A slow build of a historical romance that ignites but doesn’t fully burn.
A duke with a secret past meets a housekeeper with a secret past.
From the beginning, they both know better than to be attracted to each other. Susanna Lockhart has been the housekeeper to the Duke of Penning for years, quite an honor at the young age of 28. A woman of “humble roots and precarious background,” she’s unable to return home due to one reckless mistake in her youth, so she’s been content to busy herself with a life of proper work. Until now. Lucian, the unexpected new Duke of Penning, is a bit harder to ignore than the previous duke—he’s both more attractive, and more arrogant, despite having come from an impoverished background. Like Susanna, he’s also trying to stay focused, on two things in particular: first, keeping hidden his past as a young man who “peddled his flesh for coin,” and second, making good matches for his young sisters so that they can live comfortably. Both Susanna and Lucian require nothing less than perfection to make good on their second chances at respectability, and they have it. That changes when the duke’s valet is put temporarily out of commission, Susanna needs to attend to the duke in his stead, and their carefully tended boundaries start to collapse. Before long, their chemistry is evident to everyone around them, but it takes several twists of fate for them to overcome their fears of a scandal and be together. The final entry in Jordan’s Duke Hunt quartet is just about as steamy as the earlier volumes, and adds a new twist by introducing both a heroine and a hero who fear ruination. Unfortunately, though it’s an intriguing concept and there are some potentially interesting side plots, the story remains largely superficial and doesn’t engage with the characters as deeply as it could have. Jordan’s fans will find plenty to appreciate, though, and it’s still an enjoyable, albeit somewhat uneven, Regency.
A slow build of a historical romance that ignites but doesn’t fully burn.Pub Date: Oct. 24, 2023
ISBN: 9780063035751
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Avon/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: July 26, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2023
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
Slow and plodding.
A young woman with a magical ability to harness light discovers she is royalty.
Talasyn is a foot soldier for her homeland of Sardovia, which has been under attack for the past decade by the powerful and evil Night Empire, a conflict known as the Hurricane Wars. Talasyn is an orphan with no knowledge of her family, but she assumes they might be the source of her rare, magical Lightweaving talent. During a battle with the forces of the Night Empire, Talasyn spars with Prince Alaric, a fierce warrior who is the son and heir to the Night Emperor. Talasyn is sent on a covert mission into Nenavar, a nearby matriarchy that has remained neutral during the Hurricane Wars, to try to access a Light Sever which could hone and refine her magic. Instead, she discovers she is the heir to their royal throne; she and her mother, now presumed dead, disappeared under mysterious circumstances when she was a year old. Alaric follows her into Nenavar, and they discover his magical ability to cast darkness and shadows produces shocking results when mixed with her Lightweaving. A few weeks later, the Night Empire defeats Sardovia and ends the Hurricane Wars, and the novel transitions to a tedious, slow-moving story of court intrigue and diplomacy. A group of Sardovian soldiers and refugees seek asylum in Nenavar, but Talasyn’s grandmother agrees to protect them only if Talasyn agrees to join the royal court and marry Alaric. The politics surrounding the impending wedding is the primary plot for the rest of the novel, and it’s a slog. The glacially slow pacing only serves to highlight the confusing world building and underdeveloped characters. It’s unclear why Alaric and Talasyn are attracted to each other, and their tentative romance is just as stuck in a rut as the plot.
Slow and plodding.Pub Date: Oct. 3, 2023
ISBN: 9780063277274
Page Count: 480
Publisher: Harper Voyager
Review Posted Online: July 26, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2023
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