hollywood ending

Jack Branksome is a serious writer. His father writes literary fiction, and he is following in dad’s footsteps. So when Hollywood called, namely actor/producer Blair Kellermoon, he wasn’t interested. He doesn’t even own a television, and when she explained how she was starting a book club and wanted to feature his book, he didn’t pay attention enough to understand what she was asking of him.

Now it’s a couple of years later, and Blair’s celebrity book club is a big hit, and he’s struggling to write his second novel. His publicist got him an interview in The New Yorker, and he inadvertently said something disparaging about Blair and her book club, and later he feels bad about that. So he texts her to apologize. They start talking by text, and he ends up telling her that he is struggling to write at his home in Minnesota. She impulsively invites him out to L.A. to stay in her guest house.

He is uncertain, but he agrees to go. As soon as Jack gets to L.A., he feels like he made a mistake and decides to fly back the next day. But instead, he finds himself free to write like he hadn’t been back home. He decides to stay for a while.

Blair, meanwhile, is struggling herself. She is recently divorced, and her daughter has gone off to college, and she is struggling with living alone. She has struggled with panic attacks during difficult times in her life, and she feels them closing in on her again. She thinks that having Jack nearby might help her feel a little less alone. And she’s always admired Jack’s work. She had chosen his book for a reason, and she looks forward to reading another book from him. As a lifelong reader, she just loves books and hopes he can find what he needs to free up his writing.

They begin a quiet friendship, sharing dinner and some television shows in the evenings. Jack finds himself writing much more easily, and Blair feels better having someone else close. They solve a backyard mystery together. He helps Blair’s daughter surprise her mom for Thanksgiving, and she helps him get out of his head so he create. And when their friendship starts to develop into something more, they are surprised to find themselves happy together.

But when old family expectations and complicated feelings pop up, both Blair and Jack have to step back and figure out what it is that they want for their relationship, their careers, and their lives. But Hollywood loves a happy ending, and it’s easy to root for these two to figure it all out and get back together in the end.

Book Club Boyfriend is a gentle romance about all the mental and emotional baggage that keep us apart and the work we have to do to make room for others in our messy lives. These characters both carry a lot of pain from parents’ heavy expectations, and the ensuing anxiety is sometimes painful to read about. But these are important stories, and those of us who have dealt with challenging parental relationships, mental health challenges, and delayed creative pursuits can definitely relate to these characters.

I really enjoyed Book Club Boyfriend. I loved how the relationship started as enemies, then became friends, and finally lovers. These characters are honest and genuine but they also care very much for each other and take chances to find a connection. This story is a bit serious, but there are also crows who bring shiny trinkets, so there is balance. This isn’t a laugh-out-loud book, but it has a lot of heart and a lot of warmth, and I am certainly glad I picked it up and read it.

Egalleys for Book Club Boyfriend were provided by Forever through NetGalley, with many thanks, but the opinions are mine.