Next book

QUEEN OF DREAMS

Fantasy and the fight against evil take the pole position in this sequel, leaving the romance plot a distant second.

Two women discover the extent of their newfound powers.

Sachielle, the daughter of a king, grew up betrothed to the dragon god, Ash. In the first book of this series, Consort of Fire (2023), Sachi and her handmaiden, Zanya, attempted to assassinate Ash, but instead the three fell in love. Sachi and Zanya discovered that they’re not regular human women but are themselves gods. Sachi is the goddess of creation, which manifests in dreams, while Zanya is the goddess of destruction, which is known as the endless void. Now Sachi and Zanya struggle to understand and control their new powers. Zanya’s warrior skills are underdeveloped; she has heightened strength and reflexes and can transport herself through shadows, but she’s vulnerable to her emotions. Zanya forgets all her training if she thinks Sachi or Ash is under attack. Sachi learns that, in the dreamscape, she can travel through time and space, talking to people both living and dead. On one of Sachi’s trips through the dreamscape, she’s captured by Ash’s archnemesis, his brother, Sorin, the Betrayer. Thousands of years ago, a battle between Ash and Sorin almost destroyed the Earth. Sorin retreated and created his own empire, a vicious mirror of Ash’s, including a twisted court of evil demigods. While trapped in Sorin’s realm, Sachi is determined to learn the source of Sorin’s malevolent power while Ash and Zanya work to attack his stronghold from the outside. While the first book in the series developed the romance among the three lovers, this installment prioritizes a tale of war. Sachi, Zanya, and other women lead the fight, with Ash deferring to their skills and judgment as they marshal the forces needed to defeat Sorin in battle. It’s satisfying to see strong women at the forefront of the story, but the book could also serve as a cautionary tale about the difficulties of balancing plot and character development in a romantasy.

Fantasy and the fight against evil take the pole position in this sequel, leaving the romance plot a distant second.

Pub Date: Aug. 6, 2024

ISBN: 9781662513206

Page Count: -

Publisher: Montlake Romance

Review Posted Online: May 4, 2024

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2024

Awards & Accolades

Likes

  • Readers Vote
  • 280


Our Verdict

  • Our Verdict
  • GET IT


  • New York Times Bestseller

Next book

IT STARTS WITH US

Through palpable tension balanced with glimmers of hope, Hoover beautifully captures the heartbreak and joy of starting over.

Awards & Accolades

Likes

  • Readers Vote
  • 280


Our Verdict

  • Our Verdict
  • GET IT


  • New York Times Bestseller

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

Next book

JUST FOR THE SUMMER

A wallowing, emotionally wrenching family drama that leaves little time for romance.

Two people with bad luck in relationships find each other through a popular Reddit thread.

Emma Grant and her best friend, Maddy, are travel nurses, working at hospitals for three-month stints while they see the country. Just a few weeks before they’re set to move to Hawaii, Emma reads a popular “Am I the Asshole” Reddit thread from a Minnesota man who thinks he’s cursed—women he dates find their soulmates after breaking up with him, and the latest one found true love with his best friend! Emma has had a similar experience, which inspires her to DM the man and commiserate. She’s delighted by her witty, lively interactions with software engineer Justin Dahl, and is intrigued when he suggests that if they date each other, maybe they’ll each find their soulmate afterward. Emma upends the Hawaii plan and convinces Maddy to move to Minneapolis for the summer so she can meet Justin in person. The overly complex setup brings Emma and Justin together and the two hit it off, with Justin immediately falling head over heels for Emma. Jimenez then pivots to creating romantic roadblocks and melodramatic subplots centering on each character’s family of origin. Justin’s mother is about to serve six years in prison for embezzlement, which means Justin must move back home to care for his three much younger siblings. Emma was traumatized by her own mother for much of her childhood, left to fend for herself and eventually abandoned in the foster system. When her mother shows up in Minnesota, Emma must face her traumatic childhood and admit that she has prioritized her mother’s well-being over her own. There is little time devoted to Emma’s painful efforts to heal herself enough to accept Justin’s love, which leaves the novel feeling unsatisfying.

A wallowing, emotionally wrenching family drama that leaves little time for romance.

Pub Date: April 2, 2024

ISBN: 9781538704431

Page Count: 432

Publisher: Forever

Review Posted Online: Feb. 3, 2024

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2024

Close Quickview