Sophie Cousens (This Time Next Year) delivers again with her newest novel, set in beautiful Jersey, the largest of the Channel Islands. I loved her debut, and this second one didn’t disappoint. Thank you to G.P. Putnam’s Sons for my gifted e-copy.
Summary:
Lifestyle site content writer Laura likes her job, interviewing couples for her website’s How Did You Meet? segment. A romantic at heart, Laura can’t get enough of the best ‘meet-cutes’ romance has ever known. Even her parents had an amazing story, one that’s even more close to her heart now that her mom has passed away. The thing is, she just can’t help wondering when she’ll experience a meet-cute of her own.
When she gets the chance to travel to Jersey to write up her parents’ love story for a special feature, she jumps at the chance. But when she accidentally picks up the wrong bag at the airport’s baggage claim and sees its intriguing contents, she’s convinced the owner is the man of her dreams. Now all she has to do is find him.
With the help of a dour cabdriver named Ted, Laura explores the beauty of Jersey, revisiting the places where her parents fell in love while trying to track down the suitcase’s owner. But Suitcase Man isn’t easy to find, and as family secrets come to light, Laura has to rethink the life, and love, she thought she wanted.
Thoughts:
Cousens did what rom-com authors do best: when writing each scene, ask, “What’s the worst / most awkward thing that could happen to this character?” There were some literal laugh-out-loud moments for me, cringe-worthy situations which protagonist Laura finds herself in. One of the more important characters I found a little two-dimensional, but I got swept up in this story and read it in two days–the best indicator (for me, anyway, as a busy mom) that the author did her job well. If you’re already a rom-com fan, I’m pretty sure you’ll like this.
⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
Photo credit: Arnel Hasanovic
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