An enjoyably lusty romance with good relationship development.
Two adults who suddenly lost their mothers strive for connection in this romance novel.
Since her mom died unexpectedly two years ago, 23-year-old Katie Williams has put college and her future dreams aside to work as a teller in a Portland, Maine, bank and take care of her half brother, 12-year-old Tyler, whose abusive father left years ago. It’s a dull, dreary life in their cramped apartment, but Katie sees no way to move beyond it. After his own mother’s death, 26-year-old Matt Stephens, a wealthy CEO of a computer software startup in Boston, comes to clean out her place, which happens to be one floor below Katie’s. When he and Katie run into each other—literally—their attraction is immediate. He’s drawn to her “delicate” prettiness and mane of dark-brown hair and she, to his tall, muscular form and “midnight blue” eyes. They start dating, and the sex is spectacular, but the path to love proves to be a rocky one. It turns out that both have something to hide; for Katie, it’s her long struggle with depression, while Matt keeps the fact that he’s rich under wraps, hoping to be loved for more than his money. When Tyler’s father threatens to seek custody, the couple’s secrets and true feelings come out. In her debut novel, Disano initially doesn’t go very deep into Matt and Katie’s instant attraction, instead summing it up unsatisfactorily with questions such as “What was it about him that flustered her so much?” However, the portrayal of the relationship strengthens as the story goes on, and although the two predictably manage to work out their differences, they do so with notable integrity and caring. The couple’s sex life is improbably superb from the get-go, but the scenes that depict it are well written, varied, and reveal some unexpected verve on mild-mannered Katie’s part: “Oh yeah. That’s going to leave a mark.”
An enjoyably lusty romance with good relationship development.Pub Date: Nov. 15, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-73776-120-4
Page Count: 216
Publisher: Disano Dreams
Review Posted Online: Oct. 25, 2021
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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
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
SEEN & HEARD
SEEN & HEARD
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