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3.87 AVERAGE
3.87 AVERAGE
emotional
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
~ ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion ~
This was such a fun read. I loved the family even through their arguments and Penelope trying to find her way. I loved the Thanksgiving flashbacks and the growth. Super cute.
This was such a fun read. I loved the family even through their arguments and Penelope trying to find her way. I loved the Thanksgiving flashbacks and the growth. Super cute.
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Romance writer Penelope Banks can write the perfect love story, but when it comes to family, all she’s got is a rough draft. Penny shelved the idea of fitting in with her high-achieving family years ago, but when her new business venture―a romance bookstore―is at risk of closing before its doors have opened, she’s forced to ask for help from the one place she never expected. Home. Penny’s prepared for the usual Thanksgiving lineup: her perfect sister, meddling nana, matchmaking mother, and workaholic father. The guest she didn’t anticipate? Her ex-husband, Smith. After an awkward rideshare with Smith leaves Penny questioning why the romance in her life exists only in her novels, Penny adds some fiction to reality and turns her father’s colleague into the perfect fake boyfriend.
With only four days to mend damaged relationships, and her bookstore’s future at stake, all the stars must align for Penny to finally write a happily ever after for herself and her family.
Thank you @netgalley and @aka.brooke.abrams for the ARC! This was a hilarious read full of heart and family drama. I love thanksgiving so the setting during thanksgiving was very enjoyable, and with Penelope spending the first holiday at home in quite some time, it also set the scene for some hilarious and dramatic family moments. The flashbacks to past thanksgivings helped set the drama as well. Penelope was a super relatable character, striving for perfection but always falling short of both her own dreams and her family’s wishes for her. She was earnest and was able to address her own shortcomings. I loved the reconciling that finically happened between everyone. And Nana’s character was hilarious. For as much as this book was felt with tender family moments, it was also laugh out loud funny. Quick and quirky read that I recommend! Penelope in Retrograde is available now!
challenging
emotional
funny
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
4.25 stars. This was a lovely novel about of young woman who decides to go home, to the family she hasn’t visited in a decade, for Thanksgiving. Penny was never the golden child, she didn’t meet her parents’ unrealistic expectations growing up; not like her twin, Phoebe. She was the daughter who married the guy they didn’t approve of, got divorced, and moved across the country. In her visit home, Penny is forced to face many of the demons of her past and must navigate her tumultuous relationship with her family, in order to self reflect and heal. This is a heartwarming story about family, forgiveness, love, and new beginnings. I enjoyed it tremendously.
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced