by Emily Henry ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 19, 2020
A heartfelt look at taking second chances, in life and in love.
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Two struggling authors spend the summer writing and falling in love in a quaint beach town.
January Andrews has just arrived in the small town of North Bear Shores with some serious baggage. Her father has been dead for a year, but she still hasn’t come to terms with what she found out at his funeral—he had been cheating on her mother for years. January plans to spend the summer cleaning out and selling the house her father and “That Woman” lived in together. But she’s also a down-on-her-luck author facing writer’s block, and she no longer believes in the happily-ever-after she’s made the benchmark of her work. Her steadily dwindling bank account, though, is a daily reminder that she must sell her next book, and fast. Serendipitously, she discovers that her new next-door neighbor is Augustus Everett, the darling of the literary fiction set and her former college rival/crush. Gus also happens to be struggling with his next book (and some serious trauma that unfolds throughout the novel). Though the two get off to a rocky start, they soon make a bet: Gus will try to write a romance novel, and January will attempt “bleak literary fiction.” They spend the summer teaching each other the art of their own genres—January takes Gus on a romantic outing to the local carnival; Gus takes January to the burned-down remains of a former cult—and they both process their own grief, loss, and trauma through this experiment. There are more than enough steamy scenes to sustain the slow-burn romance, and smart commentary on the placement and purpose of “women’s fiction” joins with crucial conversations about mental health to add multiple intriguing layers to the plot.
A heartfelt look at taking second chances, in life and in love.Pub Date: May 19, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-9848-0673-4
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Jove/Penguin
Review Posted Online: March 1, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2020
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by Suzanne Park ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 4, 2023
A story of second chances in life more than love.
A bestselling author is forced to go back to college and revisit more than one part of her past.
Lily Lee is best known in the literary world as the go-to author for learning how to succeed in the workplace. In fact, she’s on top of the world in her corporate career, with a job offer from a dream company and a second book in the works. That all comes to a screeching halt when her new employer’s background check reveals that she never officially graduated from her alma mater 10 years ago—she's a few credits short of a diploma, even though she walked across the stage at commencement, and what's more, she'll have to go back to school in order to complete her degree. Although Lily initially balks at the idea, she eventually decides to let herself relive her senior year of college. But it's not all frat parties and dining hall meals; the teaching assistant for one of her classes is none other than her ex-boyfriend Jake Cho. As far as Lily's concerned, Jake is the one who broke her heart when they were at school together. She's reluctant to let him back into her life, especially when he seems to have everything together and her world couldn't be more out-of-order by comparison. Now that she has a second chance to get things right, though, does that mean she should give things with Jake another try? Park’s latest novel skews a bit closer to women’s fiction than romance—Lily’s journey to self-empowerment and making peace with her setbacks feels more essential to the plot than her relationship with Jake. That said, the story is rooted in complex, relatable issues that are sure to have readers rooting for Lily the whole way through.
A story of second chances in life more than love.Pub Date: April 4, 2023
ISBN: 9780063216051
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Avon/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: March 27, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2023
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by Megan Tady ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 2, 2023
An alternately heartbreaking and hopeful debut about the importance of writing your own story.
A grief-stricken massage therapist agrees to help a romance novelist write her next book—but gets more than she bargained for.
Joan Johnston works as a massage therapist at Vermont spa the Apex, and she’s beyond burned out. Part of that is because she kind of hates her job (the demanding clients, the physical stress, the unpredictable pay), and part of it is because she’s grieving the death of her beloved boyfriend. They may have been a couple only for six months, but they were planning to spend the rest of their lives together—and now all she has to look forward to is another day getting yelled at by clients. If she doesn’t get fired, that is. Her boss, Tara, tells her that if she can’t get a review from notoriously hard-to-please client Carmen Bronze, she’s finished. Joan thinks her days at the Apex are done—until Carmen wants to strike a deal. Carmen, a prolific romance novelist, wants Joan to give her notes about the inside workings of the spa so she can use them in her next book about a massage therapist. In return, she’ll give Joan a glowing review—and a decent amount of cash. Joan happily takes the deal, but holding up her end of the bargain is harder than she expected. Taking notes for Carmen awakens her own long-dormant dream of writing, and soon Joan is secretly working on her own romance novel. What will happen when Carmen finds out? Debut author Tady carefully balances humor and grief, exploring Joan’s genuinely touching heartbreak over the premature death of her boyfriend while also giving readers plenty of her snarky internal monologue. The story is at its best when Joan begins to open up to the people around her—her co-workers, book club members, and even a favorite grocery store employee she nicknames Deli. As Joan works through her grief and attempts to restart her life, it’s satisfying to see her realize how much support and love she already has.
An alternately heartbreaking and hopeful debut about the importance of writing your own story.Pub Date: May 2, 2023
ISBN: 9798985282870
Page Count: 272
Publisher: Zibby Books
Review Posted Online: March 13, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2023
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