A romantic story with serious elements that will have readers wringing their hands and holding their breath.
In this sequel to 2023’s The Prince and the Apocalypse, an 18-year-old American girl tries to return to normal life following the threat of a global apocalypse—and the heartache of a lost first love.
Wren Wheeler isn’t sure if she’s legally married to the soon-to-be king of England. Was their sudden marriage of necessity on a Greek island during what was supposed to be everyone’s last week on Earth really binding? After she returns to Chicago following Comet Week, Wren receives a marriage certificate bearing Crown Prince Theo’s signature and legal name, not the fake name she’d assumed he’d use. Desperate to know the truth—and reunite with the dog she left behind when she walked away from Theo in an act of altruism—Wren, along with best friend Naomi and older sister Brooke, travels to see Theodore Geoffrey Edward George. But, as with their last adventure, nothing goes right for the couple. Plagued by the paparazzi, controlled by the Firm, and concerned about protecting each other, Wren and Theo face numerous obstacles, not least of which are his family and a plane crash into the ocean near a deserted island. This action-packed, fast-paced story can stand alone, but having familiarity with the earlier book will help readers connect more deeply with the characters. The supporting characters’ witty dialogue balances the leads’ somewhat repetitively conveyed fears. Most characters are cued white.
A romantic story with serious elements that will have readers wringing their hands and holding their breath. (Romance. 13-18)Pub Date: July 9, 2024
ISBN: 9781250873071
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Review Posted Online: April 20, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
There’s not much plot here, but readers will relish the opportunity to climb inside Autumn’s head.
The finely drawn characters capture readers’ attention in this debut.
Autumn and Phineas, nicknamed Finny, were born a week apart; their mothers are still best friends. Growing up, Autumn and Finny were like peas in a pod despite their differences: Autumn is “quirky and odd,” while Finny is “sweet and shy and everyone like[s] him.” But in eighth grade, Autumn and Finny stop being friends due to an unexpected kiss. They drift apart and find new friends, but their friendship keeps asserting itself at parties, shared holiday gatherings and random encounters. In the summer after graduation, Autumn and Finny reconnect and are finally ready to be more than friends. But on August 8, everything changes, and Autumn has to rely on all her strength to move on. Autumn’s coming-of-age is sensitively chronicled, with a wide range of experiences and events shaping her character. Even secondary characters are well-rounded, with their own histories and motivations.
There’s not much plot here, but readers will relish the opportunity to climb inside Autumn’s head. (Fiction. 14 & up)Pub Date: April 1, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-4022-7782-5
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Review Posted Online: Feb. 12, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2013
BOOK REVIEW
SEEN & HEARD
A worthy second-chance romance.
In this follow-up to 2021’s Better Than the Movies, a 20-year-old college freshman gets a second chance at his dreams.
After the death of his father and his mother’s subsequent physical and emotional disappearance, Wes Bennett left behind all of his plans and the girl he made them with to go home and take care of Sarah, his younger sister. But now, Sarah has graduated, his mom is back on her feet, and by some miracle, Wes has an offer to pitch for UCLA’s baseball team. Liz Buxbaum, the girl he’s always loved, works for the university’s athletic department, taking photos and video of the team for social media, which means that maybe he can have a second chance at love, too. But since Wes left, Liz has made every effort to protect herself from ever feeling that broken again; there’s no room for love, because she doesn’t believe in it anymore. Or she doesn’t want to. This second-chance sports romance includes fake dates, quippy and quirky best friends, real heartache, and the sweet ache of first love. The clever dialogue keeps readers from drowning in the main characters’ emotional push-and-pull. Reading the first novel isn’t necessary for appreciating this one, although knowing the full history between Wes and Liz will only add to the ache and longing readers feel from and for them. Main characters are cued white.
A worthy second-chance romance. (Romance. 14-18)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2024
ISBN: 9781665947138
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2024
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