Flying Solo
Ratings16
Average rating4.1
NATIONAL BESTSELLER • A woman returns to her small Maine hometown, uncovering family secrets that take her on a journey of self-discovery and new love, in this warm and charming novel from the New York Times bestselling author of Evvie Drake Starts Over. “Moving and tender . . . A perfect book for anyone who feels a little separate from the flock.”—Rebecca Serle, New York Times bestselling author of One Italian Summer ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: NPR, PopSugar Smarting from her recently canceled wedding and about to turn forty, Laurie Sassalyn returns to her Maine hometown of Calcasset to handle the estate of her great-aunt Dot, a spirited adventurer who lived to be ninety-three. Alongside boxes of Polaroids and pottery, a mysterious wooden duck shows up at the bottom of a cedar chest. Laurie’s curiosity is piqued, especially after she finds a love letter to the never-married Dot that ends with the line “And anyway, if you’re ever desperate, there are always ducks, darling.” Laurie is told that the duck has no financial value. But after it disappears under suspicious circumstances, she feels compelled to figure out why anyone would steal a wooden duck—and why Dot kept it hidden away in the first place. Suddenly Laurie finds herself swept up in a righteous caper that has her negotiating with antiques dealers and con artists, going on after-hours dates at the local library, and reconnecting with her oldest friend and her first love. Desperate to uncover her great-aunt’s secrets, Laurie must reckon with her own past and her future—and ultimately embrace her own vision of flying solo. With a cast of unforgettable characters and a heroine you will root for from page one, Flying Solo is a wonderfully original story about growing up, coming home, and learning to make a life for yourself on your own terms.
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3.5 stars. Not as cohesive or charming as Holmes debut, [b:Evvie Drake Starts Over 40514431 Evvie Drake Starts Over Linda Holmes https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1538446504l/40514431.SY75.jpg 62869040] but still enjoyable. Much of the plot is devoted to the mystery of the duck decoy that Laurie finds among her great-aunt Dot's belongings, and the lighthearted caper that Laurie, her oldest friend June, and her high school boyfriend Nick engage in when they lose possession of the potentially valuable item and go to great lengths to retrieve it. Much fuss is made of the fact that the second-chance-at-love romance has a non-traditional ending Laurie and Nick live on separate coasts but maintain their relationship with monthly visits, and while it's good to acknowledge that wanting marriage and children is not a universal female desire, the concept is hammered home with such vehement frequency that it comes across as overly defensive. Points to the author for casually mentioning the Laurie is a size 18 but not making her weight an issue.
Not everyone will love this book as much as I did, but if I could give this six stars, I would. It's so well written, funny and touching, that I feel like it elevates the genre of romance novel, if genre even matters here. Personally, much like Evvie Drake came along when I was leaving a marriage and I still have pieces of that book with me, Flying Solo arrived after I had experienced loss, and I felt parts in my solar plexus. It is a charming book that made me laugh again and again, and deeply thoughtful in a really impressive way. If it is a romance it avoids cliches and tropes and I ended up somewhere I didn't expect, which was a total pleasure. I feel like Linda is only growing as a writer; this may be even better than her first book and I'm thankful she has a deal for another, I would basically follow her anywhere she chooses to go.
