An insightful, steamy, and poignant romance.
In this novel, a Los Angeles transplant falls for a small-town Colorado cop on her journey of self-discovery.
Beatrice Archer is 35 years old and going through a crisis. She quits her LA job as an advertising executive when her overdue promotion for a corner office goes to inexperienced, less competent Kevin Colton. Tired of playing by the rules of corporate drudgery and dealing with her family’s expectations of straight-laced, white-collar feminine perfection, she throws a dart at a map and moves to Credence, Colorado. What follows is a series of rule-breaking behaviors that would shock all of LA: trading in sexy lingerie and elliptical workouts for beer and pie breakfasts, bunny slippers in public, and day-of-the-week underwear. Newly liberated from social expectations, Bea confronts a rising urge to break her personal rules arising from family trauma. Exploring a long-suppressed love for art and striking up a fiery romance with Austin “Junior” Cooper are the two biggest rules she shatters. Austin is a 25-year-old policeman happy with his life on a ranch and on the force. After Bea meets the handsome cop, she notices “the truly fabulous way his broad shoulders filled out his shirt and the seriously effortless length of his stride.” When sparks fly with big city girl Bea, he is just as eager to follow them as she is wary. As they fall into an inevitable dalliance featuring a trifecta of friendship, pie, and carnal pleasure, they must handle uncertainties relating to their age difference and potential life paths. Bea faces a pivotal choice: reenter the corporate jungle for conventional success or traverse the dangerous road her artist mother navigated—and follow her heart. Andrews’ touching, sexy book is a rare gem in the romance genre, balancing both a woman’s relationship with herself and with her lover. Credence is painted vividly as a perhaps slightly too idyllic setting, but the characters are designed with nuances and flaws. The author cleverly subverts romance genre tropes with a messy mid-30s female lead and a realistically naïve yet astute younger man. Social dichotomies of “love or career” and conventional ideas of beauty are dismantled cleverly through the plot structure.
An insightful, steamy, and poignant romance.Pub Date: Jan. 24, 2023
ISBN: 9781682815632
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Entangled: Amara
Review Posted Online: Jan. 2, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2023
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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
Henry fans, rejoice: This is her best yet.
A recently dumped librarian finds herself fake dating her polar opposite.
When Daphne Vincent’s fiance, Peter, dumps her, she’s shocked—but the worst part is that he’s leaving her for his gorgeous best friend, Petra, the woman he’d always told Daphne not to worry about. Now Daphne has to move out of Peter’s home and restart her life in the small Michigan town where she’d moved to be with him. Salvation comes in the form of Miles Nowak, Petra’s ex—he has a tiny spare room in his apartment, and he understands what it’s like to wallow in heartbreak. Daphne feels lucky to have her dream job as a children’s librarian, but other than that, she feels adrift and friendless in Waning Bay—and then she and Miles get invitations to Peter and Petra’s wedding. In a momentary lapse of judgment, Daphne not only says she’ll attend the wedding, but tells Peter she’s dating Miles. It would be the perfect way to show Peter and Petra that they’ve moved on…if only it were true. In the grand tradition of fake-dating romances, Daphne and Miles pretend to be in love, getting to know each other while having various adventures and misadventures. Daphne quickly learns that although she’d dismissed Miles as a pothead with a lack of direction, he’s actually a good time—and a loyal friend. But Daphne knows she needs to get out of Waning Bay, so this fake relationship can’t lead anywhere…can it? Reliable bestseller Henry has written another surefire hit that manages to be dramatic, sexy, and fun. Miles and Daphne have chemistry that leaps off the page, and their will-they-or-won’t-they energy propels the story to its satisfying conclusion. Daphne is an immensely likable character, one whose past realistically informs her current relationships. The world of Waning Bay is charmingly quirky, and Daphne’s co-workers at the library are endearing. As always, Henry’s biggest strength is the sharp, often hilarious dialogue that makes the story a joy to read.
Henry fans, rejoice: This is her best yet.Pub Date: April 23, 2024
ISBN: 9780593441282
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Berkley
Review Posted Online: Feb. 17, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2024
PERSPECTIVES
BOOK TO SCREEN
SEEN & HEARD
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