The Plan

CHICK-LIT:  Amelia Frothingham lives a simple, sheltered life in her hometown of Creek Water, Missouri, running her jewelry shop. She is plagued by the anxiety that keeps her chained to her routines — a safety blanket of sorts. At the age of 34, her mother wants to see her married off, but she recently let her ex, Aiden, “get away” when she chose not to leave town with him. When her rock ‘n’ roll idol Huck Wiley comes to town, will a romance bud? Or will Amelia’s anxieties and quirks drive the man away? If a romance can occur, can Amelia free herself from her chains of past trauma?

The cast of small town Creek Water, Missouri is fun-filled, outrageous, and enjoyable. Amelia’s anxiety adds an endearing, relatable layer while providing the reader with a love-hate relationship with her zany family: can they really be that clueless? While Amelia’s attraction to Huck is palpable, the chemistry is not fully developed between the two. Huck runs too hot and cold for the reader to really cheer for the couple. While he has his kind, sweet moments, his hot and cold behavior goes to extremes that make those positive moments seem less organic and true. The true hero of the story is Amelia’s relationship with Maggie, Huck’s anxiety-ridden young daughter.  She is the glue that holds them together and her personality is adorable. This feel-good romance features a protagonist with oft-underrepresented anxiety, a bevy of fun characters, and a touching story of a child teaching the adults in her life how to prevail despite seemingly insurmountable obstacles.  

Shailyn Rogers