalties and a new beginning in Taylor’s debut novel.
Kassie O’Callaghan is a successful 54-year-old marketing executive with a knack for details, which has served her well during her long and admirable career. Now, she’s using her gift to orchestrate a very different kind of project: divorcing Mike Ricci, her husband of 30 years. After years of dealing with Mike’s emotional abuse, she’s finally had enough. But just as she’s about to take the leap, she gets some disastrous news—Mike has been diagnosed with chronic kidney disease. The news throws her emotions into confusion and complicates her plans to move in with Chris Gaines, a younger man she met while traveling in Venice, Italy. After she postpones her divorce and her other future plans, she comes across clues indicating that Mike may be deceiving her. Kassie eventually faces an impossible decision that might ruin her chance at happiness. Taylor’s dialogue is snappy and contemporary, and the book reads like a fun romantic comedy at times, despite the rather heavy subject matter. Kassie’s inner monologues occasionally provide humorous insights into her personality; when speaking with a doctor involved in her husband’s case, for instance, she thinks to herself, “Oh, that’s reassuring. Let’s suspend with the pleasantries already, shorty, and tell Bad Kassie what’s going on.” The chapters move along briskly without skimping on the finer points of the plot, and there’s even a Spotify playlist and book club discussion questions at the end for those who may be looking for a deeper reading experience. Secondary characters add intriguing layers of complexity to the story, and each plays a role in influencing Kassie’s decisions. The protagonist’s inner struggle feels genuine and heartfelt, and anyone who’s lived through a divorce will find it easy to relate to her.
A witty and often amusing marriage drama.Pub Date: Sept. 15, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-63152-745-6
Page Count: 316
Publisher: She Writes Press
Review Posted Online: July 2, 2020
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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
A book begging to be read on the beach, with the sun warming the sand and salt in the air: pure escapism.
Three woman who join together to rent a large space along the beach in Los Angeles for their stores—a gift shop, a bakery, and a bookstore—become fast friends as they each experience the highs, and lows, of love.
Bree is a friendly but standoffish bookstore owner who keeps everyone she knows at arm’s length, from guys she meets in bars to her friends. Mikki is a settled-in-her-routines divorced mother of two, happily a mom, gift-shop owner, and co-parent with her ex-husband, Perry. And Ashley is a young, very-much-in-love bakery owner specializing in muffins who devotes herself to giving back to the community through a nonprofit that helps community members develop skills and find jobs. When the women meet drooling over a boardwalk storefront that none of them can afford on her own, a plan is hatched to divide the space in three, and a friendship—and business partnership—is born. An impromptu celebration on the beach at sunset with champagne becomes a weekly touchpoint to their lives as they learn more about each other and themselves. Their friendship blossoms as they help each other, offering support, hard truths, and loving backup. Author Mallery has created a delightful story of friendship between three women that also offers a variety of love stories as they fall in love, make mistakes, and figure out how to be the best—albeit still flawed—versions of themselves. The men are similarly flawed and human. While the story comes down clearly on the side of all-encompassing love, Mallery has struck a careful balance: There is just enough sex to be spicy, just enough swearing to be naughty, and just enough heartbreak to avoid being cloying.
A book begging to be read on the beach, with the sun warming the sand and salt in the air: pure escapism.Pub Date: May 31, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-778-38608-7
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Harlequin MIRA
Review Posted Online: March 15, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2022
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