Yes, this will be an actual book review. While my last two reviews were stark reminders of how truly FORKED the United States is, this book is like basking in the warmth of the sun on a sandy beach with a margarita in hand and no worries in your head. In case you are in need of a respite from the perils of the world, look no further than this charming contemporary romance.

Synopsis

Daphne and her fiance, Peter, have the perfect meet cute, a story Peter loves to tell any chance he gets. It would be straight off the screen of a blockbuster romcom if not for one inconvenient detail. With their wedding just around the corner, Peter leaves Daphne for his childhood best friend, Petra. Daphne, having dropped everything to move across country with Peter finds herself without support or even a place to live when she’s ejected from their communal home that Petra will be moving into in her place. The solution? She turns to the one person who can also share in her pain and who now just might need a roommate. The ex of her ex-fiancé’s new fiancé. While they are polar opposites, buttoned-up Daphne and pot-smoking croc-wearing Max form a kind of unique friendship based upon their common desire to irritate the hell out of their exes with their new fake relationship. As they fall further into the lie and Daphne sets plans in motion for the return to her hometown, their shenanigans just might bring them more trouble than they anticipated. And Daphne might come to see she has a few reasons to stay, after all.

Review

You have probably heard me say before that I’m not a big fan of romance. Well, that’s not completely true. I actually love quirky contemporary romances with heroines that don’t seem to be cut out of a magazine and leading men who don’t spend the whole book shirtless with a smoldering smirk. If that is your thing, you go, girl (or guy). I’ll take the book with the awkward librarian who has difficulty connecting with her peers and the scruffy dude in crocs with an affinity for Bridget Jones and farmers’ markets. It’s all in the little details that make characters enjoyable and relatable. Henry really excels at those fine-tuned details in this novel. Her writing is competent, witty, and smart. It’s not just about Daphne’s love story, but it’s Daphne’s human story. It’s her growth as a woman, a friend, and a lover. It’s the way Max opens her up to aspects of the world she’s never let in before and the way she’s willing to make a life of her own, not one that’s built around someone else.

I think that’s often what bothers me about a lot of romance novels. A woman’s worth is not wrapped up in who she is in relation to men. Maybe, like Daphne, she has always viewed herself as important only because she’s in a relationship, but a truly good book will be about her coming of age. It will about her realizing her own worth. I’d much rather see her grow to love herself before focusing on her love for someone else. Only then can she find a partner who values her for the right reasons. It’s certainly not about sex, though a little of that spice is welcome if it’s done well. In this case, I think Henry captured the spice quite well.

Over all, I thought this was a very solid and satisfying contemporary romance that checks all the boxes. It’s sweet, authentic, and highly relatable with an understated spiciness.

Published April 23, 2024 by Penguin Audio. ASIN B0CCPPQ38D. Runtime 11 hrs. 23 mins. Narrated by Julia Whelan.