A soul-searching, second-chance romance for readers who love a strong female lead.
A personal chef crosses paths with a past lover after her life takes an unexpected turn in Bouchard’s romance novel.
Devon Paige has made a grave misstep: She was caught mid-kiss with Bentley Preston, husband of her employer Julianna. Devon has worked hard to build up her clientele as a personal chef in Boston, but Julianna Preston is quick to get the word out, and soon Devon is fired from all her contracts but one. At loose ends, she accepts a job offer as dining services director at the Rockwood boarding school in New Hampshire, desperate to get away from all the attention. When Devon arrives in New Hampshire, there is a surprise waiting for her: a blast from the past in the form of history and government teacher (and soccer coach) Kyle Holling. Back in 2007, Devon spent one romantic night with Kyle, then never saw him again. Kyle is now divorced and available, and their attraction has not gone away. Bouchard’s romance trundles along at a good speed. In the course of the story, the author touches on questions of whether there is ever room for second chances in romance and what to do when life throws you a curveball. Devon is entirely relatable in the position in which she has found herself, if not necessarily for how she got there. While her chemistry with a paramedic called Heath seems anything but natural—it’s a placeholder romance from the start—her big-sisterly relationship with basketball player David Anders, who remains her only client after her initial indiscretion, is a welcome side plot that shows the caring nature of her character. The glimpse into the world of boarding-school gossip is also fun (Devon observes, “Apparently, I had fled one scandal-ridden situation for another one”), avoiding predictable tropes about going from the big city to a small town. Bouchard does not settle for a one-dimensional story, and the romance fares better because of it.
A soul-searching, second-chance romance for readers who love a strong female lead.Pub Date: Feb. 6, 2025
ISBN: 9781685135522
Page Count: 258
Publisher: Black Rose Writing
Review Posted Online: Oct. 28, 2024
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 charming dual-timeline romance about learning from past mistakes.
In Yarros’ latest romance novel, a young woman hires a handsome but infuriating writer to complete her late great-grandmother’s half-finished book.
After her marriage to a Hollywood producer ends in high-profile divorce, 28-year-old Georgia Stanton returns to her childhood home in Colorado. When she arrives at the house where she was raised by her great-grandma—the famous romance author Scarlett Stanton—she finds her mother, Ava, lying in wait. Georgia is in possession of the only unfinished manuscript that her deceased relative left behind, and her own mom wants her to sell the rights so they can get some cash. Georgia succumbs to the pressure and enters a deal in which another author will finish the book’s second half. The manuscript tells Scarlett’s life story, including how she found, and lost, her one true love. Georgia feels strongly that the finished novel must reflect the true events of Scarlett’s life, as difficult as they may have been. Unfortunately, the publishers hire Noah Harrison, a stubborn writer at the height of his career, who has his own fictional vision for the novel’s ending. As Noah and Georgia butt heads, each of them researches Scarlett’s history in England during World War II. As they learn more about Scarlett and Jameson Stanton, the fighter pilot she loved, Georgia and Noah must navigate their own increasingly complicated relationship. With two equally engrossing storylines, this book will draw in even seasoned romance readers. As the story jumps between past and present, the author also alternates present-day perspectives between Georgia and Noah, moving deftly between her characters’ distinct voices. The relationships are well developed, and the love that Scarlett felt for Jameson is especially palpable. Along with the sweetly romantic themes, the book explores several heftier topics, including personal ambition, grief, family discord, and self-esteem. The story has a few digressions that do little to advance the plot, but the main characters are sufficiently engrossing that readers will want to stick with them to the end.
A charming dual-timeline romance about learning from past mistakes.Pub Date: Feb. 23, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-68281-566-3
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Entangled: Amara
Review Posted Online: Jan. 20, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2021
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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