A big fat funny wedding romp.
Two people bring fake dates to a wedding but only have eyes for each other in Hart’s comical romance.
Nora meets Sebastian when he comes into the bookstore where she works. She really likes him, but just when he’s about to ask her out, her friend and boss Benji arrives at the store. Benji is in some trouble with his family; Nora pretends to be his girlfriend to get him out of it. This ruse gets her invited to a family wedding as Benji’s plus-one (“We were so worried the wedding photos would be unbalanced. We thought he’d be the only single Ferraro, sullen in the back of every portrait”). Sebastian, meanwhile, is taking some time away from his job opening Boys and Girls Club chapters around the country to help out his grandmother. His best friend Alessia’s brother is getting married, and Alessia asks Sebastian to be her fake date to the wedding. (It turns out that all of these characters are going to the same nuptials.) Sebastian realizes pretty quickly that Nora and Benji are faking their relationship, and his friend, Alessia, gives away their game, too. What follows is a farce in which both fake couples have to keep up the con, even though Nora and Sebastian both really like each other. Not all is well; the feud brewing between the bride and groom’s families threatens to blow up the wedding, and Sebastian tells Nora he’s about to move to another state for work. This is a fun take on the fake-dating trope. Sebastian is a do-gooder who seems a little too good to be true, but both he and Nora are engaging, likable protagonists, and the chemistry between them is off the charts. The bride and groom’s families are involved in a Montague/Capulet-level rivalry, and everyone involved comes from big, nosy Italian families, adding depth to the story with a lot of quirky side characters and complicated interpersonal dynamics. The dialogue is zippy and clever, too. Overall, it’s a light, amusing read.
A big fat funny wedding romp.Pub Date: Aug. 6, 2024
ISBN: 9781649376510
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Entangled: Amara
Review Posted Online: June 27, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2024
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
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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