A sweet love story brimming with music and nostalgia.
A computer programmer reconnects with her college crush in this second-chance romance.
Walking into a Tulsa, Oklahoma, record store, Casey Washington is immediately hit by a blast from her past: Adam Raines. Eighteen years ago, they shared math and science classes and a passion for live music, but Adam—now a co-owner of the record store, music journalist, and songwriter—was married and soon expecting his first child. Almost 40 years old, Casey now lives in Portland, Oregon, a single and successful computer whiz with millions to her name. But the death of her beloved yet complex father has her back in Tulsa, preparing her childhood home for sale and getting ready to unload her dad’s prized assortment of records (“His record collection was his baby”). Adam is divorced, with two teenage girls from his marriage and a toddler son from a rebound fling, and when he sees Casey again, romantic feelings from their college days immediately resurface. As Adam helps Casey categorize and sell her dad’s records, a new love begins to blossom—but life isn’t quite as simple anymore, especially with his family responsibilities and the fact that her job and home are far away. When a secret from Adam’s mother’s past comes to light, its repercussions may once again drive the pair apart. Alternating Casey’s and Adam’s perspectives, Vinson’s sequel presents a likable couple with a host of realistic obstacles. Casey is a once-favored daughter who is now taking on the bulk of responsibilities after her father’s death while spending time with her brother and his partner and two children. Adam is a dad sharing custody with two exes and dealing with a sullen and moody 15-year-old daughter. When it becomes clear that the main characters’ connection is far more than a “just in town” dalliance, they must also cope with challenges relating to geography and family, even before a potentially devastating truth is revealed. Casey and Adam’s chemistry remains palpable throughout the enjoyable tale, as does their potential to be “the one” for each other.
A sweet love story brimming with music and nostalgia.Pub Date: Jan. 2, 2023
ISBN: 9781958342091
Page Count: 276
Publisher: KV BOOKS LLC
Review Posted Online: Feb. 15, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2023
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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
A thoughtful and pensive tale with intelligent characters and a satisfying romance.
A promise to his best friend leads an Army serviceman to a family in need and a chance at true love in this novel.
Beckett Gentry is surprised when his Army buddy Ryan MacKenzie gives him a letter from Ryan’s sister, Ella. Abandoned by his mother, Beckett grew up in a series of foster homes. He is wary of attachments until he reads Ella’s letter. A single mother, Ella lives with her twins, Maisie and Colt, at Solitude, the resort she operates in Telluride, Colorado. They begin a correspondence, although Beckett can only identify himself by his call sign, Chaos. After Ryan’s death during a mission, Beckett travels to Telluride as his friend had requested. He bonds with the twins while falling deeply in love with Ella. Reluctant to reveal details of Ryan’s death and risk causing her pain, Beckett declines to disclose to Ella that he is Chaos. Maisie needs treatment for neuroblastoma, and Beckett formally adopts the twins as a sign of his commitment to support Ella and her children. He and Ella pursue a romance, but when an insurance investigator questions the adoption, Beckett is faced with revealing the truth about the letters and Ryan’s death, risking losing the family he loves. Yarros’ (Wilder, 2016, etc.) novel is a deeply felt and emotionally nuanced contemporary romance bolstered by well-drawn characters and strong, confident storytelling. Beckett and Ella are sympathetic protagonists whose past experiences leave them cautious when it comes to love. Beckett never knew the security of a stable home life. Ella impulsively married her high school boyfriend, but the marriage ended when he discovered she was pregnant. The author is especially adept at developing the characters through subtle but significant details, like Beckett’s aversion to swearing. Beckett and Ella’s romance unfolds slowly in chapters that alternate between their first-person viewpoints. The letters they exchanged are pivotal to their connection, and almost every chapter opens with one. Yarros’ writing is crisp and sharp, with passages that are poetic without being florid. For example, in a letter to Beckett, Ella writes of motherhood: “But I’m not the center of their universe. I’m more like their gravity.” While the love story is the book’s focus, the subplot involving Maisie’s illness is equally well-developed, and the link between Beckett and the twins is heartfelt and sincere.
A thoughtful and pensive tale with intelligent characters and a satisfying romance.Pub Date: Feb. 26, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-64063-533-3
Page Count: 432
Publisher: Entangled: Amara
Review Posted Online: Jan. 2, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2019
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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