A heartwarming contemporary romance that will keep readers hooked until the last page.
A last-minute road trip leads to a resurgence of long-denied feelings for two rivals.
When Hazel Elliot decides she’s done with something—a class, a friendship, a romantic attachment—she shuts the door on it forever. The trouble is that this week, she’s been summoned back to her hometown for her father’s wintertime wedding, and that means returning to a place she hasn’t set foot in since leaving for college—and now she’s working on a Ph.D. It turns out she’s not the only one heading toward Lockett Prairie, Texas. Ash Campbell, her high school boyfriend’s former best friend—who’s now a barista at her favorite coffee shop when he isn’t studying for his architecture degree and battling her for the best chair in the place—suddenly finds himself in need of a ride. With his car in the shop and no way to get home this close to Christmas, he’s forced to rely on the girl he’s harbored a secret crush on for years. Setting off on a long road trip isn’t something these frenemies envisioned for themselves, especially when bad weather sends them off the road for the night—and into the only bed left at a local B&B. The more time they spend together, though, the more difficult it becomes to deny the fact that their healthy rivalry is rooted in a visceral attraction, and once they’re both home in Lockett Prairie, Hazel realizes that Ash is the one person she can call on to rescue her from spending time with her dad’s new family. Sweeney’s romance debut is a phenomenal achievement, with a perfect blend of humor and angst. While most of the book is devoted to growing its main couple’s dynamic, Sweeney gives equal weight to the familial relationships that define them and explores the meaning of truly growing up emotionally. Sometimes, the scariest thing anyone can do is fall in love, and although there are some bumps and stalls along the way, Hazel and Ash’s journey to choosing each other makes for a lovely ride.
A heartwarming contemporary romance that will keep readers hooked until the last page.Pub Date: July 9, 2024
ISBN: 9780593716090
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Putnam
Review Posted Online: May 17, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2024
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
A thoughtful and pensive tale with intelligent characters and a satisfying romance.
A promise to his best friend leads an Army serviceman to a family in need and a chance at true love in this novel.
Beckett Gentry is surprised when his Army buddy Ryan MacKenzie gives him a letter from Ryan’s sister, Ella. Abandoned by his mother, Beckett grew up in a series of foster homes. He is wary of attachments until he reads Ella’s letter. A single mother, Ella lives with her twins, Maisie and Colt, at Solitude, the resort she operates in Telluride, Colorado. They begin a correspondence, although Beckett can only identify himself by his call sign, Chaos. After Ryan’s death during a mission, Beckett travels to Telluride as his friend had requested. He bonds with the twins while falling deeply in love with Ella. Reluctant to reveal details of Ryan’s death and risk causing her pain, Beckett declines to disclose to Ella that he is Chaos. Maisie needs treatment for neuroblastoma, and Beckett formally adopts the twins as a sign of his commitment to support Ella and her children. He and Ella pursue a romance, but when an insurance investigator questions the adoption, Beckett is faced with revealing the truth about the letters and Ryan’s death, risking losing the family he loves. Yarros’ (Wilder, 2016, etc.) novel is a deeply felt and emotionally nuanced contemporary romance bolstered by well-drawn characters and strong, confident storytelling. Beckett and Ella are sympathetic protagonists whose past experiences leave them cautious when it comes to love. Beckett never knew the security of a stable home life. Ella impulsively married her high school boyfriend, but the marriage ended when he discovered she was pregnant. The author is especially adept at developing the characters through subtle but significant details, like Beckett’s aversion to swearing. Beckett and Ella’s romance unfolds slowly in chapters that alternate between their first-person viewpoints. The letters they exchanged are pivotal to their connection, and almost every chapter opens with one. Yarros’ writing is crisp and sharp, with passages that are poetic without being florid. For example, in a letter to Beckett, Ella writes of motherhood: “But I’m not the center of their universe. I’m more like their gravity.” While the love story is the book’s focus, the subplot involving Maisie’s illness is equally well-developed, and the link between Beckett and the twins is heartfelt and sincere.
A thoughtful and pensive tale with intelligent characters and a satisfying romance.Pub Date: Feb. 26, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-64063-533-3
Page Count: 432
Publisher: Entangled: Amara
Review Posted Online: Jan. 2, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2019
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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