Read this book—doctor’s orders.
In hopes of getting over her decade-long crush, a doctor-turned-influencer takes a chance on a shy writer.
Dr. Josephine Boateng, aka @drjojobee, is the “Virgin Sex Doc” to her hundreds of thousands of followers. Despite the well-known fact that she’s still a virgin at 29, Jo turned her mental health leave into an empire, creating a safe space on social media for her followers to receive sexual health care and advice without judgment. Not that Jo wants to be a virgin; in fact, she’s been holding out for almost a decade in hopes that her best friend may soon return her romantic feelings. It doesn’t make things any easier that her best friend is Ezra Adelman, celebrity heir to a tech fortune and “America’s Bachelor Prince.” But when Jo confesses her love to Ezra at his mother’s star-studded birthday bash, he doesn’t say he loves her back. Heartbroken, Jo runs to her room in the Adelman’s mansion—only to find that she’s not alone. Malcolm Waters, a newly published author and “dynamic new voice” in literature, was avoiding the crowds when he stumbled into Jo’s empty room. Almost instantly, Jo realizes this down-to-earth writer is everything Ezra’s not: shy, humble, and even a little bit awkward. Jo asks Mal out, and though he’s slow to jump into bed with her, she realizes a gentleman might be just what she needs. Is Jo ready to commit to Mal, especially since her heartbreak is still so raw? Or will the pressure of the limelight and Ezra’s friendship destroy Jo’s first real love? Obuobi’s second novel is a powerful exploration of finding yourself, especially when you’re outwardly confident and have a carefully curated social media presence. Jo is a strong yet flawed character, and her openness about depression, especially as a Black woman and a doctor, provides a refreshing perspective on an overlooked issue in health care. Jo and Mal are communicative and forgiving with one another, and Obuobi weaves a vulnerable, page-turning tale about trust, mental health, and second chances.
Read this book—doctor’s orders.Pub Date: July 30, 2024
ISBN: 9780063307315
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Avon/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 17, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2024
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
A charming dual-timeline romance about learning from past mistakes.
In Yarros’ latest romance novel, a young woman hires a handsome but infuriating writer to complete her late great-grandmother’s half-finished book.
After her marriage to a Hollywood producer ends in high-profile divorce, 28-year-old Georgia Stanton returns to her childhood home in Colorado. When she arrives at the house where she was raised by her great-grandma—the famous romance author Scarlett Stanton—she finds her mother, Ava, lying in wait. Georgia is in possession of the only unfinished manuscript that her deceased relative left behind, and her own mom wants her to sell the rights so they can get some cash. Georgia succumbs to the pressure and enters a deal in which another author will finish the book’s second half. The manuscript tells Scarlett’s life story, including how she found, and lost, her one true love. Georgia feels strongly that the finished novel must reflect the true events of Scarlett’s life, as difficult as they may have been. Unfortunately, the publishers hire Noah Harrison, a stubborn writer at the height of his career, who has his own fictional vision for the novel’s ending. As Noah and Georgia butt heads, each of them researches Scarlett’s history in England during World War II. As they learn more about Scarlett and Jameson Stanton, the fighter pilot she loved, Georgia and Noah must navigate their own increasingly complicated relationship. With two equally engrossing storylines, this book will draw in even seasoned romance readers. As the story jumps between past and present, the author also alternates present-day perspectives between Georgia and Noah, moving deftly between her characters’ distinct voices. The relationships are well developed, and the love that Scarlett felt for Jameson is especially palpable. Along with the sweetly romantic themes, the book explores several heftier topics, including personal ambition, grief, family discord, and self-esteem. The story has a few digressions that do little to advance the plot, but the main characters are sufficiently engrossing that readers will want to stick with them to the end.
A charming dual-timeline romance about learning from past mistakes.Pub Date: Feb. 23, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-68281-566-3
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Entangled: Amara
Review Posted Online: Jan. 20, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2021
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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