An utterly delicious romance that's meant to be devoured.
Two British bakers with an antagonistic history and vastly different aesthetics vie for the honor of creating a royal wedding cake.
Four years earlier, Sylvie Fairchild missed her chance to reach Operation Cake's semifinals when her mechanical unicorn cake exploded over curmudgeonly judge Dominic De Vere. Though she didn't go home a champion, her role on the show allowed her to open her own whimsical bakery, Sugar Fair, in Notting Hill. She had hoped not to have to deal with Dominic anymore, but with his own bakery continually beating her out on event contracts, their dislike for one another remains strong. Dominic is a baking purist, sticking to classic flavors and minimalist designs, while Sylvie's aesthetic is more of a fairy tale come to life, complete with edible glitter. While Sylvie's creations are an Instagrammer's dream, social media momentum goes only so far. When Operation Cake asks her back to serve as a judge opposite Dominic, both the paycheck and the chance to get under her rival's skin are too tempting to ignore. Not only must Sylvie and Dominic work together, but the bakers are anticipating the announcement of Princess Rose's engagement, and they're both ready to pitch their glamorous cake ideas for the royal wedding. Parker is a writer who knows her audience, and she keeps raising the bar when it comes to warm romances and charming tropes. Opposites attracting over delicious cakes and the fearsome thrill of competition are a heady combination as Sylvie and Dominic's chemistry snaps, crackles, and pops off every page. The slow burn of the romance is tantalizing and well paced, though there is plenty of setting and detail to take in while readers await the inevitable happily-ever-after.
An utterly delicious romance that's meant to be devoured.Pub Date: Aug. 17, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-06-304006-9
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Avon/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: June 1, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2021
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
Deeply moving and emotional.
A hockey player falls in love with his tutor.
Matt “Freddy” Fredderic is the life of the party at Waterfell University. He’s a starter on the hockey team and can have any girl on campus—but he’s also in danger of failing out if he can’t improve his grades in math and biology. His ADHD, dyslexia, and dyscalculia make him eligible for university tutoring services, and Ro Shariff is his newly assigned tutor. Ro had a crush on Freddy freshman year but convinced herself that she’s over it now, in her senior year. She’s been in an on-again, off-again relationship with a guy named Tyler for the past two years, but he’s manipulative, borderline abusive, and probably cheating on her. Ro is desperate for love and affection and still suffers from bouts of intense homesickness. She and Freddy develop a tentative friendship even though they couldn’t be more different on the surface—he’s a popular, gregarious athlete to her quiet, introverted academic. Ro sees beyond Freddy’s persona as a dumb jock, while he recognizes that she feels lonely and like an outsider. When Freddy swoops in to rescue Ro after an ugly disagreement with Tyler, the two admit that their feelings for each other are more romantic than friendly. Corinne’s second novel is an emotional powerhouse. Ro and Freddy share everything with each other: fears of not being good enough for their friends, details of their harmful previous romantic relationships, and the deep feelings of grief related to illness and loss of parents. They have to learn to trust themselves and each other in the midst of the pressures that come with transitioning from college to adulthood. Their evolution from friends to lovers is a classic slow burn, and it makes for an angsty and deeply affecting read.
Deeply moving and emotional.Pub Date: Feb. 4, 2025
ISBN: 9781668068489
Page Count: 464
Publisher: Atria
Review Posted Online: Jan. 18, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: tomorrow
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