A light, quirky romance; the body-swap premise provides plenty of fuel for witty one-liners and emotional reckoning.
In Ready’s novel, when a would-be couple decides that they’re just too different to be together, the universe itself forces them to consider another perspective.
In the second installment of the Ghosted series, the author introduces Serena Otaki, who lives a chaotically wonderful life working at the Large Hadron Collider on the border of Switzerland and France while remaining unapologetically single (her true love is physics). But then she meets Henry Joule, a conventional Brit who looks forward to settling down. While their chemistry is palpable, Serena breaks things off after one passionate night together when she makes two horrifying realizations: She’s falling in love with him, and Henry is her new boss. Over a year later, Serena and Henry have settled into largely avoiding each other at work, until one stormy night when lightning strikes the control room and the two experience a cosmic event that somehow makes them swap bodies. From there, plenty of surprises and misunderstandings ensue. After the vegetarian Serena refuses to eat the meat that Henry loves so much (“Eat the sausage. I don’t want to be anemic when I get my body back”) and Henry discovers the wonders of female biology (“Henry is about to experience all the wonderful joys of my menstrual cycle. It should hit tomorrow or the next day, right after he’s had a crying jag, a load of cramps, bloating, and extreme cravings for peanut butter and chocolate”), their squabbling eventually turns into a mutual understanding that paves the way for them to do what they were meant to do the whole time: fall in love.
Serena narrates the vast majority of the novel in a voice that’s warm and funny, often directly addressing the reader. This is an unusual stylistic choice and one that the author pulls off with aplomb. The romance portion of the novel leans more heavily toward the sweet than the sexy, with some cutaway love scenes and one hilarious discussion about erections. From the opening line, when Serena declares that she’s “always believed that things are only impossible until they’re not. For instance: particle physics, space travel, and sex on a tree branch,” readers are given fair warning that the characters (and the plot itself) are filled with whimsy. That’s not to say that Ready doesn’t deliver some emotional punches along the way. As they’re forced to deal with each other’s major family events—including Serena’s mother’s emergency coronary bypass surgery and Henry’s brother’s wedding—the body swap compels them to finally talk to each other in an authentic, profound way. That’s when the novel moves beyond easy physical humor and into an insightful commentary on the impossibility of having it all: “I love too much. I only have room for one great love in my life. I’ve already chosen it. I don’t want to lose my dreams. I don’t want to lose everything for love.” This connection is only deepened when Serena and Henry begin getting flashes of each other’s memories, a phenomenon that urges them to have a reluctant conversation about how they want to move forward if they can’t actually find a way to swap bodies back.
A light, quirky romance; the body-swap premise provides plenty of fuel for witty one-liners and emotional reckoning.Pub Date: Feb. 20, 2024
ISBN: 9781954007703
Page Count: 328
Publisher: W.W. Crown
Review Posted Online: May 22, 2024
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A thrilling, immersive tale that shows that some bargains demand more than just a crown.
A reluctant princess is thrust into deadly political intrigue in Perry’s sweeping, high-stakes romantasy.
Odessa is the overlooked and underestimated princess of Quentis, whose life takes an unexpected turn when a deal is struck between her father and the formidable Turan warriors force her into an arranged marriage with their enigmatic prince, Zavier Wolfe. Intended as a mere formality to secure trade routes and military alliances, the betrothal spirals into something far more dangerous when ancient magic, a ruthless Guardian, and a looming war threaten to upend everything she knows. Finally emerging from the shadow of her seemingly perfect half sister, Mae, Odessa must navigate court politics, monstrous creatures, and her own uncertain place in a world where survival often depends on strategy rather than strength. As tensions rise, she finds herself entangled with the dangerous, enigmatic Guardian—a man whose silver eyes hold secrets of their own. Perry’s worldbuilding is lush and immersive, crafting a kingdom rife with old magic, deadly beasts, and political machinations that add depth. The pacing is relentless, carrying Odessa from one life-altering event to another as she grapples with duty, defiance, and a destiny she never chose. Her internal conflict is compelling, torn between the expectations placed upon her and the fierce independence that threatens to make her an outcast in her own kingdom. Romance simmers as Odessa struggles to reconcile her obligations with her growing attraction to the Guardian, whose past is as shadowed as his reputation. Mae is introduced as Odessa’s political foil, and although her presence drives much of Odessa’s internal drama—being constantly overshadowed or underestimated—she’s mostly seen through Odessa’s perspective. Her motivations, ambitions, and political maneuverings might have benefited from deeper exploration to give more nuance to the power dynamics. However, Perry’s evocative prose and intricate plotting make for a gripping tale. Readers looking for a slow-burn romantasy with rich political intrigue and a protagonist forced to create her own fate will find much to enjoy.
A thrilling, immersive tale that shows that some bargains demand more than just a crown.Pub Date: May 6, 2025
ISBN: 9781649378514
Page Count: 528
Publisher: Entangled: Red Tower Books
Review Posted Online: March 26, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2025
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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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