Publishers Weekly
03/04/2024
Dugan (Melt with You) underwhelms in this immature sapphic rom-com, with a cast of 20-somethings who behave like mean girl tweens. Narrator Molly McDaniel, 24, works as a barista, lives with her mom, and has put her dreams of becoming a wedding planner on hold because dreaming won’t cover her student loan payments. Mom is a soul-sucking helicopter parent who feuded with her own sister literally until the woman’s death—whereupon Molly inherits her aunt’s horse farm. The business is spiraling, but a nucleus of horse boarders remain, led by resident farrier Shani Thomas. Molly sees selling the property as a way to make quick cash; Shani, who Molly’s aunt fostered from childhood while Shani’s parents were on the road, is enraged by the prospective sale. She’s also gorgeous, which renders Molly equal parts lusty and whiny. Suspension of disbelief in the service of good tropes is no crime, and for a while the enemies-to-lovers structure carries the tale, but readers will grow frustrated as incongruities and dropped plot arcs accumulate. Meanwhile, the solution to both women’s problems feels glaringly obvious, but it takes them far longer than it takes the reader to figure things out. Shani and Molly inevitably get their happily ever after, but readers will wonder whether they deserve it. Agent: Sara Crowe, Sara Crowe Literary. (May)
From the Publisher
[I]t’s a delight to see [Dugan] shifting to adult rom-coms and writing the most hilarious disaster bisexuals you’ll ever meet.” — Dahlia Adler, Buzzfeed Books
“The endearing dynamic between James, Cara, and Lizzie as they brave fear of intimacy in both friendship and love carries the story. There’s plenty to enjoy here.” — Publishers Weekly on Love at First Set
“A clever rom-com.” — Kirkus Reviews on Love at First Set
"A strong mix of humor and emotional depth; book clubs will likely find a lot to discuss.” — Library Journal on Love at First Set
“Earnest, wistful, romantic, and real...captures butterflies-in-your-stomach, most-important-thing-ever first love and still finds room to explore the messiness of coming out and coming of age queer.” — Casey McQuiston, New York Times bestselling author, on Some Girls Do
Library Journal
06/07/2024
An unexpected inheritance is the catalyst for romance in this contemporary novel. Molly and her mother have been estranged from Molly's aunt for years, so Molly is surprised to inherit Aunt Christina's horse barn business. Molly plans to sell the property to pay off her student loans and realize her dream of owning an event-planning business, even if that means dissolving an inclusive community space and evicting Shani, the cute farrier who cared for Aunt Christina at the end of her life. Readers should expect a very slow start. The first chapters are heavy on exposition, and both Molly and Shani spend a long time staring longingly while starting arguments. Complicated relationships with friends, family, and money add dimension to a fairly predictable main plot. VERDICT Recommended for collections where Dugan's Love at First Set or Helena Greer's Season of Love have fans.—Katelyn Browne