January 22, 2018
In Guillory’s flat debut, a stalled elevator sparks a fake date that leads to muddled emotions. After Drew Nichols, a sexy pediatrician from Los Angeles, and Alexa Monroe, the Berkeley mayor’s chief of staff, are stuck in an elevator together, he inexplicably asks her to be his date at his ex-girlfriend’s wedding. The charade develops into a long-distance relationship stifled by doubts and overthinking as the two protagonists attempt to reconcile their emotions and questions about each other’s feelings. There are some awkward, sweet, and sexy moments between the newly acquainted characters, but the story wanes as Alexa and Drew attempt a real relationship; complications aren’t developed, and the constant overthinking diminishes the strengths of the characters. Mundane details and stilted dialogue add little complexity to the plot or characters, slowing the narrative pace. The protagonists have some amusing quirks and habits that reveal their flaws, but overuse destroys their charm. The lack of exposition and rushed narrative make it difficult to fully identify with the characters or stay engaged with the story, in spite of some sensual episodes. Agent: Holly Root, Root Literary.
March 1, 2018
Guillory's protagonists meet cute at the beginning of her sparkling debut and remain that way throughout this dual point-of-view novel. Alexa's impulsive decision to help Drew save face at the wedding of his former girlfriend and former best friend leads to a relationship that neither of them could have anticipated. Despite its fairy-tale elements, Alexa and Drew's story is imbued with the type of realistic concerns one might expect to arise in a long-distance (although both live in California, they are an airplane ride away) interracial relationship between two busy, successful people whose pasts still haunt them. Although Janina Edwards's narration would have been improved with more differentiation among the characters, Guillory's personae are so well realized that it's usually clear who is speaking even when most voices sound similar. VERDICT This debut romance is highly recommended for all public libraries.--Nicole Williams, New York
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