Sometimes a romance novel is just what the doctor ordered! Especially when you are dealing with Covid and a rebound reinfection! Knowing that you face five to ten more days of isolation and all the cold and flu like symptoms once again can be a bit demoralizing. But having a great romance novel with interesting characters, witty dialogue and sparks flying left and right can help you forget the pile of tissues accumulating in the wastebasket and your sore nose.

Nora Stephens is a cutthroat literary agent. Loved by her clients, for whom she negotiates extraordinary deals and feared by the publishing houses for her capacity to get every last penny for her clients, Nora has made quite a name for herself. But her career has taken a toll, and her younger sister, Libby, is concerned that Nora, who took care of and raised Libby after their mother died, will never take the time to build a life for herself. So Libby invites Nora to come to Sunshine Falls, North Carolina for the month of August to have some sister time. Nora reluctantly agrees partly to appease Libby but also because Sunshine Falls is the setting for one of her author’s series of books and she is curious to see the real thing.

But instead of meeting a handsome small town doctor, or a rugged rich outdoorsmen that usually show up in her authors’ novels, Nora keeps running into her nemesis, Charlie Lastra, a competing editor from another agency. Their prior run ins have mades them extremely wary of each other, but now they have been thrown together to re-write a badly written manuscript and they must also re-write the stories they have written about themselves.

Sharp, witty dialogue, snarky comments on romance novel plot lines and complicated sister relationships are just some of what awaits you in this fun and self aware novel! Henry has created a new genre of romance novels that makes fun of itself while embracing the whole “boy meets girl and falls in love” phenomena. I totally enjoyed this book!

Brenda’s Rating: ****(4 Out of 5 Stars)

Recommend this book to: Marian, Lauren and Sharon

Book study worthy? Yes

Read it in E-library format.