A strong historical romance debut, for fans of Sarah MacLean and Erica Ridley.
Two escapees from the Victorian underclass find each other across a crowded ballroom.
Emily Leverton is a terrible governess—understandably, since she was “raised a dirt-poor thief”—but she’s learned enough to escape her criminal family and make a quiet, respectable living among the gentry. Or so she thought; when she gets a mysterious invitation, she realizes that at least one person knows the truth about her past. A woman calling herself The Dove asks Emily to become a spy for her organization, whose mission is to keep an eye on the misdoings of the ton from within their own homes, taking advantage of the fact that no one pays attention to governesses. Zachariah Denholm, on the other hand, can’t avoid attracting attention. Though he’s new money, thanks to railroad investments, and a detective constable to boot, by 1838, high society literally can no longer afford to ignore any bachelor with a fortune. When Zach catches sight of Emily in the background at a ball, he immediately knows she’s not like the other women in his life, but despite being intrigued, he can’t be distracted, as he’s tracking down an active serial killer known as the Evangelist. His detective work keeps overlapping with Emily’s spycraft, though, and the more their paths cross, the more they are attracted to each other. But Emily has more than one big secret in her past, and both are in real danger as other secrets are unearthed. Lovise’s debut deftly combines equal parts romance and mystery, and though many of its twists and turns won’t surprise readers, it’s an engaging story from the darker side of Victorian society. Some minor historical anachronisms stand out because the rest of Lovise’s writing is so strong, but they’re easily overlooked thanks to the banter and steamy chemistry between Emily and Zach. Readers will look forward to meeting the next member of the Secret Society of Governess Spies.
A strong historical romance debut, for fans of Sarah MacLean and Erica Ridley.Pub Date: Jan. 23, 2024
ISBN: 9781538740521
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Forever
Review Posted Online: Nov. 4, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2023
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
Deeply moving and emotional.
A hockey player falls in love with his tutor.
Matt “Freddy” Fredderic is the life of the party at Waterfell University. He’s a starter on the hockey team and can have any girl on campus—but he’s also in danger of failing out if he can’t improve his grades in math and biology. His ADHD, dyslexia, and dyscalculia make him eligible for university tutoring services, and Ro Shariff is his newly assigned tutor. Ro had a crush on Freddy freshman year but convinced herself that she’s over it now, in her senior year. She’s been in an on-again, off-again relationship with a guy named Tyler for the past two years, but he’s manipulative, borderline abusive, and probably cheating on her. Ro is desperate for love and affection and still suffers from bouts of intense homesickness. She and Freddy develop a tentative friendship even though they couldn’t be more different on the surface—he’s a popular, gregarious athlete to her quiet, introverted academic. Ro sees beyond Freddy’s persona as a dumb jock, while he recognizes that she feels lonely and like an outsider. When Freddy swoops in to rescue Ro after an ugly disagreement with Tyler, the two admit that their feelings for each other are more romantic than friendly. Corinne’s second novel is an emotional powerhouse. Ro and Freddy share everything with each other: fears of not being good enough for their friends, details of their harmful previous romantic relationships, and the deep feelings of grief related to illness and loss of parents. They have to learn to trust themselves and each other in the midst of the pressures that come with transitioning from college to adulthood. Their evolution from friends to lovers is a classic slow burn, and it makes for an angsty and deeply affecting read.
Deeply moving and emotional.Pub Date: Feb. 4, 2025
ISBN: 9781668068489
Page Count: 464
Publisher: Atria
Review Posted Online: Jan. 18, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: tomorrow
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