This winsome, magical story is just what the doctor ordered.
A witch trapped in her hometown reunites with her high school sweetheart.
Caroline Wilton’s family suffers from a deadly curse: If any of them leaves the island of Starfall Point off the coast of Michigan, they are killed in a freak accident within 24 hours. This includes Caroline’s older brother, Chris, who fell off a bridge after leaving to meet a girl he met online. For years, the Wiltons have been swamped by grief, and Caroline has lived a kind of half life, working at her family’s worn-down restaurant and bar and having flings with tourists. Everything changed a year ago, when Caroline developed magical powers and realized she’s a witch. She and two other women, Riley and Alice, formed a small coven that helps ghosts trapped on Earth reach the afterlife. Caroline is shocked when her high school sweetheart, Ben Hoult, returns to Starfall Point, newly divorced and with his two teenagers in tow. Ben’s ex-wife only wanted the money and prestige of being a doctor’s wife, caring little for him or the children. He hopes that moving to his childhood home will create a safe place to heal. Ben is delighted to discover Caroline is still single, and the two fall back into an easy, sweet romance. Then his kids develop their own paranormal talents, and Ben is forced to admit that ghosts, magic, and curses are real. When an evil ghost threatens Caroline and the kids, the coven suspects the malevolent presence might also be responsible for the Wilton curse. Caroline wonders what the future will hold if she has the freedom to leave town. Harper is an expert storyteller, effortlessly weaving together the second-chance romance between Ben and Caroline with multiple subplots and a large, quirky cast of characters—some of which are ghosts. The plot moves along at a brisk, pleasing pace, and even the late-stage exposition dump feels charming.
This winsome, magical story is just what the doctor ordered.Pub Date: Aug. 13, 2024
ISBN: 9781728276823
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Review Posted Online: July 4, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
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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