4.5*
While I really like The Road to Madison, it lacked (mostly due to a rather tragic premise) what made Casting Lacey so good, this quirky and witty sense of humor. But it’s back in this new novel and that makes my heart sing.
Veronica « V » Welch is a very busy lawyer who has sacrificed everything on her way to be named a partner by the firm she works for. One night, she goes out to celebrate a big win and spills the beans to her very sweet and meddling assistant Bea about her dreams: a wife, a family, a beautiful love story by the time she’s thirty-five. With V’s birthday looming, Bea takes the matter in her own hands, with the help of V’s mother, and creates a profile for her beautiful and talented boss on a lesbian dating app. At first, V is irritated then agrees to go on 30 dates in 30 days, hoping to find the love of her life with as little hassle as possible. All the dates take place in the same bar, where wedding photographer Rachel Monaghan, the owner’s cousin, gives a hand as a bartender. She has her own reasons not to believe in happily-ever-afters and actually fight against the temptation but neither V nor Rachel can resist falling for the other.
As usual with Spencer, the characters are wonderfully layered and flawed, the chemistry is out of this world and even though at times I wanted to shake Rachel, I liked the way her journey was told. She also gets bonus points for her taste in wine (I’ll take a Brunello di Montalcino over almost anything). V’s reluctance to date was endearing and funny, and the descriptions of the dates made me laugh more than once. I actually laughed a lot reading this book, right from the start, which I didn’t completely expect. The secondary cast is excellent too, from Bea to V’s cousin Tiffany or her parents. And of course the best are the small gang from the bar: Rachel’s cousin Charlotte, Charlotte’s dead father’s best friend Harry and the very lovable older couple Carol and Joe. I want them all to be my friends, seriously.
Jude in the Stars 