Member Review

Sam Pulaski went from an overachiever about to start her dream job in academia to a life on hold, barely coasting through life while crashing on a twin bed in her mom's office. Her plans were disrupted by COVID, and now she's stuck, unable to move on from her dream but also unable to make moves to create a new possibility or pivot. Until a random meeting with an outgoing and hyperactive little girl leads her to meet her mom's new neighbor, Nick, who shows her what an adult life can be fulfilling and filled with love if only she's willing to be open and put in some work.

There is an overabundance of books where the main character's life is in shambles and she's too stressed/depressed to do anything but coast, until someone/something comes along to spark her into doing something about it. Most of them feel like boring carbon copies, but Goldbeck created a character that's easy to empathize with, even if you can't relate, which made the story stand out. And it's not just her; everyone around her reads like someone you could meet in real life, adding so much to a story that could have languished in mediocrity. I particularly liked that even the situationship guy had more than one dimension because it shows that Goldbeck really thought about all the angles of the story. It's still something that's been done a hundred times before, but it's done well enough that it's enjoyable and emotionally satisfying.

Very happy thanks to NetGalley and Dial Press Trade Paperback for the read!