A review by momadvice
Penelope in Retrograde by Brooke Abrams

5.0

 

National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation meets When Harry Met Sally in this charming holiday family drama that was my favorite page-turner of the month. 

Penelope is a spicy romance writer who is newly divorced and returning home for the holidays. 

To her unwelcome surprise, the Rideshare app pairs her with her ex-husband at the airport, who happens to be returning home to settle his mother's estate. 

As luck would have it, the two end up trapped in this car for longer than expected, and that is when she discovers the family heirloom ring she once wore is tucked in a box in his bag, presumably to be given to someone else.

With her bookstore facing closure and family relationships hanging in the balance, Penny concocts a plan involving her dad's co-worker as her fake boyfriend, and shenanigans ensue.  

The family dysfunction was dysfunctional without being uncomfortable, and the characters were unforgettable, including a grandmother who stole the show with her illegal garden and a romantic lead who happens to be famous on Tiktok for tying Boy Scout knots. What more could a spicy romance writer want in a fake boyfriend? 

I have not laughed out loud in a book in a long time, and the witty banter and one-liners in this book were unbelievably delightful.

More importantly, this dove into some familial themes I haven't seen often, including what it would be like to lose a mother-in-law in a divorce when that relationship blossoms more than your marriage. 

This book was as good as your favorite holiday rom-com movie. Once again, a Kindle First selection hit it out of the park, and this ended up being one of my favorite books of the month.