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A BLOSSOM STREET NOVEL

Macomber’s writing and storytelling deliver what she’s famous for—a smooth, satisfying tale with characters her fans will...

When Libby Morgan is expecting to be named partner of her law firm but instead gets laid off, she’s shocked and angry, but it may prove to be just what she needs to create the life she deserves.

Libby’s whole life has been devoted to making partner, working as hard as possible to hit the mark that will make her feel like a success and to live up to the promise she made to her dying mother as a young teen. So when she not only doesn’t get the coveted partner position, but is fired despite all her talent, effort and hard work, everything changes. Libby never sets out to find her center or discover what truly matters; somehow, though, as her job hunt encounters one dead end after another, it happens anyway. Living on a dwindling severance, she first joins the gym, then discovers the yarn shop on Blossom Street. But it’s when she starts rocking the preemies at the nearby hospital that things really get interesting. Things like meeting the handsome pediatrician, Phillip, and actually taking time to smell the roses, knit the yarn, connect with old and new friends, and invest emotionally in the people around her—including a troubled young teen with an unsettling secret. So what happens when her new life is in place and her old profession comes calling? Macomber’s newest book takes her fans back to the popular Blossom Street, with the familiar characters and businesses that populate the series. Best-selling Macomber became famous for her romantic fiction, though she seems to have taken more of a women’s fiction tone with some recent titles, and this book falls into that category. The romance is integral to the plot, but Libby’s journey is more about self-discovery and understanding what "a good life" truly means for her, while opening her heart to other damaged characters in the story broadens her understanding of love and purpose. 

Macomber’s writing and storytelling deliver what she’s famous for—a smooth, satisfying tale with characters her fans will cheer for and an arc that is cozy, heartwarming and ends with the expected happily-ever-after.

Pub Date: April 16, 2013

ISBN: 978-0-345-52881-0

Page Count: 352

Publisher: Ballantine

Review Posted Online: Jan. 29, 2013

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2013

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ONE DAY IN DECEMBER

Anyone who believes in true love or is simply willing to accept it as the premise of a winding tale will find this debut an...

True love flares between two people, but they find that circumstances always impede it.

On a winter day in London, Laurie spots Jack from her bus home and he sparks a feeling in her so deep that she spends the next year searching for him. Her roommate and best friend, Sarah, is the perfect wing-woman but ultimately—and unknowingly—ends the search by finding Jack and falling for him herself. Laurie’s hasty decision not to tell Sarah is the second painful missed opportunity (after not getting off the bus), but Sarah’s happiness is so important to Laurie that she dedicates ample energy into retraining her heart not to love Jack. Laurie is misguided, but her effort and loyalty spring from a true heart, and she considers her project mostly successful. Perhaps she would have total success, but the fact of the matter is that Jack feels the same deep connection to Laurie. His reasons for not acting on them are less admirable: He likes Sarah and she’s the total package; why would he give that up just because every time he and Laurie have enough time together (and just enough alcohol) they nearly fall into each other’s arms? Laurie finally begins to move on, creating a mostly satisfying life for herself, whereas Jack’s inability to be genuine tortures him and turns him into an ever bigger jerk. Patriarchy—it hurts men, too! There’s no question where the book is going, but the pacing is just right, the tone warm, and the characters sympathetic, even when making dumb decisions.

Anyone who believes in true love or is simply willing to accept it as the premise of a winding tale will find this debut an emotional, satisfying read.

Pub Date: Oct. 16, 2018

ISBN: 978-0-525-57468-2

Page Count: 400

Publisher: Crown

Review Posted Online: July 30, 2018

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2018

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LOVE AND OTHER WORDS

With frank language and patient plotting, this gangly teen crush grows into a confident adult love affair.

Eleven years ago, he broke her heart. But he doesn’t know why she never forgave him.

Toggling between past and present, two love stories unfold simultaneously. In the first, Macy Sorensen meets and falls in love with the boy next door, Elliot Petropoulos, in the closet of her dad’s vacation home, where they hide out to discuss their favorite books. In the second, Macy is working as a doctor and engaged to a single father, and she hasn’t spoken to Elliot since their breakup. But a chance encounter forces her to confront the truth: what happened to make Macy stop speaking to Elliot? Ultimately, they’re separated not by time or physical remoteness but by emotional distance—Elliot and Macy always kept their relationship casual because they went to different schools. And as a teen, Macy has more to worry about than which girl Elliot is taking to the prom. After losing her mother at a young age, Macy is navigating her teenage years without a female role model, relying on the time-stamped notes her mother left in her father’s care for guidance. In the present day, Macy’s father is dead as well. She throws herself into her work and rarely comes up for air, not even to plan her upcoming wedding. Since Macy is still living with her fiance while grappling with her feelings for Elliot, the flashbacks offer steamy moments, tender revelations, and sweetly awkward confessions while Macy makes peace with her past and decides her future.

With frank language and patient plotting, this gangly teen crush grows into a confident adult love affair.

Pub Date: April 10, 2018

ISBN: 978-1-5011-2801-1

Page Count: 416

Publisher: Gallery Books/Simon & Schuster

Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2018

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2018

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