Love Your Life

Starred review from September 14, 2020
A spellbinding romance comes to a crashing halt in the sparkling latest from Kinsella (Confessions of a Shopaholic). Ava, an aspiring author and hopeless romantic, arrives in Italy for a weeklong writer’s retreat where, to facilitate productivity and limit small talk, everyone is required to remain anonymous. From the moment she meets “Dutch,” a gorgeous stranger staying at the same monastery, she feels her “life fallen stunningly into place.” They embark on a whirlwind romance and, on their last day in Italy, vow to make their relationship work back home in the U.K. no matter what reality brings. But as soon as they return to London, their magical bubble is burst. Dutch is not the carefree carpenter Ava imagined him to be, but Matt Warwick, COO of a successful dollhouse company. While chaotic Ava enjoys “rescuing” abandoned furniture and books, measured Matt can’t abide clutter. For her part, Ava can’t stand Matt’s horrific art collection and shivers all night in his freezing bedroom. Worst of all, Matt is not a fan of Ava’s beloved but badly behaved beagle, Harold. In the face of these unexpected differences, can they really find a way to keep their promise? Kinsella’s clever romance about the nature of compromise alternates laugh-out-loud humor with moments that will tug at readers’ heartstrings. This rollicking rom-com is a hit. Agent: Kim Witherspoon, InkWell Management.

October 1, 2020
An aspiring writer meets her dream man at a retreat in Italy...but when they're back in London, real life gets in the way. Ava is a copywriter for a pharmaceutical company in London, but she dreams of writing a book. So when she gets the chance to go to a writing retreat at a remote monastery in Italy, she jumps on it. At the retreat, real names and personal conversations aren't allowed--instead, everyone wears linen kurta pajamas and goes by made-up names. Ava decides to go by Aria, and she quickly meets Dutch, who joins their group after his martial arts retreat is cancelled. Ava falls for him almost instantly, and the two spend their days cliff-jumping, eating ice cream, and writing thinly veiled sex scenes to share with the class. One thing they definitely don't do? Talk about their real names, jobs, or living situations. Ava might not know Dutch's name, but she knows they'll stay together even when they head back to London. But it turns out that getting to know Dutch--or Matt--in real life is a bit trickier. Ava hates his industrial flat filled with creepy artwork, and Matt can't stand her run-down place filled with "rescue books" and upcycled furniture that tends to break. Ava's dog keeps destroying Matt's shirts, and Matt isn't a vegetarian. Perhaps most importantly, Matt is tied to a family job that makes him miserable, and his parents don't care much for Ava. Can their relationship survive the real world, or are they doomed by their differences? Ava is a charming main character whose relentless positivity is often misplaced but usually quite funny. Her efforts to fit into Matt's life, no matter where it leads her (sometimes into such awkward situations as a naked sauna with his extended family), are hilarious, but it's more rewarding to watch her as she learns to take charge of her own life. As usual, Kinsella has created a lovely cast of quirky supporting characters--Ava and Matt's friends might even be more fun to read about than the romance. A sweet, mishap-filled look at what it takes to create lasting love between two people with separate lives.

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October 15, 2020
Thirtysomething Londoner Ava is delighted to be going on a writers' retreat in Italy to work on her long-gestating romance novel, but she's even more excited when a handsome guy walks into the group after his own martial arts retreat gets cut short. Though they're not allowed to share any personal details, even their real names, Ava and the gorgeous guy have a passionate tryst. Once the retreat wraps up, Ava is thrilled when she learns that her guy, whose name is Matt, is not only from London, but he is also just as smitten with Ava as she is with him. But when they get back home, they discover their lives are very different. Flighty Ava freelances for a pharmaceutical company while she half-pursues her various passions, which range from writing to aromatherapy. Serious Matt works for his family's doll empire despite the fact that the job brings him no joy. Popular novelist Kinsella (I Owe You One, 2019) brings her trademark warmth and humor to this delectable romcom about opposites attracting which will please both general fiction and romance readers.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)