An offbeat romance with an intriguing premise that will leave readers guessing right until the very end.
A middle-aged man and a much younger woman conduct a rocky romance via songs.
Tauri is a Chinese businessman living in America. He’s on his annual trip to his hometown, Chongqing, in southwest China, scouting investment opportunities when he meets Libi, a young woman. Libi, seeking investors for a photography studio business, ends up forging a connection with Tauri despite their 30-year age gap, a connection that Tauri believes to be romantic. Sparks fly, but Tauri is still—unhappily—married to Aquri, whom he begins divorcing as he maintains a fraught and sporadic connection with Libi over WeChat. Tauri spends the following years trying to decode messages Libi sends him through the creation (and updating) of a music playlist (his cryptographic efforts are supported by zodiac and tarot readings). Though it seems the author intends Libi to come to the understanding that she wants to be with the older Tauri, much of the narrative seems dedicated to a near descent into madness and obsession, during which Tauri has to consistently assure himself that his paramour wants him back and is sending messages through song (“Something was off between his understanding and what was genuinely in Libi’s mind. Libi showed her love and affection via this playlist. But she constantly put him down in this real world”). At times the story feels repetitive, with too little input from Libi, who rejects and then pulls Tauri back in several times over the course of the novel, leading the reader to wonder whether the desired effect is that of a meditation on the long journey it can take to find happiness or an exploration of delusion. That being said, the breathless intensity of the protagonist’s fixation makes the book a compelling read, pushing the reader to reckon with Tauri’s pursuit of happiness.
An offbeat romance with an intriguing premise that will leave readers guessing right until the very end.Pub Date: N/A
ISBN: 9798987097632
Page Count: 319
Publisher: Melvilleverse Press
Review Posted Online: May 22, 2023
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
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