A bit uneven, but fans of Regency romances will revel in this fantastical affair.
A tailor and a prince become entwined in a tenuous romance.
When Niamh, who’s from a working-class Machlish family, receives an invitation to serve as the tailor for the royal wedding of Avaland’s Prince Christopher to the Castilian Infanta Rosa, she boards the ship, convinced that this Season will change her family’s fortunes. Her ability to imbue emotions into her embroidery has earned her a reputation among the high-born, but using magic comes at a cost to her lifespan. Niamh arrives on Avaland’s shores, only to find the country in turmoil. The exploited Machlish are striking in droves, a gossip columnist has alienated the court, and most troublesome of all, the brooding and reluctant Christopher, who goes by Kit, simultaneously vexes and beguiles her. With patience and persistence, Niamh pierces Kit’s thorny, magicked defenses, but personal and political histories threaten their future. The descriptions of Niamh’s handiwork are delicately crafted, as is the worldbuilding, which evokes a European historical setting and population. Names, the Machland crop famine, and Machlish legends point to Irish influences. Kit’s prickliness and Niamh’s empathetic nature create a heated attraction of opposites that risks positioning Niamh as overly self-sacrificing at the expense of her individuality and a satisfying character arc. However, well-rendered supporting characters are gratifying additions to the narrative, which wraps up somewhat hastily.
A bit uneven, but fans of Regency romances will revel in this fantastical affair. (Fantasy romance. 14-18)Pub Date: Jan. 2, 2024
ISBN: 9781250892836
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Review Posted Online: Sept. 23, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2023
There’s not much plot here, but readers will relish the opportunity to climb inside Autumn’s head.
The finely drawn characters capture readers’ attention in this debut.
Autumn and Phineas, nicknamed Finny, were born a week apart; their mothers are still best friends. Growing up, Autumn and Finny were like peas in a pod despite their differences: Autumn is “quirky and odd,” while Finny is “sweet and shy and everyone like[s] him.” But in eighth grade, Autumn and Finny stop being friends due to an unexpected kiss. They drift apart and find new friends, but their friendship keeps asserting itself at parties, shared holiday gatherings and random encounters. In the summer after graduation, Autumn and Finny reconnect and are finally ready to be more than friends. But on August 8, everything changes, and Autumn has to rely on all her strength to move on. Autumn’s coming-of-age is sensitively chronicled, with a wide range of experiences and events shaping her character. Even secondary characters are well-rounded, with their own histories and motivations.
There’s not much plot here, but readers will relish the opportunity to climb inside Autumn’s head. (Fiction. 14 & up)Pub Date: April 1, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-4022-7782-5
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Review Posted Online: Feb. 12, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2013
BOOK REVIEW
SEEN & HEARD
A heavy read about the harsh realities of tragedy and their effects on those left behind.
In this companion novel to 2013’s If He Had Been With Me, three characters tell their sides of the story.
Finn’s narrative starts three days before his death. He explores the progress of his unrequited love for best friend Autumn up until the day he finally expresses his feelings. Finn’s story ends with his tragic death, which leaves his close friends devastated, unmoored, and uncertain how to go on. Jack’s section follows, offering a heartbreaking look at what it’s like to live with grief. Jack works to overcome the anger he feels toward Sylvie, the girlfriend Finn was breaking up with when he died, and Autumn, the girl he was preparing to build his life around (but whom Jack believed wasn’t good enough for Finn). But when Jack sees how Autumn’s grief matches his own, it changes their understanding of one another. Autumn’s chapters trace her life without Finn as readers follow her struggles with mental health and balancing love and loss. Those who have read the earlier book will better connect with and feel for these characters, particularly since they’ll have a more well-rounded impression of Finn. The pain and anger is well written, and the novel highlights the most troublesome aspects of young adulthood: overconfidence sprinkled with heavy insecurities, fear-fueled decisions, bad communication, and brash judgments. Characters are cued white.
A heavy read about the harsh realities of tragedy and their effects on those left behind. (author’s note, content warning) (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: Feb. 6, 2024
ISBN: 9781728276229
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Review Posted Online: Jan. 5, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
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