Now That You Mention It by Kristan Higgins
Harlequin:
12/26/17
eBook review copy; 416 pages
hardcover ISBN-13: 9781335903358
Now That You Mention It by Kristan Higgins is highly
recommended escapism with drama, reconnecting with family, facing
past and present issues, and a bit of romance.
Dr. Nora Stuart is practicing gastroenterology in Boston, but after
the incident (the Big Bad Event) that changed her, she feels like
she's just surviving. The spark with her boyfriend, Bobby, an ER
doctor, seems to be lacking. When she is hit by a van when leaving
the hospital and then sees Bobby flirting with another ER doctor
while she is lying there, dying, she knows it time to move on. She
needs to heal, both mentally and physically, from her accident. Nora
decides to go back to the place she couldn't wait to escape from:
Scupper Island, Maine.
Nora arrives on the ferry with Boomer, the dog of dogs, and her bags
and is met by her mother, Sharon. While healing physically from her
accident, Nora is hopeful she can finally make some kind of
emotional connection with her taciturn mother, Sharon, establish a
relationship with her teenage niece, Poe, hopefully reconcile with
her sister, Lily (after she gets out of jail for drug dealing), and,
maybe, finally find out what happened to her dad when he left them
all years ago. Nora originally left the island without looking back.
She was an over-weight, unpopular, but overachieving teen who won a
full scholarship to Tufts. The town resented her for this, feeling
that she stole it from the popular golden boy, Luke. Now there are
still some who resent her, some who don't recognize or remember her,
and a few who will give her a chance.
Now That You Mention It is one of those feel-good novels that
sometimes you just need to read for escapism. In this case, though,
it's not a simplistic, mindless novel. Higgins has it all - complex
relationships, a complicated family saga, light romance, humor, and
obstacles to overcome. Nora has a complex past and Higgins takes the
time to explore it all while current events are equally compelling. The
writing is excellent, the
characters finely drawn, the drama feels real, and the dialogue is
extremely well done. Higgins' creates a likeable, sympathetic
character in Nora and supporting characters. Readers will be
cheering her on and hoping she
finds answers and closure for everything.
While the ending ties up
all loose ends perfectly, it doesn't arrive without plenty of
laughter, struggles, memories, and questions. But, even when
tackling serious concerns, this is a novel with a positive, upbeat
feeling and an underlying lightness to it. There are several hilarious
scenes that you will remember. This would be an excellent
stress-reliving choice to read over the upcoming
holidays.
Disclosure:
My review copy was courtesy of Harlequin.
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