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
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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