A quiet, conversational late-in-life love story.
High school sweethearts reconnect six decades later in Bennett’s contemporary romance.
Ace Sinclair and J’nelle Reade, both in their 70s, dated in high school but haven’t seen each other in years. They’ve bothlost their spouses; his wife died some years ago, and her husband went missing in Alaska. After a long email exchange, J’nelle flies in from New York City to visit Ace at his beach house in North Carolina's Outer Banks. As they catch up, J’nelle confesses that she secretly had an affair with a married teacher while they were dating in high school. He forgives her, however, and soon they’re sharing stories about their children and spouses. J’nelle confesses that she got back in touch with him because she wants to “Search for the truth. About us, about each other, about ourselves.” She urges Ace to join her in her quest, and he reluctantly agrees. Over the next few days, they visit the beach, go out to dinner, and talk about the past and present. They discuss religion, Ace’s service in Vietnam, and parts of their pasts that they aren’t proud of; meanwhile, a hurricane bears down on North Carolina. Things soon turn romantic, and as the storm gets closer, they have to decide if they’ll head to their homes in safer places or ride out the storm together. Most of Bennett’s novel consists of Ace and J’nelle’s dialogue as they explore their pasts, and as such, it reads a bit like a play, with lovely and expressive exchanges throughout. The book explores a number of intriguing themes, such as aging, how to move on from trauma, how to pursue love late in life, and whether it’s better to forget the past or use it to make change in the future. As each character faces their own mortality—both are expecting the results of medical tests that could be devastating, and the hurricane picks up speed and intensity as it approaches—they try to come to terms with the events of their lives. Overall, it makes for a nice, contemplative read.
A quiet, conversational late-in-life love story.Pub Date: N/A
ISBN: 978-1-73-368169-8
Page Count: 222
Publisher: Lystra Books & Literary Services, LLC
Review Posted Online: Sept. 13, 2021
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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 thoughtful and pensive tale with intelligent characters and a satisfying romance.
A promise to his best friend leads an Army serviceman to a family in need and a chance at true love in this novel.
Beckett Gentry is surprised when his Army buddy Ryan MacKenzie gives him a letter from Ryan’s sister, Ella. Abandoned by his mother, Beckett grew up in a series of foster homes. He is wary of attachments until he reads Ella’s letter. A single mother, Ella lives with her twins, Maisie and Colt, at Solitude, the resort she operates in Telluride, Colorado. They begin a correspondence, although Beckett can only identify himself by his call sign, Chaos. After Ryan’s death during a mission, Beckett travels to Telluride as his friend had requested. He bonds with the twins while falling deeply in love with Ella. Reluctant to reveal details of Ryan’s death and risk causing her pain, Beckett declines to disclose to Ella that he is Chaos. Maisie needs treatment for neuroblastoma, and Beckett formally adopts the twins as a sign of his commitment to support Ella and her children. He and Ella pursue a romance, but when an insurance investigator questions the adoption, Beckett is faced with revealing the truth about the letters and Ryan’s death, risking losing the family he loves. Yarros’ (Wilder, 2016, etc.) novel is a deeply felt and emotionally nuanced contemporary romance bolstered by well-drawn characters and strong, confident storytelling. Beckett and Ella are sympathetic protagonists whose past experiences leave them cautious when it comes to love. Beckett never knew the security of a stable home life. Ella impulsively married her high school boyfriend, but the marriage ended when he discovered she was pregnant. The author is especially adept at developing the characters through subtle but significant details, like Beckett’s aversion to swearing. Beckett and Ella’s romance unfolds slowly in chapters that alternate between their first-person viewpoints. The letters they exchanged are pivotal to their connection, and almost every chapter opens with one. Yarros’ writing is crisp and sharp, with passages that are poetic without being florid. For example, in a letter to Beckett, Ella writes of motherhood: “But I’m not the center of their universe. I’m more like their gravity.” While the love story is the book’s focus, the subplot involving Maisie’s illness is equally well-developed, and the link between Beckett and the twins is heartfelt and sincere.
A thoughtful and pensive tale with intelligent characters and a satisfying romance.Pub Date: Feb. 26, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-64063-533-3
Page Count: 432
Publisher: Entangled: Amara
Review Posted Online: Jan. 2, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2019
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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