It’s 2020, a few months into the COVID pandemic. Hallie has been laid off from her set design job, her boyfriend has disappeared, and her roommate has left town to care for a sick relative. Unable to make ends meet, her best friend Maria comes to her rescue, offering her the opportunity to move in with her and her husband.
Not long after, friends of Maria’s decide they’d like to escape to their second home, a mansion on Cape Cod, and they invite Maria and her husband, as well as Hallie. Also included is Quinn, a professor of literature whose own life has been chaotic as well.
It’s not long before Hallie and Quinn begin engaging in intellectual one-upmanship, stemming from their shared fondness for literature, language, musicals, and puns. Not just their minds are sparked, of course—their playful flirting soon gives way to stronger chemistry, both emotional and sexual.
Both Hallie and Quinn have had their share of turmoil, pain, and sadness. They want to see where this connection may lead, but they both have issues dealing with their feelings and hopes, not to mention their ability to express what they want from one another.
There’s much to enjoy about this story, but there is far too much drama and indecisiveness, which leads to lots of tears and handwringing. The author also threw in a bunch of other subplots and social issues that made brief ripples and then were forgotten. I wish the focus of the book had stayed on the romance.
No comments:
Post a Comment