A reclusive model falls for his new housekeeper in this contemporary romance with noticeable “Beauty and the Beast” vibes.
Patrick Halloran was on top of the world. First, he was a soccer star, then a model, and he was set to star in a Hollywood blockbuster. But then a vicious car accident changed his life forever. Scarred emotionally and physically, Pat retreats to his family ranch in Montana to live in isolation until art student Magdalena “Lena” Martel accepts the position as his new housekeeper. The rules are simple. She’ll cook, clean, and avoid certain areas of the house. Despite the unconventional circumstances, Lena needs the money. With tuition to pay and a stepmom and younger sister to keep out of debt, she’s willing to overlook her grouchy, nearly invisible boss. Slowly, Lena’s fantastic cooking and the catchy music she blasts while cleaning have Pat emerging from his self-imposed exile. Post-it notes left behind graduate to texts and even to late-night phone calls, though the ultimate test will be whether or not Lena runs from Pat’s disfigured body. Pat’s trauma and regret are very real. He hates the man he has become, but he isn’t sure the man he was before the accident was much better. Though Lena isn’t without her own baggage, it’s certainly overshadowed by Pat’s journey to do as little as set foot outside his home. The romance is steamy and charming as a standoffish and frankly horrible first impression seamlessly morphs into a tentative friendship and more. Lena and Pat's relationship builds at a slow and steady burn that fights against their heavy emotional insecurities. However, the turning point, when a big misunderstanding threatens to ruin their happily-ever-after, doesn't have as much nuance as the way they came together in the first place.
A sexy, modern fairy tale that caps off an entertaining series.Pub Date: Aug. 27, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-4967-1528-9
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Kensington
Review Posted Online: July 6, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2019
Categories: GENERAL ROMANCE | ROMANCE | CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE
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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. 23, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2018
Categories: GENERAL ROMANCE | ROMANCE | FAMILY LIFE & FRIENDSHIP | CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE
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An unlucky woman finally gets lucky in love on an all-expenses-paid trip to Hawaii.
From getting her hand stuck in a claw machine at age 6 to losing her job, Olive Torres has never felt that luck was on her side. But her fortune changes when she scores a free vacation after her identical twin sister and new brother-in-law get food poisoning at their wedding buffet and are too sick to go on their honeymoon. The only catch is that she’ll have to share the honeymoon suite with her least favorite person—Ethan Thomas, the brother of the groom. To make matters worse, Olive’s new boss and Ethan’s ex-girlfriend show up in Hawaii, forcing them both to pretend to be newlyweds so they don’t blow their cover, as their all-inclusive vacation package is nontransferable and in her sister’s name. Plus, Ethan really wants to save face in front of his ex. The story is told almost exclusively from Olive’s point of view, filtering all communication through her cynical lens until Ethan can win her over (and finally have his say in the epilogue). To get to the happily-ever-after, Ethan doesn’t have to prove to Olive that he can be a better man, only that he was never the jerk she thought he was—for instance, when she thought he was judging her for eating cheese curds, maybe he was actually thinking of asking her out. Blending witty banter with healthy adult communication, the fake newlyweds have real chemistry as they talk it out over snorkeling trips, couples massages, and a few too many tropical drinks to get to the truth—that they’re crazy about each other.
Heartfelt and funny, this enemies-to-lovers romance shows that the best things in life are all-inclusive and nontransferable as well as free.Pub Date: May 14, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-5011-2803-5
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Gallery Books/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: March 3, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2019
Categories: GENERAL ROMANCE | ROMANCE
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