Nora Stephens has been convinced by her younger and very pregnant sister Libby to come away with her for a few weeks to a small town made famous by a book Nora has actually promoted. While Nora is usually impossible to tear away from either her work as a literary agent or her home in NYC (and her Peleton…), she agrees to come because she will do anything to make her sister happy, as she’s done since their mother died when they were teenagers. So here she is, in this sad little town, still trying to sneak a bit of work into her day, in spite of the task list Libby has created for them to try to break out of their usual routines. And no good deed goes unpunished, for the only spot where she can find any bit of reliable wifi is where she runs into – to her utter shock – her absolute work nemesis, Charlie Lastra. Immediately, there is an email exchange between them which grows into an outright battle of wits. And even as Nora is focused on her sister and her sister’s welfare, she finds herself becoming more and more entangled in this mystery that is Charlie Lastra.
If you’re looking for a light, fun, and very summery/vacation-y read, this should be the first thing you pack to take along. While it is somewhat predictable – ok, very predictable – it is also replete with witty (giggle-along-with) dialogue, endearing family drama, and even a few steamy romance scenes. While Nora thinks of herself as being a “shark” and not exactly a people-person, she is actually someone who loves deeply and protects those she loves with the ferocity of a mother bear. She becomes the character we cannot help but love back – and this makes the story so utterly engaging.
So even despite the many romcom tropes to be found here, I still found this book a delight to read (or, in truth, listen to). I believe you will too!
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