A middling debut with a heroine who deserves better.
A prickly veteran and a sweet bed-and-breakfast owner butt heads in this small-town contemporary romance debut.
Sweetbriar Inn has been in June Wu's family for generations, but with tourism dwindling in Blue Cedar Falls, North Carolina, she's desperate to keep her guests happy. Her mother's medical bills are piling up and money is tight. When a string of noise complaints come in, she discovers that Main Street has a new addition. Clay Hawthorne is keeping his late friend Bug's dream alive. While in the Army, they would always talk about how Bug wanted to open a bar in his hometown. With Bug now gone, Clay is determined to carry out their plans, though he already carries with him a rather large chip on his shoulder about the townspeople. He dismisses June and the other residents as busybodies, and soon he's caught up in red tape involving liquor licenses and the local business association. Some see Clay as an outsider in their close-knit town, though there are a few—including June—who think Blue Cedar Falls could use a bit of shaking up. As in most small-town romances, there's a full cast of characters, from nosy neighbors to perky bakers, making the setting feel alive and truly lived in. The romance itself is the weakest part of the book, as Clay quickly turns from grumpy to downright rude. He outright refuses June's request to compromise on his construction hours even after she graciously lends him a ladder and brings him pie. His default reaction is to push people away by being unkind, and while his baggage may be understandable, the way he frequently jumps to conclusions about his fellow townspeople makes his redemption an uphill battle. He certainly doesn't seem fully apologetic by the end, marring what could have been a charming and emotionally complex romance. June, though, is an utter delight, and Clay never reaches the point of deserving her.
A middling debut with a heroine who deserves better.Pub Date: Sept. 28, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-5387-5361-3
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Forever
Review Posted Online: Aug. 17, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2021
PERSPECTIVES
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
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
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