A breezy follow-up to a movie-set meet-cute goes down smoothly but with little narrative development or conflict.
Leavy presents a sequel to her novel The Location Shoot (2023) that follows the continuing relationship of an unlikely couple: A-list movie star Finn Forrester and writer and philosopher Ella Sinclair.
That first installment ended with a surprise proposal at the Cannes Film Festival, and this one concerns itself with Finn and Ella’s happily ever after. The couple moves to Finn’s mansion in Los Angeles. There, Ella must get used to Finn’s lavish lifestyle, and Leavy ably brings the reader into this fantasy world: Ella receives a luxurious new wardrobe and makeover, as well as a beautiful, custom-made, French country-style office. She also befriends amiable household staff and throws dainty tea parties and sumptuous Moroccan-inspired feasts. Initially, Finn worries that Ella won’t feel at home in Hollywood, but she mostly enjoys just being with Finn, wherever they are. Gradually, she begins building her own circle of friends and working on a book about love and philosophy. The extremely low-conflict narrative follows Finn and Ella’s romance as they start building their life together—dealing with work-life balance, jealousy involving his love scenes, and the paparazzi. Their romance grows and they start a family. Overall, the book is a frothy, sunny read. However, it does not work well as a standalone novel. It opens with Finn and Ella madly in love, and this situation barely changes over the course of the story. Minor issues are usually resolved within a page or so, complete with treacly terms of endearment that the pair repeat again and again. Finn and Ella are an appealing couple, but their minor struggles won’t sustain many readers’ interest. Still, fans of TheLocation Shoot will be pleased to see the supporting characters return for a festive celebration, and Ella’s work as a philosopher does add deeper levels to the book’s examination of the nature of love.
A breezy follow-up to a movie-set meet-cute goes down smoothly but with little narrative development or conflict.Pub Date: Sept. 3, 2024
ISBN: 9781647427504
Page Count: 232
Publisher: She Writes Press
Review Posted Online: May 2, 2024
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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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