SAVVY SHELDON FEELS GOOD AS HELL

A woman reevaluates her life after a messy breakup in this feel-good debut.

Savvy Sheldon is doing all right. She has a house (though it’s old and a bit cramped), a career (where she picks up the slack from her constantly burned-out co-workers), and a longtime boyfriend (who mainly just sits on the couch and watches the game). When her boyfriend breaks up with her, though, telling her she’s let herself go and he needs an “upgrade,” Savvy begins to doubt herself and starts working on a plan for her “Revenge Body,” a plan that morphs into working out a healthier relationship with her body. With the help of her two best friends since childhood, her cool new tennis trainer, a local chef, and the cute contractor who’s working on the house across the street, Savvy starts figuring out what she wants from life and making strides toward turning that into a reality. This novel is a paean to self-care and support systems, with everyone in Savvy’s life (with the singular exception of her ex-boyfriend) wanting only the best for her and supporting her every step of the way. As a result, her love interest is too good to be true, any disagreement with her friends is cleared up within a few paragraphs, and her job is very understanding, making for very little conflict or forward momentum. Though watching a friend like Savvy succeed in real life would be great, it might leave a fiction reader craving more to chew on. A true highlight of the book is its depiction of food, as Savvy is a great cook, and McCoy delights in describing the delicious dishes she whips up.

Light on plot but full of positivity, good food, and love.