Never Too Soon

September 1, 2019

When Anaya Goode's mother passed away, she became the de facto matriarch, the rock that all her friends and family depended upon, by doling out financial advice and managing all her family's squabbles. Her sister Ava treats Anaya like an ATM, constantly borrowing money to support herself, her husband, and their three children. Anaya's friend Sophie is convinced each new man she finds online to date is the man she will marry. Anaya is in charge of her other friend Catie's baby shower, but first she needs to arrange a 60th birthday party for her father. A huge redevelopment project just landed in her lap, and as the director of housing and community development for Alameda County, Anaya finds her time further stretched by working day and night to meet deadlines. That doesn't leave much time for her sweet, steady boyfriend, Carl, especially when her ex-boyfriend Jeff ends up working those late hours with her. VERDICT The second title in Christy's "Anaya's World" series (after Anytime Soon) has a solid, relatable, character-driven story of the emotional dynamics within family and friends.--Joy Gunn, Paseo Verde Lib., Henderson, NV

Copyright 2019 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

An ambitious young woman juggles career success, family, relationships, and friendship in the second installment of the Anaya's World series. Anaya Goode has a good job, a loving boyfriend, and a supportive family in sunny Oakland, California. She's ambitious and working to find additional success as the director of Housing and Community Services for Alameda County. Her team has been tasked with reopening the naval base, which, for Anaya, comes with its own set of personal challenges involving a returning ex-boyfriend and a possibly corrupt colleague. Meanwhile, she tries to balance her work and her personal life as she lives in a crowded house with her father; her Bible-quoting sister Ava, who's pregnant and jobless again; Ava's husband, Joe; and their three children. Anaya is simply trying to hold the family together: "If work weren't enough to drive Anaya mad, she had become the cornerstone of her family since her mom died six years ago--giving financial advice, resolving conflicts (except for the one between her and her sister Ava)." Meanwhile, Anaya supports her close friends Catie and Sophie as they navigate their own obstacles in life. Christy's novel features a likable, diverse cast of young women, and readers are constantly treated to something unexpected as they attend a baby shower, a work gala, and birthday parties over the course of the narrative. The intriguing story gets more complicated after Jeff, Anaya's aforementioned old flame, becomes a key team member for the reopening of the naval base. Throughout, Anaya's struggles with career and family provide plenty of drama. Christy's prose is consistently approachable and never heavy, even when the subject matter is. Readers who appreciate light fiction with an affable, witty, and determined female protagonist will appreciate this book. A feel-good novel that ably tackles big dramas.

COPYRIGHT(2020) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. (Online Review)