Four romantic winter novels find love in hopeless places
When Chloe Brown is almost run over by a car, the life that shines before her 31-year-old eyes is, quite frankly, quite boring. Then it is proposed to start living a life that you will not regret, guided by a list of things to do: move to your own floor, ride a motorcycle, “do something bad”, etc. All he achieves is crossing out, but in doing so, he meets Red, his new building and a man trapped in his own pause; When their relationship exploded, he didn’t know how to continue the artistic career in which his abusive girlfriend had been so essential. When they meet, Red thinks Chloe is an icy snob; Chloe thinks Red hates her. And Red thinks he hates her too: his discomfort manifests as rudeness! – But when he rescues Chloe from rescuing a kitten from a tree, he begins to see under his facade. When he soon discovers that Red owns a motorcycle, he asks for his help to verify the items on his list. With GET A LIFE, CHLOE BROWN (369 pp., Avon, paper, $ 15.99), Talia Hibbert shows how standard romantic tropes (misunderstandings, nosy sisters, a steaming camp trip) can rise to sublime pleasure at the hands of a writer sparkly . Everything about the story of Chloe and Red feels honest, specific and real. And magical, even when real-life concerns, such as chronic diseases, can never disappear. This is an extraordinary book, full of love, generosity, kindness and good humor.
If the romantic novels are the fulfillment of desires, THE BROMANCE BOOK CLUB (339 pp., Berkley, paper, $ 16) by Lyssa Kay Adams takes things to a very new level, focusing a series on a group of men who They read romantic novels to learn how to improve their relationships with women. A professional baseball player named Gavin is welcome to this secret clique when his friends discover that his wife has filed for divorce. What he can’t bear to tell you is why: he recently discovered that Thea has been faking his orgasms throughout his marriage, and although that is not a reason to end a marriage, the way Gavin handled the news (bad, angry) could be. Gavin’s brothers assign him a historical romantic novel starring the seventh Earl of Latford as a text to study (it is also divided in the Adams book) and they talk about how to adapt and implement what he reads. Of course, this works great: the heroes of romantic novels know how to listen to their partners, work to perceive and meet their needs and express emotions in a vulnerable and honest way. And, of course, it’s going to be counterproductive: he’s cheating on her with a book! Fulfilling wishes is never as simple as it seems. But none of Adams’ novel is simple, as it displays its catchy premise with surprising wisdom and specificity. The count’s movements allow Gavin to access a new courage with Thea, which is much more meaningful than any new technique in bed. The club helps Gavin see not only his own mistakes, but also those that Thea needs to solve and solve. This is a lovely and sweet story, an honest and hopeful representation of the hard work of marriage.
From a contemporary romance with a pastiche of historical fiction, we turn to a historical novel that is a pastiche of … movies for teenagers of the 80s? The laws of linear time do not apply, and thank God, because MY FAKE RAKE (366 pp., Avon, paper, $ 7.99), the first in a new Eva Leigh series, is a discharge of electricity, a gust of fresh air. – Everything charming and exciting you could wish it to be. Herpetologist Lady Grace Wyatt is looking at a handsome naturalist who sees her as a friend, so she recruits her friend Sebastian, an anthropologist, to impersonate a ruthless aristocrat and pretend to woo her, raise her social value and make I fell in love with her.
Sebastian is secretly in love with Grace, but he follows the plan because he really wants her to be happy.Sebastian is a rare romantic hero who is neither a windy alpha nor a sensitive cinnamon roll; He struggles to express his emotions because he is very anxious socially. (Leigh delicately, though quickly, resolves it with this anxiety.) Bookishness is interwoven through her characters and those of Grace, and Sebastian’s anthropological comments are especially endearing. He is a completely credible fiery nerd. Grace quickly realizes how hot she is with a haircut and the replacement (or removal) of her scruffy academic attire, but it takes much longer to realize what she feels for him. That changed gender image is not Leigh’s only update for the 80’s tropes: most importantly, Sebastian is very aware that it is Grace’s prerogative to want to be just friends, to the point that his determination not to ruin friendship blinds Grace to very strong signals. But if Sebastian and Grace need to be obtuse a little more than it seems plausible, it is worth taking out this delight.
