A romantic comedy so charming that its ridiculousness hardly matters.
When a lonely woman creates a golem from clay, the mythical figurine magically comes to life in the form of a hot guy who may or may not be the perfect boyfriend.
Eve is about to turn 40, and she’s just so sad. Her father died a year ago, and since then, her life has been a lonesome slog. Her job is uninspiring, her best friend’s been unavailable, the dating market’s a nightmare, and she can’t stop stress eating. Her mother is selling their family home, and her younger sister is getting married—on Eve’s birthday weekend. There’s a glimmer of hope when the cute guy who recently moved into her building reveals that, like Eve, he’s Jewish. But when “Hot Josh” seems uninterested in her, Eve’s only solace is an overly sweet bottle of kosher wine. Remembering an old Jewish legend, Eve drunkenly constructs a golem, a clay figure that’s said to come to life to protect people in need. When Eve wakes up the next morning, the golem has transformed into a full-sized, shockingly handsome, and very much living man who wants nothing more than to protect and serve Eve. The golem, whom she names Paul Mudd, seems like the answer to all her problems—a perfect companion and a plus-one for her sister’s wedding. As time passes, Eve realizes that Paul is causing more harm than good, but she’s not sure she’ll ever find happiness without him. Told from Eve’s perspective throughout, the book is captivating and witty from the get-go. The author leans into Eve’s identity as a secular American Jew, showing her family’s deep connection to their Jewish roots despite their lack of religious observance. The story also examines issues of antisemitism and generational trauma with heft and grace. Of course, the story does require a significant suspension of disbelief—Eve accepts, with barely a moment’s doubt, that the inanimate figure she molded has come to life, quickly deciding that the next logical step would be to bring him to work with her. Even so, with well-developed characters, poignant romantic humor, and brilliantly described family connections, this is still a thoroughly engaging read.
A romantic comedy so charming that its ridiculousness hardly matters.Pub Date: Dec. 10, 2024
ISBN: 9780778368120
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Harlequin MIRA
Review Posted Online: Oct. 26, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2024
A wallowing, emotionally wrenching family drama that leaves little time for romance.
Two people with bad luck in relationships find each other through a popular Reddit thread.
Emma Grant and her best friend, Maddy, are travel nurses, working at hospitals for three-month stints while they see the country. Just a few weeks before they’re set to move to Hawaii, Emma reads a popular “Am I the Asshole” Reddit thread from a Minnesota man who thinks he’s cursed—women he dates find their soulmates after breaking up with him, and the latest one found true love with his best friend! Emma has had a similar experience, which inspires her to DM the man and commiserate. She’s delighted by her witty, lively interactions with software engineer Justin Dahl, and is intrigued when he suggests that if they date each other, maybe they’ll each find their soulmate afterward. Emma upends the Hawaii plan and convinces Maddy to move to Minneapolis for the summer so she can meet Justin in person. The overly complex setup brings Emma and Justin together and the two hit it off, with Justin immediately falling head over heels for Emma. Jimenez then pivots to creating romantic roadblocks and melodramatic subplots centering on each character’s family of origin. Justin’s mother is about to serve six years in prison for embezzlement, which means Justin must move back home to care for his three much younger siblings. Emma was traumatized by her own mother for much of her childhood, left to fend for herself and eventually abandoned in the foster system. When her mother shows up in Minnesota, Emma must face her traumatic childhood and admit that she has prioritized her mother’s well-being over her own. There is little time devoted to Emma’s painful efforts to heal herself enough to accept Justin’s love, which leaves the novel feeling unsatisfying.
A wallowing, emotionally wrenching family drama that leaves little time for romance.Pub Date: April 2, 2024
ISBN: 9781538704431
Page Count: 432
Publisher: Forever
Review Posted Online: Feb. 3, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2024
SEEN & HEARD
SEEN & HEARD
Uneven but fitfully amusing.
Betrayed by her husband, a severely depressed young woman gets drawn into the over-the-top festivities at a lavish wedding.
Phoebe Stone, who teaches English literature at a St. Louis college, is plotting her own demise. Her husband, Matt, has left her for another woman, and Phoebe is taking it hard. Indeed, she's determined just where and how she will end it all: at an oceanfront hotel in Newport, where she will lie on a king-sized canopy bed and take a bottle of her cat’s painkillers. At the hotel, Phoebe meets bride-to-be Lila, a headstrong rich girl presiding over her own extravagant six-day wedding celebration. Lila thought she had booked every room in the hotel, and learning of Phoebe's suicidal intentions, she forbids this stray guest from disrupting the nuptials: “No. You definitely can’t kill yourself. This is my wedding week.” After the punchy opening, a grim flashback to the meltdown of Phoebe's marriage temporarily darkens the mood, but things pick up when spoiled Lila interrupts Phoebe's preparations and sweeps her up in the wedding juggernaut. The slide from earnest drama to broad farce is somewhat jarring, but from this point on, Espach crafts an enjoyable—if overstuffed—comedy of manners. When the original maid of honor drops out, Phoebe is persuaded, against her better judgment, to take her place. There’s some fun to be had here: The wedding party—including groom-to-be Gary, a widower, and his 11-year-old daughter—takes surfing lessons; the women in the group have a session with a Sex Woman. But it all goes on too long, and the humor can seem forced, reaching a low point when someone has sex with the vintage wedding car (you don’t want to know the details). Later, when two characters have a meet-cute in a hot tub, readers will guess exactly how the marriage plot resolves.
Uneven but fitfully amusing.Pub Date: July 30, 2024
ISBN: 9781250899576
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Henry Holt
Review Posted Online: Sept. 13, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
SEEN & HEARD
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