A quick-witted friends-to-lovers exploration with just the right touch of magic.
A young woman accidentally propels herself into an alternate reality where she falls in love with her best friend and has to figure out which life she prefers.
The book opens with Gemma Wilde wallowing in self-pity over a recent breakup. She's spending an evening at the home of her quirky Aunt Livi along with her sister, Kiersten, and best friend, Dax McGuire, as the three try to cheer her up. When Livi suggests using a spell to excise the terrible ex from Gemma’s heart, nobody resists. Unfortunately, Gemma’s a bit drunk and she misses a few steps. When she wakes up the next morning, everything’s different. She’s in an apartment she doesn’t recognize belonging to a man she doesn’t know. Her job no longer exists and she apparently owns a beauty boutique in town. She hurries to contact Dax for help, but when she finds him, he doesn’t know her. Gemma realizes that the one thing she can't stand to lose is Dax. In order to reverse the spell, she needs him to kiss her, but she’s got to win him over first. As the two grow closer, their relationship turns romantic. Gemma’s never been happier, and she begins to wonder if she should just stay put in her new reality. Told in the first-person, the book follows Gemma as she gets reacquainted with Dax and also makes enlightening discoveries about herself. The chemistry between the main characters is palpable and grows increasingly compelling. Despite its lighthearted tone, the novel deals with deep issues such as self-doubt and lack of professional direction, lending it heft and grace. Unfortunately, once Gemma makes up her mind about what to do, the story wraps up so quickly, with so little angst, that it undermines the impact of all the prior meaningful moments. Even so, the charming personalities and adorable moments make this story worth reading.
A quick-witted friends-to-lovers exploration with just the right touch of magic.Pub Date: Dec. 5, 2023
ISBN: 9780593596531
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Dial Press
Review Posted Online: Sept. 9, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2023
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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