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
With captivating dialogue, angst-y characters, and a couple of steamy sex scenes, Hoover has done it again.
After being released from prison, a young woman tries to reconnect with her 5-year-old daughter despite having killed the girl’s father.
Kenna didn’t even know she was pregnant until after she was sent to prison for murdering her boyfriend, Scotty. When her baby girl, Diem, was born, she was forced to give custody to Scotty’s parents. Now that she’s been released, Kenna is intent on getting to know her daughter, but Scotty’s parents won’t give her a chance to tell them what really happened the night their son died. Instead, they file a restraining order preventing Kenna from so much as introducing herself to Diem. Handsome, self-assured Ledger, who was Scotty’s best friend, is another key adult in Diem’s life. He’s helping her grandparents raise her, and he too blames Kenna for Scotty’s death. Even so, there’s something about her that haunts him. Kenna feels the pull, too, and seems to be seeking Ledger out despite his judgmental behavior. As Ledger gets to know Kenna and acknowledges his attraction to her, he begins to wonder if maybe he and Scotty’s parents have judged her unfairly. Even so, Ledger is afraid that if he surrenders to his feelings, Scotty’s parents will kick him out of Diem’s life. As Kenna and Ledger continue to mourn for Scotty, they also grieve the future they cannot have with each other. Told alternatively from Kenna’s and Ledger’s perspectives, the story explores the myriad ways in which snap judgments based on partial information can derail people’s lives. Built on a foundation of death and grief, this story has an undercurrent of sadness. As usual, however, the author has created compelling characters who are magnetic and sympathetic enough to pull readers in. In addition to grief, the novel also deftly explores complex issues such as guilt, self-doubt, redemption, and forgiveness.
With captivating dialogue, angst-y characters, and a couple of steamy sex scenes, Hoover has done it again.Pub Date: Jan. 18, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-5420-2560-7
Page Count: 335
Publisher: Montlake Romance
Review Posted Online: Oct. 12, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2021
SEEN & HEARD
BOOK TO SCREEN
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
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