This wild and wacky time travel romance may challenge even the most adventurous reader.
A 21st-century hockey player becomes a prime marriage-of-convenience candidate when he's thrust into 19th-century England.
After having been benched for the season, professional hockey goalie Tucker Taylor decides to use his time off to visit his sister in England. After an unexpected dip into a local cow pond finds him emerging in 1812, he meets spinster Lizzy Wooddash, who's as perplexed as he is, especially since she's never seen a cell phone before—there's no service, of course, but she's amazed when Tuck takes her picture. All Tuck wants to do is get back to his own time, but Lizzy sees an opportunity, prompted by a suggestion from her friend Jane Austen. Lizzy longs for the life of freedom often afforded to widows. If she and Tuck marry, she'll be declared a widow once he returns to the present day and disappears from her era. In the meantime, Lizzy is happy to provide Tuck with guidance on how to blend into Regency society. Lizzy takes things in stride, perhaps a bit too much, as the notion that a man from the future—who plays a sport that hasn't been invented yet—has shown up in her timeline prompts barely any disbelief on her part. Of course, Tuck and Lizzy's well-meaning plan begins to go wrong as their mutual attraction grows and they start to rethink whether they'll be able to make a clean break when Tuck is able to leave Lizzy's world. As if a time-traveling hockey player didn't make this story strange enough, the inclusion of Jane Austen—who's inspired by Lizzy to create the character Elizabeth Bennett—is an even more bizarre detail. While the romance genre nurtures a culture where even the most inventive and nonsensical setups can find an audience, this book doesn't quite nail the campy creativeness needed to pull off its odd combination.
This wild and wacky time travel romance may challenge even the most adventurous reader.Pub Date: Nov. 12, 2024
ISBN: 9780063412323
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Avon/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Sept. 13, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
This captivating, deeply emotional, and incredibly sexy romance is a balm for the soul.
A blossoming romance infringes on a successful businesswoman's professional aspirations, making her reevaluate her priorities.
At an exclusive party, talent manager Hendrix Barry has an instant connection with billionaire tech mogul Maverick Bell. When he learns that she’s navigating her mother’s Alzheimer's diagnosis, he relates to what she’s going through, having had similar experiences with his grandfather. Maverick makes Hendrix feel seen and understood like no one else, but he’s the recent ex-boyfriend of a woman Hendrix is going into business with as she works toward her goal of executive producing a television show. She tries to set boundaries that would keep him as a friend despite their obvious mutual attraction, but when he expresses interest in her venture capital fund focusing on Black women–led businesses, it leads to spending more time together, and the lines of friendship, business, and pleasure become tangled and blurred. Ryan excels at crafting thoughtful, mature characters who have to manage complicated situations with care and grace. Maverick’s dogged pursuit of Hendrix and the delicious ways he woos her using his wealth and persistence frame him as a determined, headstrong hero. Paired with a weaker heroine, he could have been overbearing, but Hendrix is his perfect match, equally as strong-willed and tenacious. They bring out each other’s softer, more vulnerable sides as well, and both have compassionate hearts. The spicy romance is the core of this satisfying story, but the novel doesn’t shy away from—and is made richer for the inclusion of—hardships like caring for an aging parent and confronting racism in the world of business. The tale also highlights the importance of community and the value of supportive, platonic love through the wonderful cast of side characters.
This captivating, deeply emotional, and incredibly sexy romance is a balm for the soul.Pub Date: May 13, 2025
ISBN: 9781538706855
Page Count: 448
Publisher: Forever
Review Posted Online: today
A wallowing, emotionally wrenching family drama that leaves little time for romance.
Two people with bad luck in relationships find each other through a popular Reddit thread.
Emma Grant and her best friend, Maddy, are travel nurses, working at hospitals for three-month stints while they see the country. Just a few weeks before they’re set to move to Hawaii, Emma reads a popular “Am I the Asshole” Reddit thread from a Minnesota man who thinks he’s cursed—women he dates find their soulmates after breaking up with him, and the latest one found true love with his best friend! Emma has had a similar experience, which inspires her to DM the man and commiserate. She’s delighted by her witty, lively interactions with software engineer Justin Dahl, and is intrigued when he suggests that if they date each other, maybe they’ll each find their soulmate afterward. Emma upends the Hawaii plan and convinces Maddy to move to Minneapolis for the summer so she can meet Justin in person. The overly complex setup brings Emma and Justin together and the two hit it off, with Justin immediately falling head over heels for Emma. Jimenez then pivots to creating romantic roadblocks and melodramatic subplots centering on each character’s family of origin. Justin’s mother is about to serve six years in prison for embezzlement, which means Justin must move back home to care for his three much younger siblings. Emma was traumatized by her own mother for much of her childhood, left to fend for herself and eventually abandoned in the foster system. When her mother shows up in Minnesota, Emma must face her traumatic childhood and admit that she has prioritized her mother’s well-being over her own. There is little time devoted to Emma’s painful efforts to heal herself enough to accept Justin’s love, which leaves the novel feeling unsatisfying.
A wallowing, emotionally wrenching family drama that leaves little time for romance.Pub Date: April 2, 2024
ISBN: 9781538704431
Page Count: 432
Publisher: Forever
Review Posted Online: Feb. 3, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2024
SEEN & HEARD
SEEN & HEARD
© Copyright 2025 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
