Millicent Watts-Cohen is on a mission. When she promised her elderly best friend that she’d reunite her with the woman she fell in love with nearly eighty years ago, she never imagined that would mean traveling from D.C. to Key West with three tablespoons of Mrs. Nash’s remains in her backpack. But Millie’s determined to give her friend a symbolic happily-ever-after, before it’s (really) too late—and hopefully reassure herself of love’s lasting power in the process.
She just didn’t expect to have a living travel companion.
After a computer glitch grounds flights, Millie is forced to catch a ride with Hollis Hollenbeck, an also-stranded acquaintance from her ex’s MFA program. Hollis certainly does not believe in happily-ever-afters—symbolic or otherwise—and makes it quite clear that he can’t fathom Millie’s plan ending well for anyone.
But as they contend with peculiar bed-and-breakfasts, unusual small-town festivals, and deer with a death wish, Millie begins to suspect that her reluctant travel partner might enjoy her company more than he lets on. Because for someone who supposedly doesn’t share her views on romance, Hollis sure is becoming invested in the success of their journey. And the closer they get to their destination, the more Millie has to admit that maybe this trip isn’t just about Mrs. Nash’s love story after all—maybe it’s also about her own.
Release Date: May 23, 2023
Heat Level: Sensual
Publisher: Penguin Group
Imprint: Berkley
Price: $10.99
“Maybe his relationship with Vanessa wasn’t that different from mine with Josh- just shorter-lived and longer ago. We were both used by the people who claimed to care about us. Except Hollis looked at his parents’ fractured marriage, his father’s tendency to jump from coed to coed , and Vanessa’s deceit, and saw evidence that lasting love is a lie; while I put three tablespoons of my elderly best friend in my backpack and booked a flight to Florida to prove that it isn’t foolish to keep believing someone might genuinely care for someone else for a lifetime.”
Millicent Watts-Cohen is on a mission to reunite her elderly best friend with the woman she fell in love with over eighty years ago, but she could never have imagined that would consist of her booking a flight from Washington D.C to Key West with three tablespoons of Mrs. Nash’s ashes in her backpack. A lot of mishaps happen along the way when she teams up with cynical writer Hollis Hollenbeck to reunite the two long-lost lovers, and she is determined to prove to him that true love really does exist.
I absolutely loved this quirky story! It’s unique, and unlike anything else I have ever read before. Silly and lovable Millicent was a perfect match for grumpy and gruff Hollis. Their connection was utterly adorable, and their banter was immensely entertaining. It kept me reading long into the night. I greatly enjoyed not only Millicent and Hollis’s relationship but also that of Millicent and Mrs. Nash and Mrs. Nash and Elsie. Mrs. Nash was there for Millicent during a very difficult time in her life, and they became close friends when she moved in with her. I appreciated the way Millicent felt loyal to Mrs. Nash and continued with this mission to reunite her with her Elsie even after she passes away. The relationship that they had was special. Overall, this was just a super fun read, and I am excited to read more by Sarah Adler!
If you’re a fan of funny and quirky stories like those of Claire Kingsley and Pippa Grant, then give this a try. I don’t think you will regret it!
~ Michelle
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