A well-crafted historical romance about dogs and the people who love them.
A not-so-old duke learns new tricks.
Elizabeth Dockering, Bitsy to her friends, may be the happiest woman in London. She’s the diamond of her second London Season, with multiple suitors, a full dance card, and at least another year until she’s on the shelf. But though Bitsy is adored, her rambunctious poodle, Galahad, causes problems everywhere he goes, and then Galahad leads her to meet the only person in London who isn’t immediately fond of her: Michael Bromley, Duke of Woriton. That might be because her poodle has dragged his aunt’s poodle, Lancelot, and thus also the duke, into the Serpentine, a lake in Hyde Park. Or it might be because he’s generally known to be a grumpy, eccentric man more interested in his scientific experiments than traditional pursuits for a duke. In any event, they couldn’t have less in common, but when first his aunt’s poodle and then Bitsy’s are stolen and held for ransom, they partner up to try to find their dogs and get them back. They are soon attracted to each other, and though they’re certain that they’re just too different for anything meaningful to occur, as the hunt for their dogs continues, they keep surprising each other and wondering about something more. Though this Regency rom-com does center around a pair of dognappings and a bit of suspense, it never gets dark—the story is far too sweet for that. Switching among several points of view creates additional depth and also allows Enoch to incorporate a charming B-plot romance set on the working-class side of town. Though it’s a relatively chaste tale, readers will believe in the straightforward attraction between Bitsy and Michael and enjoy the moments of levity throughout.
A well-crafted historical romance about dogs and the people who love them.Pub Date: Sept. 19, 2023
ISBN: 9781250842541
Page Count: 320
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Review Posted Online: July 13, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 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
A wallowing, emotionally wrenching family drama that leaves little time for romance.
Two people with bad luck in relationships find each other through a popular Reddit thread.
Emma Grant and her best friend, Maddy, are travel nurses, working at hospitals for three-month stints while they see the country. Just a few weeks before they’re set to move to Hawaii, Emma reads a popular “Am I the Asshole” Reddit thread from a Minnesota man who thinks he’s cursed—women he dates find their soulmates after breaking up with him, and the latest one found true love with his best friend! Emma has had a similar experience, which inspires her to DM the man and commiserate. She’s delighted by her witty, lively interactions with software engineer Justin Dahl, and is intrigued when he suggests that if they date each other, maybe they’ll each find their soulmate afterward. Emma upends the Hawaii plan and convinces Maddy to move to Minneapolis for the summer so she can meet Justin in person. The overly complex setup brings Emma and Justin together and the two hit it off, with Justin immediately falling head over heels for Emma. Jimenez then pivots to creating romantic roadblocks and melodramatic subplots centering on each character’s family of origin. Justin’s mother is about to serve six years in prison for embezzlement, which means Justin must move back home to care for his three much younger siblings. Emma was traumatized by her own mother for much of her childhood, left to fend for herself and eventually abandoned in the foster system. When her mother shows up in Minnesota, Emma must face her traumatic childhood and admit that she has prioritized her mother’s well-being over her own. There is little time devoted to Emma’s painful efforts to heal herself enough to accept Justin’s love, which leaves the novel feeling unsatisfying.
A wallowing, emotionally wrenching family drama that leaves little time for romance.Pub Date: April 2, 2024
ISBN: 9781538704431
Page Count: 432
Publisher: Forever
Review Posted Online: Feb. 3, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2024
SEEN & HEARD
SEEN & HEARD
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