Missed Connections
By: Aimie K. Runyan
Pub Date: May 26, 2026
Publisher: Harper Muse
I have loved every book by Runyan, BUT this is my new favorite. I spent a lovely Sunday reading her latest book.
I loved the premise of this novel. Sabrina is 37 and has been working in the restaurant business for years traveling around the world. When her job ends in Paris, she spends time with her mother and sister to help plan her sister’s wedding.
Sabrina is independent and her life long goal is to become a MICHELINE Guide inspector. Her mother is wanting her settle down and tries to fix her up, but Sabrina is feeling stifled by her mother and her ways. She ends up at the airport and this changes the trajectory of her life.
She meets a kind lady who offers who a trip of a lifetime, but NOT in the way we think. She has the opportunity to have some closure and satisfaction with some of her past mistakes.
Runyan has a way with words, that have you immersed in the story and visualizing the entire scenes.
Thank you, Harper Muse, for the early copy. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I adored this book absolutely loved it. I don't think I could ever say enough good things about it. It has all the things if you love a romcom- Sabrina is our girl. She is visiting home after getting fired from her job in Paris. As a general manager of a restaurant, sabrina has worked in restaurants. Her whole life, from the back of the house to the front, and her goal in life is to be a michelin reviewer-- she returning home for the holidays and to celebrate her sister, she made a quick detour. In Denver to apply for a job where she ran into a man from a past restaurant. She worked at and it wasn't a heavy reunion. After getting home and dealing with her overbearing mother, she decides to head out and doesn't really have a plan of where she's going to go.She just gets to the airport and there she encounters, somebody special in her life -- this person takes her to a special lounge within the airport and discusses her life and where she thinks could have gone another way (no takebacks on death though) Maybe if she did something, a different way it would have worked out differently sabrina thinks about it and takes a trip, we see her take a few of them. Just see, if she could figure out how to fix her life from the beginning of her career in louisiana to a failed relationship in Ireland and the story of what really went down in Paris- this book is so good. It makes you. I think it makes you reflect. Do you really want to change something? How could one simple a little change affect your whole life? This was a perfect read for New Year's. I will definitely go back and read the author's back catalog. If you're a fan of any kind of time swap, you will love this. I could definitely see this as a movie netflix.Hulu, we need to option this right now.Because it is so good--- loved Sabrinas special someone too great characters

Thank you, netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review

I'm predicting that Missed Connections will end up on my favorites of the year list. The main character has an impressive career in the fine-dining industry, but has suffered a disappointing setback.

As she stands at an airline counter trying to decide her next move after a bad interaction with her mom, she has an unexpected opportunity. A lovely ticket agent offers her the chance to go back and re-live small decision points in her life. This little touch of magical realism creates a beautiful story of self-improvement. On each of her trips, she's able to see things from a different perspective and react with the hard-earned wisdom she's gained over the years.

While there are some touches of romance, this is very much the main character's well-rounded life story as she navigates her dream of becoming a Michelin inspector, her family relationships, her co-worker relationships, and her romantic relationships. While the ending was perfect, I would also love to see a sequel because I didn't want the story to end.

Have you ever thought about a past situation do over or a what if? I think we probably all have, and in this relatable book the protagonist goes back in time visiting her past, but from an older perspective. I loved that thru time hops the main character is developed, I thought that was a unique approach. I enjoyed the restaurant politics, romance, and relationships. Be sure to read the author’s note.

WOW!! This is a book you will not want to miss!!

While there is a small amount of romance (and yes, a happily ever after!) - it really isn't the main theme in this amazingly well written story.... (which I loved, just an FYI if you're looking for that).

It is very clean - No language & no intimacy scenes.

Sabrina learned the love of food from her beloved Dad... I loved that. The author did a fantastic job detailing a lot about food & restaurant work life, Michelin stars & more.... which I love so much because I'm a foodie (don't worry if you're not...while there is great detail & info about this, it won't bore you if that's not your thing, it's really well handled with giving information, but not making the book drag.)

I also love how Sabrina learns a lot about gratitude & contentment, as well as how to better handle prickly situations (& people). I loved how she worked hard to try to restore/refresh relationships with her Mom & brother... giving a bit of a fresh start with her Mom & hope for a brighter future with her.

A few of my favorite quotes that I couldn't help but share because I found them so profound:
---"I had loved Rian. Naive me had thought I loved Edward. But Nikolai? Nikolai is home." (context... this is after Sabrina has spent most of the past 37 years of her life searching & striving for that sort of thing, especially after her Dad died young & she has a rocky relationship with her Mom. She, at present time, also feels a bit lost for where she should go next, or what she should be doing.)
---""And for the second time in my adult life, he picks me up and twirls me. Because every woman , even a viking warrior, loves a good twirl now and again." (context... she is very tall, I believe 6' 2" & that has been an issue in her life.)
---"The world might just have one less bully in it. Because he was shown kindness when he needed it." (context... Sabrina chose to go back a 2nd time to talk to Edward, an ex, to see if she could help change his life as well.)

Thank you so much to the author (Aimie K. Runyan), publisher (Harper Muse) & Netgalley for the ARC read. All opinions are my own. This is the first book I've read by this author, but definitely won't be the last!

Publication date is set for 5/26/26, mark your calendars so you don't miss out!!! Review also shared on other sites such as Bookbub & Goodreads.

This is a good book and highly recommended. This is based on Sabrina who is 37 in Paris who is going home to California, it doesn’t go well at her sisters engagement party so she leaves .
She gets a chance to go back in time to and that’s when the story takes off and the plot thickens . I couldn’t put the book down .
Thank you NetGalley and publishers for my copy

The author's newest women's fiction novel combines the Parisian culinary world, job loss, family conflicts, and an element of magical realism that allows the female protagonist to go back in time at critical points in her life. A beautifully written mesmerizing tale from one of my very favorite authors!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

At the start, I didn't like this book and where it was going, but as I continued to read it, I started to really like it. Sabrina's journey and decisions are very realistic and show a deep understanding of making such choices. The book is well researched and understanding of the written subject. I liked that an airport was chosen as a place of making different choices, a natural choice for an intersection. I also liked Sabrina's chase for her dreams and that she never gave up, no matter the difficulties she faced.

Overall, I give this book 5 stars.

Fans of The Midnight Library will devour this delicious story of a woman who gets a magical opportunity to re-do pivotal life choices. With the fascinating backdrop of culinary culture from New Orleans to Copenhagen to Paris, this whimsical tale is full of hard-won insights about work, love, passion, and family. I was utterly entranced by the mystical airport from which our heroine boards flights to key moments of her past—gaining wisdom, standing up for herself, and ultimately, creating a fulfilling pathway ahead. You’ll be wishing for your own enchanted airplane flight… Enjoy the ride!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own!Missed Connections is so unique and well-written that I didn't want it to end. Sabrina Sorenson gets the opportunity to relive defining key events of her life as she works to become a Michelin Inspector. She has dedicated her life to this dream that began as a young girl. In the novel, she recognizes the loneliness she feels and is met with this wonderful opportunity.

The character work was amazing and provided characters and family that were very relatable. The relatability pulls on your heartstrings which helped me to be immediately emotionally invested in this book. I loved the fact that Sabrina visited moments of her life that represented different versions of her. They all gave her a different sort of feedback to apply in her future visits.

My favorite aspect was the detail that was given to the descriptions and mentions of food. I feel like food can be a great grounding point in a novel and this really helped with staying immersed. I loved this concept and really loved this novel!