If L’Affaire were a dinner companion, she (or he) would be quite learned but, sadly, a terrible bore.
An avalanche in the Alps brings together a disparate group for much debate over cultural differences in Johnson’s latest novel of ideas (Le Divorce, 1997, etc.).
The closest thing to a main character—Johnson has a habit of skipping willy-nilly from one person’s perception to the next, and they all blur together quite quickly—is Amy Hawkins, a fantastically wealthy dot-com executive from Palo Alto. Having so much money leaves Amy plenty of free time and a desire to see the world, which is what has brought her to a French Alps ski resort. Tragedy has just struck, however, in the form of a massive avalanche that has left a married couple from Amy’s chalet in comas. Wanting to help out like a good American, she appoints herself de facto guardian of Kip, younger brother of coma victim Kerry. A nasty hullabaloo erupts over what’s going to happen to the couple, especially seeing since Kerry’s much older husband, Andrew, is not only unlikely to ever regain consciousness but is quite well-off and has other progeny flying in to stand watch over him and haggle over what to do. This is all backdrop for Johnson’s primary aim: to set an American woman of a certain age, very successful, extremely bright, and well educated, in the midst of well-to-do French society (the only not-rich people here tend to be serving wine to the speaking characters) and watch what happens. This leads to quite a few good tossed-off observations on the acrimonious divide between French and American societies, as well as some promising extramarital sexual entanglements. If only any of this were in the least bit entertaining. The much-lauded Johnson, a three-time NBA Award nominee, has a gift for smart gab, but it’s never quite as smart as she thinks, and the turgid lack of credible people or any forward momentum is a fatal flaw.
If L’Affaire were a dinner companion, she (or he) would be quite learned but, sadly, a terrible bore.Pub Date: Sept. 29, 2003
ISBN: 0-525-94740-X
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Dutton
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2003
PROFILES
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
Heartfelt and funny, this enemies-to-lovers romance shows that the best things in life are all-inclusive and nontransferable...
An unlucky woman finally gets lucky in love on an all-expenses-paid trip to Hawaii.
From getting her hand stuck in a claw machine at age 6 to losing her job, Olive Torres has never felt that luck was on her side. But her fortune changes when she scores a free vacation after her identical twin sister and new brother-in-law get food poisoning at their wedding buffet and are too sick to go on their honeymoon. The only catch is that she’ll have to share the honeymoon suite with her least favorite person—Ethan Thomas, the brother of the groom. To make matters worse, Olive’s new boss and Ethan’s ex-girlfriend show up in Hawaii, forcing them both to pretend to be newlyweds so they don’t blow their cover, as their all-inclusive vacation package is nontransferable and in her sister’s name. Plus, Ethan really wants to save face in front of his ex. The story is told almost exclusively from Olive’s point of view, filtering all communication through her cynical lens until Ethan can win her over (and finally have his say in the epilogue). To get to the happily-ever-after, Ethan doesn’t have to prove to Olive that he can be a better man, only that he was never the jerk she thought he was—for instance, when she thought he was judging her for eating cheese curds, maybe he was actually thinking of asking her out. Blending witty banter with healthy adult communication, the fake newlyweds have real chemistry as they talk it out over snorkeling trips, couples massages, and a few too many tropical drinks to get to the truth—that they’re crazy about each other.
Heartfelt and funny, this enemies-to-lovers romance shows that the best things in life are all-inclusive and nontransferable as well as free.Pub Date: May 14, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-5011-2803-5
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Gallery Books/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: March 2, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2019
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