SPUR OF THE MOMENT

A young woman struggles to forge a new path after a life-changing diagnosis.

Lottie Turner plans on making the most of the summer before senior year. Ever since a terrible head injury nearly two years ago resulted in post-traumatic epilepsy, she’s struggled to find an identity outside of bull riding, which was her passion. Now Lottie just wants to let loose away from the overprotective eyes of the people who love her. But when Walker Lane, her first boyfriend, reappears after two years away, everything shifts. Walker is back at Willow Creek, the Turners’ Alabama ranch. He just graduated from high school and has taken a job as a seasonal ranch hand, seeking to escape the pressures of an upcoming NASA internship that comes with strings attached to his father. Hoping to rekindle their relationship, Walker helps Lottie with her “Eighteen Before Eighteen” bucket list. As Lottie works her way through it, she learns to love her new self—and maybe even Walker too. In this series opener, the leads’ alternating perspectives immerse readers in the world of Willow Creek, with intentionally layered moments that propel the narrative. Lottie and Walker, who are cued white, are well characterized, and this sweet romance includes heart-pounding yearning, witty banter, and a thoughtful exploration of navigating disability. As Lottie struggles with accepting her new reality, including frustration with being treated as fragile, Walker responds in supportive ways that highlight his emotional intelligence.

A summer romance distinguished by complex characters, emotional depth, and poetic storytelling.