[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Berkley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]
Summary
Chloe feels like she’s in quicksand while everyone else’s life clicks along.
Take her best friend for instance. Annie’s written a screenplay – inspired by Chloe and her hot boss – that’s been turned into a major movie (Waiting for Tom Hanks – ♥♥♥♥). She’s fallen in love with an actual movie star, and they’re getting married. Chloe doesn’t understand half of what Annie does for her job, but it has her winging her way to one coast or the other on a regular basis.
In contrast, Chloe still lives in their home town in Ohio. She works in a coffee shop and rents a garage apartment from Annie’s uncle. She dropped out of college, so now she is taking classes online so she can do something with her life besides pour coffee. And she’s got her dad in an assisted living facility for his Alzheimer’s.
It feels like at this point in her life, she should have more to show for her time and energy. She’s run ragged taking care of everything and everyone. And she has no time for romance even if everyone is convinced she and Nick belong together like in some rom-com. Rom-coms aren’t real. And Chloe is all about real life. In fact, she sometimes has more of it than she feels she can handle.
Review
I loved this! Chloe is a character I could really identify with. She feels very real. She’s carrying real burdens. Yet she tries to maintain a sunny disposition. She’s so aware of her own pain in some ways, it makes her aware of the pain of others. And she wants to be the spot of sunshine for those folks on their dark days.
Yet while there are ways Chloe is super self-aware, there are other places where she doesn’t see her own limits. She is so self-protective, she feels she has to do everything – perfectly – all on her own. She’s afraid if she stops being so helpful and accommodating that people will abandon her. Or, if she asks someone else to do something, they will not follow through. And she has good reason for feeling that way!
But all of this personal stuff going on for Chloe never bogs down the story. This is FUNNY! I laughed so much in this one. The characters are a hoot! And Chloe and Nick’s chemistry is terrific. He’s a fascinating contrast for her in some ways – and he’s refreshing in his thoughtfulness and stability.
Fans of book one – Waiting for Tom Hanks – should absolutely check this out and get Chloe and Nick’s full story plus an epilogue of sorts for Annie and Drew as Chloe and Nick’s story plays out. I don’t think you have to read these books in order to enjoy them, but it helps as they build on one another. Fans of romantic comedies – both the movie ones and the book ones – should not miss this story! This book releases next week, July 7, 2020. (Language, mostly off-page sex, LGBTQ+ – Bisexual character(s) as well as gay and lesbian characters/relationships)