An emphasis on mental health care and compassion underlies a charming historical romance.
A young woman’s homecoming sparks secret revelations in this Victorian romance.
Beryl Burnham suffers from clinical depression, or “melancholy,” as it was known at the time. Though she keeps busy to hold the sadness at bay, Beryl can never fully escape it. After an overdose of sleeping powder, she is whisked off to Paris with her aunt to rest and recover. Beryl returns home to her small English village and must face her fiance, Sir Henry Rivenhall, a wealthy man who is ruled by practicality. He has no tolerance for Beryl’s silly “emotions” and believes bearing children will cure her of her selfish sadness. While Beryl struggles to cope with Henry’s accusations and ideas, her one refuge is her friendship with Mark, Henry’s brother and a curate at the local church. Mark sets out to better understand Beryl’s depression and tells her that he has “no expectation of curing” her. He just wants to help Beryl cope and, in modern parlance, give her the necessary tools to succeed. But as the days pass, it becomes apparent that Beryl and Mark have feelings for each other. Beryl accepted Henry’s proposal because it was practical. But she soon realizes that she must find a way to extricate herself from the arrangement and embrace her feelings rather than push them aside. Matthews constructs a romance that is built on empathy and trust, demonstrating that it’s not just brute strength or power that might attract a person. In addition to offering a sweet romance, the author deftly addresses the importance of bringing mental health treatments out of the shadows. And just as she explores the depression that underlies Beryl’s need to stay busy, Matthews exposes the darker side of a pretty English village where malicious gossip and unrealistic expectations can render incredible harm.
An emphasis on mental health care and compassion underlies a charming historical romance. (author's note)Pub Date: July 15, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-73305-697-7
Page Count: 202
Publisher: Perfectly Proper Press
Review Posted Online: July 16, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2020
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
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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