August 6, 2021
Wait For It by Jenn McKinlay
Genre/Categories: Women’s Fiction, Contemporary Fiction, Romance
*This post contains Amazon affiliate links.
My Summary:
Thanks #NetGalley @BerkleyPub #BerkleyBuddyReads #BerkleyWritesStrongWomen for a complimentary eARC of #WaitForIt upon my request. All opinions are my own. (Pub Date 8.10.2021)
Annabelle is looking for a fresh start after breaking up with her boyfriend and moves from Boston to Arizona to work as a creative director in a graphic design company that her best friend owns. She rents a guest house on a beautiful property from a quirky, rule-centered, and reclusive landlord, Nick. Annabelle has some surprises in store when she meets Nick and also faces challenges on the new job with a hostile, undermining, and jealous co-worker. Will this move to Arizona work out for her?
My Thoughts:
Writing: I always enjoy snappy and witty writing and this author doesn’t disappoint. Written in chronological order from two perspectives, Wait For It is entertaining and page-turning with likable main characters. I especially enjoyed the notes that Annabelle and Nick (the landlord) write back and forth at the beginning of the book. To me, the title isn’t particularly meaningful and is pulled from one conversation Annabelle and Nick have while watching fireworks.
Characters: I love when opposites attract and Annabelle and Nick are certainly opposites: while Annabelle is impulsive, positive, creative, artistic, sassy, and bold, Nick is controlling, dour, fearful, mysterious, and rule-centered. I enjoyed their banter and initial letter-writing communication attempts. One frustration is that half the book elapses before they meet face to face.
Themes: Even though this story can be categorized as romance and light, women’s fiction, the author includes several thoughtful themes including workplace harassment, second chances, starting over, panic attacks, inner growth, stroke recovery, traumatic childhood, mental health, estranged family, alcohol addiction, and helping women who need to escape from their homes.
Content Consideration: some steamy open-door romance, stroke recovery
Recommendation: I think fans of chick-lit and light women’s fiction (with some steam) might enjoy this story. It is a quick weekend or vacation read. Wait For It contains quite a few discussable topics for book club.
My Rating: 3.5 Stars
Wait For It Information Here (Pub Date 8.10.2021)
Meet the Author, Jenn McKinlay
Jenn McKinlay is the award-winning, New York Times, USA Today, and Publishers Weekly bestselling author of several mystery and romance series. Her work has been translated into multiple languages in countries all over the world. She lives in sunny Arizona in a house that is overrun with kids, pets, and her husband’s guitars.
QOTD:
Is Wait For It on your TBR or have you read it?
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Lovely review and lovely cover, Carol. Interested to know, what would you have titled this?❤📚
Thanks Sandy! Good question! Titles are not my forte….but something like “Breaking the Rules” maybe because his ridiculous rules for her is the focus of the first part of the book. I like titles that have some meaning not pulled from an obscure line of dialogue!
I totally agree with you Carol. ❤📚
Hmmm I need a good “moving on” story in my life
You might like this!
This sounds like a great one!
It was entertaining!
Witty writing is always so funny to read!
It’s a treat!
[…] 3.5 Stars. (ARC…pub date: 8.10.2021) Contemporary Fiction, Women’s Fiction (beach read). Page-turning RomCom with some STEAM (some Open Door scenes….easily skippable but I prefer closed door) My review of Wait For It here. […]
[…] (Excerpt)Our Italian SummerThe HuntressYours Cheerfully12 Favorite Books: National Book Lovers DayWait For ItThe Book Woman of Troublesome CreekThree Words For […]
I have read a couple of books with this concept of writing notes to one another, then eventually meeting and having a romance, but this is different with it being a landlord. Jenn McKinlay writes such a variety of books. Nice review Carol. I was declined for this one, but will see if my library gets it.
Berkeley always declines me, but I’m part of an Instagram engagement group that gets Berkeley widgets so I got in through the back door!
I am on the Berkley decline list as well.
It’s so strange because as part of the IG group, I’ve reviewed many Berkley titles.,,but still when I request on my own I get declined.
I do not understand sometimes.
[…] Characters: Cassie and James are thirty-comething professionals each missing something in her or his life. While Cassie is free-spirited, artistic, animal loving, environment protecting, and friendly, James is an organized, detached, and grumpy clean-freak. Although Cassie is a writer and James is a venture capitalist (I think?!), no part of the story is spent on their respective careers (except as a catalyst for the swap). James is unlikable at first (thus the trope)….and I’m not quite sure how he made the transformation but suddenly at book’s end, he’s a terrific guy! The grump/sunshine trope is tried and true and reminds me a bit of the trope in Wait For It. […]
[…] no sense in the context of the story or are taken from one obscure line of text (looking at you, Wait for It and The Redhead By the Side of the […]