Love Lies Waiting

May 4, 2015
Lorrimer’s (Obsession) romantic thriller is short on romance and weak on suspense. Toni, a magazine editor’s assistant, meets wealthy playboy Justin at a London party, and within a few weeks they decide to marry. Her parents ask them to wait until the end of the year, so they take a trip to Spain in lieu of their planned honeymoon. There Justin flirts with another woman, leading Toni to doubt their relationship. In turn, Toni makes eyes at Aaron, a temporarily paralyzed man who was injured in a skiing accident that killed his wife. When food poisoning lands Toni in the hospital, she gets to know Aaron while Justin flies home for a golfing expedition. Toni constantly mulls over her jealousy toward Justin and friendship with Aaron, which drastically slows the pace, but all this introspection makes her no less naive. Meanwhile, readers know what she doesn’t: Aaron killed his wife in that supposed accident. Endless complications pile up into an untidy heap of an ending.

October 15, 2018
Lorrimer's (Live the Dream?, 2016) Victorian romance focuses on the Kenilworth sisters. Eloise, the elder, has acted like a mother to Storm, who is just coming of age, and manages their estate. As Eloise falls for the tutor, an unsuitable match because of his lower class, Storm deals with her own drama of the heart with her unrequited love for the older brother of her best friend. Their love dilemmas are only the beginning of their problems as the girls must also face the death of loved ones, family secrets, and a sinister imposter. The story has a classic feel to it, while its brevity and accessibility make it a quick and simple read. Some side characters fall flat and are built on clich�s, particularly Storm's two friends, an invalid and a girl with unflattering plumpness, but Eloise and Storm are both endearing. An overall pleasant novel with a well-earned happily-ever-after for both sisters.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)