A top-notch historical romance.
Opposites attract at the ritziest hotel in Victorian London.
Something is not right at the renowned Savoy Hotel. Though it’s managed by the legendary hotelier César Ritz, its kitchen is run by famed French chef Auguste Escoffier, and it’s the first choice of any aristocrat who wants to host a party, it’s losing money at a drastic rate. Simon Hayden, newly made as Viscount Calderon, has been asked by the hotel’s board to investigate what seems a likely case of fraud, but he keeps running into pushback from the staff, especially when he meets Lady Delia Stratham, the hotel’s beloved event planner, thrice-widowed and thus far more independent than other society women. As she’s a free spirit accustomed to spending in line with the Savoy’s reputation for “wanton extravagance” and he’s focused on helping the hotel turn a profit, they’re at odds immediately. As both try to accept the idea that it would be better to work together, they find themselves fighting a growing attraction, but even after a passionate rooftop kiss, they still feel the need to push away from each other. Simon, only six months a peer and desperate to please the hotel board, can’t trust her, and Delia, still whispered about by society, is too proud of her work to budge. With the story of the famous hotel (not to mention Ritz and Escoffier, early in their careers) as backdrop, the second volume in Guhrke’s Scandal at the Savoy series will thrill historical romance readers looking for a novel viewpoint of Victorian society. Simon and Delia, both in their 30s, have excellent chemistry and enough life experience to make their convictions and back-and-forths ring true. Witty writing alongside lavish descriptions and historical detail fill out an engaging story that’s hard to put down.
A top-notch historical romance.Pub Date: June 18, 2024
ISBN: 9781538722640
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Forever
Review Posted Online: March 23, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2024
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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