April 1, 2024
DEBUT Thirty-year-old Alison, a BRCA 1 carrier, dodged breast cancer by electing to have a double mastectomy. Her surgical wounds have healed, but mental and physical scars remain, though life goes on. For her, anyway. While attending her ex-boyfriend Sam's funeral, it becomes apparent that her ex didn't tell anyone that they broke up, and the grieving family wants to keep Alison in their lives. Sam's best friend Adam, on the other hand, wants nothing to do with Alison. Long hours packing up Sam's apartment together, though, prove they have too much chemistry to ignore. But for Adam, Alison will always be Sam's girlfriend and therefore off-limits. These protagonists are realistic and likable and have sizzling chemistry even when they are barely interacting. Their banter is amusing and witty, and Alison's interior life is both frustrating and hilarious. Alison's and Adam's mental and physical health issues are treated sympathetically and don't dominate the romantic plot. VERDICT This debut rom-com features peak grumpy/sunshine and friends-to-lovers tropes.--Heather Miller Cover
Copyright 2024 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
June 24, 2024
Debut author Palmer delivers an emotionally resonant grumpy/sunshine romance. Alison Mullally’s boyfriend Sam Lewis broke up with her, then died in a car accident six weeks later. When she attends the funeral, Sam’s family assumes that they were still together when he was killed and his sister Rachel, the only one who knows the truth, begs her to go along with it. As a result, Alison is tasked with packing up Sam’s condo with his gruff friend Adam Berg—who definitely doesn’t want her help, for reasons Alison doesn’t understand. Over the course of four weekends, though, Alison and Adam form a tentative friendship, which rapidly morphs into sizzling chemistry both try—and fail—to resist. When Sam’s mother offers a family heirloom to Alison, she’s forced to come clean—while having a panic attack at his parents’ home. Alison makes for a deeply sympathetic heroine in a sticky situation. Adam, too, will tug at readers’ heartstrings as he juggles his attraction to Alison with his grief. Palmer also handles tough issues with grace, including Alison’s preventative double mastectomy after learning that she carries the BRCA-1 gene, and her all too understandable panic attacks. This packs a punch.