A lighthearted romp for fans of romantic comedy about the benefits of working together for a community.
Residents of a small Georgia town compete for $10 million.
Waldon’s third romantic comedy is the first that doesn’t hinge on travel—the author works as a flight attendant—but it’s full of other popular rom-com tropes. There's a plucky small-town girl: Jessica Reid, a freelance book editor who gave up New York City to stay close to her dad in tiny Redford, Georgia. She meets a handsome stranger from the big city: Carter Barclay, a financial wizard in Atlanta. A mutual attraction threatens their carefully constructed lives: Should they get together when they don’t live in the same place? The story begins with the death of Jasper Wilhelm, Carter’s grandfather, a beloved but eccentric philanthropist, whose funeral has lured Carter to Redford. Jasper has concocted a unique solution to the question of who will inherit his millions: His will stipulates the entire town will be split into pairs to compete in a series of challenges, and whichever team earns the most points will win a life-changing $10 million. Sounds easy, but Jasper himself has paired everyone off, and almost no one is happy with their partner. Jess finds herself paired with her sworn enemy, Nikki Loughton, who is still mad that Jess kissed her boyfriend in high school. Carter is sure he’s being set up to win, but Jess has other plans, no matter how sexy he is. Waldon has a solid sense of humor, and her characters are engaging; even Nikki turns out to have unexpected depth. Jess and Carter’s will-they, won’t -they romance is never in doubt (their magical night in a leaky rowboat is a romantic and comedic highlight). A ham-handed side plot in which Jess’ dad suddenly announces he’s sick and may be dying feels unnecessary, but despite that puzzling misstep, romance fans should enjoy playing this game to the end.
A lighthearted romp for fans of romantic comedy about the benefits of working together for a community.Pub Date: March 21, 2023
ISBN: 978-0-593-54080-0
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Putnam
Review Posted Online: Jan. 24, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2023
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
Packed with riveting drama and painful truths, this book powerfully illustrates the devastation of abuse—and the strength of...
Hoover’s (November 9, 2015, etc.) latest tackles the difficult subject of domestic violence with romantic tenderness and emotional heft.
At first glance, the couple is edgy but cute: Lily Bloom runs a flower shop for people who hate flowers; Ryle Kincaid is a surgeon who says he never wants to get married or have kids. They meet on a rooftop in Boston on the night Ryle loses a patient and Lily attends her abusive father’s funeral. The provocative opening takes a dark turn when Lily receives a warning about Ryle’s intentions from his sister, who becomes Lily’s employee and close friend. Lily swears she’ll never end up in another abusive home, but when Ryle starts to show all the same warning signs that her mother ignored, Lily learns just how hard it is to say goodbye. When Ryle is not in the throes of a jealous rage, his redeeming qualities return, and Lily can justify his behavior: “I think we needed what happened on the stairwell to happen so that I would know his past and we’d be able to work on it together,” she tells herself. Lily marries Ryle hoping the good will outweigh the bad, and the mother-daughter dynamics evolve beautifully as Lily reflects on her childhood with fresh eyes. Diary entries fancifully addressed to TV host Ellen DeGeneres serve as flashbacks to Lily’s teenage years, when she met her first love, Atlas Corrigan, a homeless boy she found squatting in a neighbor’s house. When Atlas turns up in Boston, now a successful chef, he begs Lily to leave Ryle. Despite the better option right in front of her, an unexpected complication forces Lily to cut ties with Atlas, confront Ryle, and try to end the cycle of abuse before it’s too late. The relationships are portrayed with compassion and honesty, and the author’s note at the end that explains Hoover’s personal connection to the subject matter is a must-read.
Packed with riveting drama and painful truths, this book powerfully illustrates the devastation of abuse—and the strength of the survivors.Pub Date: Aug. 2, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-5011-1036-8
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Atria
Review Posted Online: May 30, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2016
SEEN & HEARD
SEEN & HEARD
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