5*
In a genre that sometimes seems overpopulated with teens to 20-somethings, it’s so refreshing to have a romance with main characters in their late 30s who have the maturity to know what they want, even as their baggage tries to weigh them down. Marissa is a famous actor who has become irrelevant after making the choice to sideline her career to raise her children, one of whom has autism. In order to escape the tabloid frenzy after her unfaithful ex-husband gets engaged just six months post-divorce, she decides to take the kids to the Poconos lake home she’s inherited from her grandmother, a place with positive memories and, as it turns out, handsome contractor Jesse who has had quite the glow-up from when they knew each other as pre-teens. Marissa has been used to putting the needs of everyone before her own, so Jesse is a breath of fresh air who supports her and encourages her to fight for what she wants, both personally and professionally.
Although this steamy romance satisfies in that regard, there’s much more depth to this story of childhood friends to lovers. Hameroff, an autism mom herself, does a wonderful job of portraying the challenges Marissa faces raising her neurodivergent child Levi while also demonstrating how capable, loving, and healthy he is. There’s even a particular bit of dialogue that highlights how misinformed people can be about children on the spectrum. In a nod to Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine Productions and Book Club, Marissa fights to feature female authors’ novels and to give women in the notoriously misogynistic film industry the opportunity to shine. Between this focus and the willingness to make sacrifices to make Jesse’s and her relationship work, she rewrites the stars by forging her own path. Highly recommended.
I received a complimentary ARC of this book from St. Martin’s Griffin through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.
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