A quirky romance about second chances for those who come in second place.
Cursed with being forever second best, a 28-year-old woman risks everything to win the heart of her high school crush.
Imogen Finch is unlucky. Clinically unlucky, according to her clairvoyant mother, who prophesied Imogen’s silver-medal existence when she was only 6. No matter how hard Imogen tried to win student offices and ace math exams, she was forever destined to be runner-up in life—and in love. Every one of her 17 exes not only dumped her but left her for other people. Resigned to mediocrity, Imogen works six jobs in Pitt’s Corner, her small coastal town, caring for her mother and avoiding the pitying stares of her now happily married ex-boyfriends. Despite the blows to her ego, Imogen was never certain she was even in love with her past flames—all except heartbreak No. 1, Eliot Swift. Even though they were never a couple, Eliot was Imogen’s first and only love, the one who didn’t believe in her mother’s miserable prophecy, the one who ghosted her (and the whole town of Pitt’s Corner) 10 years ago. Still nursing her wounds a decade later, Imogen finds her world turned upside down when Eliot’s father dies, forcing him to return to the friends and family he left behind. Seeing Eliot again only confirms Imogen’s feelings for him, but will she be able to separate herself from a fate she spent years believing was irreversible? Firkins’ novel is a special blend of humor, passion, and friendship, with a hint of a sixth sense that sets it apart from other contemporary romances. Every so often, a chapter outlines one of Imogen’s 17 breakups, each more outrageous and humiliating than the last, and it’s impossible to root for anything other than a well-deserved happily-ever-after. Don’t expect Imogen to find her HEA too easily, though; Firkins takes her time with her characters, patiently weaving moments of grief, healing, and understanding to make this friends-to-lovers tale gratifyingly worthwhile.
A quirky romance about second chances for those who come in second place.Pub Date: Oct. 31, 2023
ISBN: 9781250836526
Page Count: 352
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Review Posted Online: Aug. 26, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A romance that could have used significant rethinking.
Childhood friends, almost-sweethearts, a misunderstanding, and a funeral.
Blair Lang and Declan Renshaw were best friends who went on one date before a disagreement and an accident sent them in different directions after high school. Now Blair is back from college to be with her great-aunt Lottie, who’s dying, and to support her single mother in small-town Seabrook, California. Finding a job at a coffee shop puts her in the path of her former boyfriend, since he turns out to be its owner. Can the two get past their mistakes? The novel uses the popular second-chance romance trope, but Pham fails to energize it through interesting characters. Blair’s grief over her great-aunt’s death and her plan to help her mother are overshadowed by internal monologues about her feelings, the way her friends aren’t paying attention to her, and the novel she plans to write. Declan’s distinguishing characteristic, besides being a former high school quarterback, is his skill at building birdhouses. Unsurprisingly, the couple doesn’t have much chemistry; when they embrace, their “bodies meld like…memory foam.” The wooden characters, unusual word choices (“conglomerate of pedestrians,” “litany of plants”), and odd turns of phrase (“tension melting from his eyebrows like butter melting in a warm pan”) are almost enough to obscure the lack of plot development. What passes for stakes is easily defused when Blair comes into an inheritance that saves her from working as a consultant at Ernst & Young in New York—so she can write a romance novel.
A romance that could have used significant rethinking.Pub Date: March 3, 2026
ISBN: 9781668095188
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Atria
Review Posted Online: Feb. 16, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2026
A deep and moving portrayal of first love.
Two college students rekindle their relationship as they unravel the truth behind their breakup.
On the outside, college senior Bennett Reiner has it all. A goalie for Waterfell University’s hockey team, he lives with a group of friends in a luxurious off-campus house. He and his best friend, Rhys Koteskiy, have fathers who are retired hockey legends. But on the inside, he’s falling apart. Struggling with OCD, a shaky friendship with Rhys, and second thoughts about pursuing a future in hockey, the only thing keeping Bennett afloat is also the one thing breaking his heart: Paloma Blake. All dyed-hair and attitude, Paloma has built a bad reputation on the hockey scene since their relationship ended freshman year—but Bennett knows the real P. Underneath her promiscuous facade lies a scared and lonely girl running from a childhood of abuse. When they were together, it seemed like their romance was perfect, until Paloma broke it off without warning. Since then, Bennett has run to Paloma’s side whenever she needed him, whether she was drunk, lonely, or hurting, and now he’s determined to win her back. For Bennett, Paloma is his antidote, the cure for his compulsions; for Paloma, Bennett is her protector, her safe space. And though Paloma yearns to be with Bennett again, she’s not sure she’s willing to open old wounds and reveal the truth about her painful past. In the third installment of the Undone series, Corinne spotlights familiar characters as they navigate trauma, heartbreak, and first love. Bennett and Paloma’s relationship is raw and vulnerable, and their journey of relinquishing control is both necessary and inevitable. Their romance evolves as they open up to one another, and in return, the reader is rewarded with a love story that’s as lyrical, evocative, and emotional as poetry.
A deep and moving portrayal of first love.Pub Date: April 7, 2026
ISBN: 9781668219423
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Atria
Review Posted Online: Dec. 26, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2026
BOOK REVIEW
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