A searching collection of tales about women’s quests for self-realization.
Sullivan’s debut short story collection follows modern-day women as they seek change.
In this collection, multiple female protagonists experience travel, success, changes in relationships, and journeys homeward. Many of the characters hail from or immigrate to Italy, and the stories are primarily set in Mediterranean countries. The author explores the complexities of female friendship, dissolving and abusive relationships, quests for autonomy, motherhood, widowhood, discoveries about the self, missed opportunities, envy, and careers. Most of these women find a way to thrive despite the challenges they face in a world that caters to men. Inspiring wanderlust, Sullivan’s characters visit ancient bridges, beautiful Mediterranean landscapes, wine bars, coffee shops, and museums, occasionally venturing off to farther-flung locales including Indonesia and the United States. The prose employs sensory details to establish place as the environments parallel the characters’ internal landscapes. The author takes women out of victimhood roles, allowing them—in most cases—to become agents of their own destiny. In “Stari Most,” a bridge compels a woman named Victoria to face a trauma that has haunted her relationships, leading her to repair her marriage. Valeria, the protagonist of “The Ring,” uses a found ring to enhance a potential relationship. Sullivan juggles multiple perspectives: old and young; wealthy and poor; and conservative and liberal. Occasionally, stories end too abruptly, just before the reader sees the consequences of the character’s actions. Also, while many of the dynamics between the female characters feel authentic, as in the subtle envy depicted in “Wine and Beauty” (“ ‘Look at them, with their perfect clothes and thousands spent on hair and spas. Bet they wouldn’t be agonizing over rent payments or affording college.’ The more she observed, the more resentful she felt”), there are moments when gender roles feel stereotyped, and some interactions lack nuance. Still, this is a strong body of work, and the author is unafraid to experiment, as the stories range from slices of life to near fairy tales. Sullivan’s own adventures abroad and knowledge of history provide solid grounding for her narratives
A searching collection of tales about women’s quests for self-realization.Pub Date: N/A
ISBN: 9798986884400
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Self
Review Posted Online: April 18, 2023
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A romance that could have used significant rethinking.
Childhood friends, almost-sweethearts, a misunderstanding, and a funeral.
Blair Lang and Declan Renshaw were best friends who went on one date before a disagreement and an accident sent them in different directions after high school. Now Blair is back from college to be with her great-aunt Lottie, who’s dying, and to support her single mother in small-town Seabrook, California. Finding a job at a coffee shop puts her in the path of her former boyfriend, since he turns out to be its owner. Can the two get past their mistakes? The novel uses the popular second-chance romance trope, but Pham fails to energize it through interesting characters. Blair’s grief over her great-aunt’s death and her plan to help her mother are overshadowed by internal monologues about her feelings, the way her friends aren’t paying attention to her, and the novel she plans to write. Declan’s distinguishing characteristic, besides being a former high school quarterback, is his skill at building birdhouses. Unsurprisingly, the couple doesn’t have much chemistry; when they embrace, their “bodies meld like…memory foam.” The wooden characters, unusual word choices (“conglomerate of pedestrians,” “litany of plants”), and odd turns of phrase (“tension melting from his eyebrows like butter melting in a warm pan”) are almost enough to obscure the lack of plot development. What passes for stakes is easily defused when Blair comes into an inheritance that saves her from working as a consultant at Ernst & Young in New York—so she can write a romance novel.
A romance that could have used significant rethinking.Pub Date: March 3, 2026
ISBN: 9781668095188
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Atria
Review Posted Online: Feb. 16, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2026
A deep and moving portrayal of first love.
Two college students rekindle their relationship as they unravel the truth behind their breakup.
On the outside, college senior Bennett Reiner has it all. A goalie for Waterfell University’s hockey team, he lives with a group of friends in a luxurious off-campus house. He and his best friend, Rhys Koteskiy, have fathers who are retired hockey legends. But on the inside, he’s falling apart. Struggling with OCD, a shaky friendship with Rhys, and second thoughts about pursuing a future in hockey, the only thing keeping Bennett afloat is also the one thing breaking his heart: Paloma Blake. All dyed-hair and attitude, Paloma has built a bad reputation on the hockey scene since their relationship ended freshman year—but Bennett knows the real P. Underneath her promiscuous facade lies a scared and lonely girl running from a childhood of abuse. When they were together, it seemed like their romance was perfect, until Paloma broke it off without warning. Since then, Bennett has run to Paloma’s side whenever she needed him, whether she was drunk, lonely, or hurting, and now he’s determined to win her back. For Bennett, Paloma is his antidote, the cure for his compulsions; for Paloma, Bennett is her protector, her safe space. And though Paloma yearns to be with Bennett again, she’s not sure she’s willing to open old wounds and reveal the truth about her painful past. In the third installment of the Undone series, Corinne spotlights familiar characters as they navigate trauma, heartbreak, and first love. Bennett and Paloma’s relationship is raw and vulnerable, and their journey of relinquishing control is both necessary and inevitable. Their romance evolves as they open up to one another, and in return, the reader is rewarded with a love story that’s as lyrical, evocative, and emotional as poetry.
A deep and moving portrayal of first love.Pub Date: April 7, 2026
ISBN: 9781668219423
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Atria
Review Posted Online: Dec. 26, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2026
BOOK REVIEW
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