A 40-something woman’s life is upended over and over again in Wolter’s genre-defying debut novel.

After losing her house, husband, and stepchildren in a bitter divorce battle, hotshot lawyer Serenade “Sera” Kincaid seeks solace in a variety of men, although none are quite right for her needs. The closest she comes to satisfaction is her friends-with-benefits relationship with the slightly younger Zac, a self-proclaimed “bad boyfriend,” also recently divorced. Their texts and conversations are terse and direct (“Would like to see you”), but there’s not much more depth to their relationship than that. Indeed, they spend most of the novel denying the possibility of a meaningful relationship beyond their booty calls—but it’s clear that the characters feel something more, and readers will find themselves rooting for Sera and Zac to figure it out. The chronicling of Sera’s encounters with cringy hookups and unavailable men is amusing until it suddenly isn’t, when one date takes a shocking and sobering turn. From this point on, there’s little in the way of good news that comes Sera’s way; with the help of her friends, she works through one traumatic experience after another, navigating life crises with grace and characteristic humor. What initially seems like a lighthearted rom-com transforms into a meditation on illness, relationships, and the mark one leaves on the world; this commitment to realism is refreshing for the genre. Readers should know going in, though, that they’ll get no fairytale ending and that they’ll encounter mentions of rape and other sensitive topics. Overall, Wolters’ characters are bright and likable. However, they lack depth, and the relationship at the heart of the work ultimately feels tepid. Even so, the friendships and support systems that carry Sera through make for a touching story—one that will appeal to readers in search of a more somber slice-of-life narrative.

An unexpectedly tender story with the panache and steaminess of a romance.