Heavy themes and uneven pacing might surprise readers expecting a flirty rom-com.
An education professor falls in love with the consultant who holds the fate of her department in his hands.
Dr. Naya Turner is deeply fulfilled by her job as an education professor at Thurmond University in Chicago; unfortunately, her personal life is not so perfect. Three years earlier, she escaped an abusive relationship with a colleague who trashed her name and reputation in the university community, and she’s been trying to recover ever since. Naya is determined to put her fears behind her and, on a rare night out, meets a handsome man in town for a work trip and family wedding. Their bar flirtation turns into a weeklong, no-strings affair. Naya is euphoric at her own daring and delighted with her new lover, so she is crushed when she realizes that Jake has been hired by her university to evaluate which departments can be restructured or eliminated. Unable to resist her attraction to Jake, she continues seeing him even though she fears it’s a conflict of interest. Even more troubling, her ex is back on campus and has started to text her threatening messages that leave her feeling vulnerable and afraid. Williams’ debut is a strong character study of Naya, a deeply sympathetic character who is worried about her professional future and personal happiness. However, the pacing is off-kilter. Although big conflicts are introduced, they stay on the back burner for most of the book. Naya worries about her job, perseverates about her decision to date Jake, and ignores the rising threats from her ex, but she doesn’t take action until she has no other choice. Jake seems like a nice guy, but without his point of view, he’s a cipher with less clear motivations and feelings.
Heavy themes and uneven pacing might surprise readers expecting a flirty rom-com.Pub Date: Dec. 1, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-593-10190-2
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Berkley
Review Posted Online: Sept. 1, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
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
This slightly smutty monster romance feels more like a spectacle than a deliberately paced story.
A woman travels to Scotland to unravel her late father’s past and meets a grumpy Scotsman with his own secrets.
Keyanna MacKay was brought up by a single father who was always tight-lipped about his upbringing, so when he dies, she’s left with no family. Key decides that learning about his life before he left Scotland would be a good way of keeping his memory close and perhaps connecting with long-lost relatives. She discovers a grandmother and other extended family in Scotland, but they’re hardly welcoming. “I know who you are....And you shouldn’t have come,” are the first words her grandmother says to her. Lachlan Greer has little patience for the American he’s already written off as clueless. When he witnesses Key’s snubbing by her family members, his grumpy demeanor gives way to begrudging pity, and he starts helping her navigate the local community and try to build a bridge to her grandmother. At first, this book seems to be a contemporary romance with light magical undertones involving a family’s mysterious curse, but it quickly devolves into a monster romance heavy on shock value. While monster romance can be fun, it doesn’t work here. Key and Lachlan’s chemistry is bumpy, and the pace of their relationship as they go from disastrous first impressions to a happily ever after is all over the place. Ferguson tries to combine too many elements—including a grumpy-meets-sunshine pairing, a mystery with sensitive family dynamics, and the complicated logistics of falling in love with a cryptid—leaving several threads not fully resolved. The setting is the most positive element, with Scotland’s lush greenery providing the perfect whimsical background for hunting down long-buried family secrets.
This slightly smutty monster romance feels more like a spectacle than a deliberately paced story.Pub Date: Dec. 3, 2024
ISBN: 9780593816851
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Berkley
Review Posted Online: Oct. 26, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
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