Kate Clayborn

Aiden is still angry and grieving his twin brother Aaron's death; Zoe is one of the lawyers who represented the drug company in his settlement. But Zoe quits the law firm and goes on a sort of apology tour; she means to visit Aiden's parents, but finds him instead. And what Aiden needs is a fake fiancee, to help him win the chance to buy the campsite he and Aaron attended as kids (he thinks that the camp's current owners will look more favorably on families rather than individuals). Zoe agrees to the fake relationship, and even helps Aiden with his proposal to turn the camp into a rehabilitation and wellness site for recovering addicts, like Aaron. But as the two get to know each other, and challenge each other, they realize that they both need to make some changes to their plans. Of course, they end up falling for each other, and of course, their ruse is discovered, but they find their way back to one another.

Quotes

"We need to tell a story. That's what all good arguments are, really. Stories." (Zoe, ch. 6)

It's just time, I guess - [it] keeps moving forward, no matter how you try to stay perfectly still in your anger. (Aiden, ch. 8)

"How much work you do on something has nothing to do with whether it's the right idea." (Zoe, ch. 10)

It's scary, the way Aiden and I know each other, when we've spent all this time trying not to. (ch. 13)

"For helping me see that sometimes you start something for a selfish reason, but you can continue it - you can finish it for another kind of reason. A good, kind, unselfish reason." (ch. 20)… (meer)

Ten years ago Jess and Teagan's mother left. At the time Jess was 21 and Teagan was 8. This was a familiar situation for Jess, but Teagen had not before felt the sting of her mother's abandonment. Jess steps up to give Teagan the love and stability missing from her own childhood, maybe even to a smothering degree.

Now, Teagan is eighteen and desperately wants to know what happened with her mother. When Teagen uncovers some previously hidden information, instead of going to Jess - who shuts down the moment the word "mom" is uttered - she reaches out to the one person who could bring Jess's carefully curated life crashing down - popular podcaster Salem Durant.

Ten years ago Salem had a huge hit with her podcast on conman Lynton Baltimore. That is, until he skipped out on their last show. The catch: the person that Jess and Teagan's mother disappeared with was, in fact, Lynton Baltimore.

So, they head out on a tense road trip. Salem, to finish what she started with her podcast ten years ago; Teagan, to find the mother who left her; Jess to watch over Teagan; and Adam, Salem's producer who is hoping to use this to get his own podcast off the ground, but he's also oddly drawn to Jess Greene.

This book felt different than previous books I've read by Kate Claybourn. It felt a lot more somber and heavy. Not that her books haven't touched upon these types of topics before, but this one felt very weighted and I think it's because the past hurt and trauma caused by her mother leaving is still very present and haunts Jess.

The story is told in alternating perspectives between Jess and Adam. At first, I wondered why we weren't getting Teagen's POV, but now, I think it is because it would have almost been like having two of Jess's POVs. Even though they're different ages, I still think that the hurt of having a parent choose to leave is felt the same even though Jess is more closed off about it. Plus she had the extra responsibility of taking care of her much younger half-sister. Instead we get Adam, who is a counter-balance to Jess. He's also experienced loss and wants to use the platform a podcast can offer in order to talk about it and bring more awareness. Whereas Jess would close off, Adam is more open. I like where they end up meeting in the middle and how they both influence each other.

I don't know how sold I was on the insta-love scenario between Jess and Adam. It's been awhile since I've read a book where two characters are so instantly drawn to one another. Even though them acting on those feelings isn't also spontaneous, I still wish the realization that they each had feelings for one another was drawn out a little more. Of course, we are dealing with a road trip story that's on a strict timeline, I suppose I can be a little forgiving.

I did like the whole road-tripping, following the clues of the past aspect. When we go back and revisit the past or when we look upon the past with fresh, more knowing, eyes I always find a lot of value in stories like that.… (meer)

Yawn

Good bones, a few nice scenes, but mostly a bore. I’m not a big fan when books are all about a lightening strike of love and don’t really build up why / how people fall in love. I think the author did a slightly better job with the male friendship in the book than the romance but even that had a lot of unexplained leaps.

They also make a lot of references to the feud between the main characters but that’s hardly even a think except that the author tells you that it happened. It’s a blip.… (meer)