By: Alli Frank & Asha Youmans
HIGHLY RECOMMEND
TLDR: Nina Morgan Clarke is a first-gen Jamaican-American, PhD, new Head of private school, divorcee, mom to a strong-willed teen, and all around bad-ass. Her mid-life surprise isn’t necessarily surprising, but what I love about this novel is that it’s about so much more than Nina’s romantic life. She’s dynamic, she’s a force to be reckoned with, and you’ll want to be part of her inner circle too.
The Longer Review: Nina has kicked ass over the last couple of years to achieve her goals and create the life she wants to live. Want the dream leadership role? Get a PhD. CHECK. Want to appease the ex and the teenager? Send her to the prestigious boarding school across the country. CHECK. Make sure your dad is okay following the loss of your mom. CHECK.
When a brief celebratory girls trip leads her to meet Leo, life takes an interesting turn for Nina. Like the boss she is, she tackles everything with poise and grace – but you can only avoid processing the emotions of everything for so long. This new romantic relationship poses challenges for Nina that force her to re-frame her own perspectives and make room for things she hadn’t previously considered. But what was the most fun about this novel was that new love didn’t equal entirely new life. It was so inspiring and empowering to get to see Nina tackle her career and the challenges at work head-on while still juggling the challenges in her romantic and personal lives. A reminder to us all that while sometimes the world may expect us to be everything to everyone – we get to choose the things that matter to us at the end of it all.
This novel made me laugh out loud many times. Marisol and Roan, two of Nina’s friends, are also very dynamic characters and will make you want to join in on the regular salon dates. Fitzroy – Nina’s dad – is a parent to us all. Xandra – Nina’s daughter – is every bit the frustrating teenager and yet the daughter that we’d all be proud to have. Kudos to the authors for creating such relatable, and meaningful characters.
