This richly satisfying romance is a heart-wrenching and emotional tour de force.
A Toronto transplant moves to a small town on the shores of Lake Huron and falls in love with a man grieving for his deceased child.
Dr. Nora Walsh wonders how her seemingly perfect life turned upside down so quickly. After she discovered her boyfriend was cheating on her, Nora realized she had accommodated his every wish for their life together. Deciding there is nothing salvageable for her in Toronto, she decides to try the life of a small-town doctor for two years; she can rediscover herself and save money toward a down payment on a home. Nora surprises herself by enjoying life in the charming tourist town of Moonflower Bay, and she quickly befriends local woodworker and fisherman Jake Ramsey. Jake has lived in town his entire life, but everyone gives him a wide berth out of respect for his profound grief. Four years earlier his son died of the flu before his first birthday, his marriage broke up soon afterward, and then his mother died of breast cancer. Jake has spent years alone, dealing with the waves of grief that are his constant companion. But something about Nora’s warm acceptance unlocks Jake, and he finds himself able to share his feelings of sadness, loss, and guilt. The pacing of the friends-to-lovers plot is perfect: Nora and Jake bond over home repairs and her pet dog, but eventually they enter into a secret “friends with benefits” arrangement. They pledge to keep the entanglement from becoming “romantic”—Jake is convinced that part of him is dead, and Nora intends to leave town. As their emotional attachment deepens, Jake and Nora each have to evaluate whether they are willing and able to take another risk on love.
This richly satisfying romance is a heart-wrenching and emotional tour de force.Pub Date: July 28, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-5387-1654-0
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Forever
Review Posted Online: June 30, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2020
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
A wistfully nostalgic look at endings, beginnings, and loving the people who will always have your back.
Exes pretend they’re still together for the sake of their friends on their annual summer vacation.
Wyn Connor and Harriet Kilpatrick were the perfect couple—until Wyn dumped Harriet for reasons she still doesn’t fully understand. They’ve been part of the same boisterous friend group since college, and they know that their breakup will devastate the others and make things more than a little awkward. So they keep it a secret from their friends and families—in fact, Harriet barely even admits it to herself, focusing instead on her grueling hours as a surgical resident. She’s ready for a vacation at her happy place—the Maine cottage she and her friends visit every summer. But (surprise!) Wyn is there too, and he and Harriet have to share a (very romantic) room and a bed. Telling the truth about their breakup is out of the question, because the cottage is up for sale, and this is the group’s last hurrah. Determined to make sure everyone has the perfect last trip, Harriet and Wyn resolve to fake their relationship for the week. The problem with this plan, of course, is that Harriet still has major feelings for Wyn—feelings that only get stronger as they pretend to be blissfully in love. As always, Henry’s dialogue is sparkling and the banter between characters is snappy and hilarious. Wyn and Harriet’s relationship, shown both in the past and the present, feels achingly real. Their breakup, as well as their complicated relationships with their own families, adds a twinge of melancholy, as do the relatable growing pains of a group of friends whose lives are taking them in different directions.
A wistfully nostalgic look at endings, beginnings, and loving the people who will always have your back.Pub Date: April 25, 2023
ISBN: 9780593441275
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Berkley
Review Posted Online: Feb. 23, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2023
SEEN & HEARD
SEEN & HEARD
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