Parallel characters and melodramatic tales that prove somber but absorbing.
Two love stories set in different eras collide in this debut novel.
In 1997, American college freshman Karen Mary Williams won’t let anything sidetrack her goal of becoming a doctor. She can have an active social life and still study faithfully. But when Karen gets pregnant, her nerdish “study buddy” and maybe boyfriend, Peter Schmidt, offers to marry her. As the years pass, she concentrates on her new family even if it puts the brakes on her professional drive. Although she loves Peter, Karen may succumb to her sexual desire when reuniting with the rich pre-med student she dated back in college. In a concurrent plot, a woman awakens in an alley in 16th-century Antwerp. As she can’t remember who she is or how she got there, she goes by Mariken, a name courtesy of a kindhearted seamstress she befriends. But Mariken is definitely a physician, a skill she uses to help others. She falls in love with a humble blacksmith and rejects the advances of an arrogant banker. But living in an era when people are executed for heresy, Mariken is one of many women wrongfully accused of and tried for witchcraft. Wiens simplifies his dual plot narrative by focusing on one story at a time before tying them together in the present day. The swiftly paced novel fluidly moves through years with the married couple as well as Mariken’s fraught, centuries-old medical procedures. The tale also features real-life historical figures and events. The book is often grim, with the imprisoned women’s horrid treatment and a minor present-day serial-killer subplot that pays off by the end. The love stories, meanwhile, are enthralling and realistic; for example, Karen and Peter’s mutual fondness doesn’t mean they don’t bicker. While the plot-linking final act satisfies, the author drops enough hints throughout Mariken’s tale that many readers will have already made the connections.
Parallel characters and melodramatic tales that prove somber but absorbing.Pub Date: Sept. 20, 2021
ISBN: 9798987879603
Page Count: 330
Publisher: H.P. Waterhouse Publishing
Review Posted Online: Oct. 14, 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
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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