June 14, 2022

Flying Solo by Linda Holmes

Genre/Categories/Setting: Contemporary Women’s Fiction, Romance, Chick Lit, Maine

*This post contains Amazon affiliate links.

My Summary:

Thank you #NetGalley @RandomHouse #BallantineBooks for a complimentary e ARC of #FlyingSolo upon my request. All opinions are my own.

On the heels of her unexpectedly canceled wedding, Laurie returns to her small hometown in Maine to recover from the disappointment and to handle the estate of her great-aunt. At the bottom of a storage chest, Laurie finds a hand-carved decoy duck and a love letter to her never-been-married aunt. These mysterious items cause a great deal of curiosity and send Laurie on a hunt to uncover the secrets in her aunt’s life. In the process, she reconnects with her old high school friend/boyfriend and begins to reevaluate her decisions about marriage and children.

My Thoughts:

Flipping the Trope: In the romance genre, we often encounter a “second chances” trope. A single woman (recently jilted) meets a high school boyfriend who is now a handsome, divorced librarian, We think this might go the direction of a tried and true second chance trope. However, Laurie has decided she doesn’t really want to commit to marriage again and also doesn’t want children. Yet, she really likes this guy! Should she rethink her life decisions? Is a complete breakup or a friendship her only two options here?

Interesting Theme: For me, the missing duck storyline didn’t hold my interest, but the theme of “how much independence can you expect or ask for in a committed relationship” certainly did. I’m sure that certain readers might appreciate this thoughtful and serious question and maybe share Laurie’s thoughts.

Will Laurie get her HEA on her terms? Will she “fly solo”?

Readers who might appreciate Flying Solo include fans of women’s fiction who like a spin on a standard trope, readers who enjoyed Evvie Drake Starts Over, and those looking for a light beach read.

My Rating:  3 Stars

Flying Solo Information Here

Meet the Author, Linda Holmes

Linda Holmes is a podcast host, writer, radio maker, interviewer, Twitter liker, Twitter fearer, former lawyer, one-time college a cappella singer, occasional bread baker, photography dabbler, and very lucky weirdo (her own word).

She’s a correspondent at NPR and the host of Pop Culture Happy Hour, their roundtable culture and entertainment podcast. She’s worked with most of the radio shows they have in some capacity: She’s talked about pop culture on All Things Considered, Morning Edition, and Weekend Edition. She once spent a week writing for Wait Wait, Don’t Tell Me, took a turn guest-hosting Jesse Thorn’s wonderful interview show Bullseye, and did a terrible job answering questions about music on a bonus episode of Ask Me Another. She does local live radio whenever she gets the chance.

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QOTD:

Is Flying Solo on your TBR or have you read it?

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