Guest review by: Becki Bayley
“This is the first time I’ve been in a police car,” I say to Hollis beside me. As a former child star, any misstep automatically becomes tabloid fodder—just ask Justin LaRue, who played Penelope’s little brother on the show but is now best known for his appearances on “15 Celeb Mugshots That Could Double as Headshots” internet listicles—so it’s always been an easy decision for me to stay on the straight and narrow. And, again, being an almost-famous, small, redheaded bag of milk, no one’s exactly champing at the bit to find reasons to arrest me.
“Congratulations.” Hollis folds his arms across his chest.
Millicent and Hollis find themselves on a reluctant adventure to Florida when an airline snafu leaves them stranded. While they’ve met a couple times in passing, what they mostly have in common is a disdain for Millicent’s ex-boyfriend.
Official synopsis:
She just didn’t expect to have a living travel companion.
After a computer glitch grounds flights, Millie is forced to catch a ride with Hollis Hollenbeck, an also-stranded acquaintance from her ex’s MFA program. Hollis certainly does not believe in happily-ever-afters—symbolic or otherwise—and makes it quite clear that he can’t fathom Millie’s plan ending well for anyone.
But as they contend with peculiar bed-and-breakfasts, unusual small-town festivals, and deer with a death wish, Millie begins to suspect that her reluctant travel partner might enjoy her company more than he lets on. Because for someone who supposedly doesn’t share her views on romance, Hollis sure is becoming invested in the success of their journey. And the closer they get to their destination, the more Millie has to admit that maybe this trip isn’t just about Mrs. Nash’s love story after all—maybe it’s also about her own.
The story is told mostly through the adventure that Millie and Hollis find themselves on, but a few chapters of the love story between Rose (McIntyre) Nash and Elsie Brown are interspersed as they were told to Millie by Rose. Millie knows that Rose thought their love story was over once she was informed of Elsie’s death decades earlier. But now Millie has learned otherwise and is determined to reunite at least some of Rose with Elsie after all this time.
The charm of the characters and the relationships between them was addictive. Getting a glimpse into the love of Rose and Elsie, and the unexpected sweetness between Rose and her husband after she and Elsie were separated was a beautiful highlight as Milile and Hollis got to know each other.
While there was so much more that could be told—about Millie’s close friendship with her cousin, the original journey Hollis was on, and what will happen if they pass back through Gadsley to return their borrowed car—this book stood alone fabulously as a 5-star read. It was a fun contemporary fiction and romance, with great historical and LGBTQ aspects as well. Parts of it even brought family drama into the plot. This would be an easy book to recommend if any of those storylines appeal to the reader.
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Becki Bayley is a wife and mom whose favorite seasons are summer and fall. Check out what she’s reading and pictures of her flower garden on Instagram where she posts as PoshBecki.
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Mrs. Nash's Ashes, by Sarah Adler
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