Time Flies

April 15, 2013

Cook (Must Love Dogs) returns (after Wallflower in Bloom) with a funny, bittersweet new novel. Melanie is a metal artist in Atlanta struggling to get her sculptures acknowledged. One of her pieces has just been accepted into a juried art show and sold to a local chef. Melanie, who has recently separated from her husband, Kurt, is also dealing with her new life as a single, middle-aged woman. A potential beau seems to be in a similar place in life, but she's not sure where she stands with him. Meanwhile, her best friend, BJ, pesters her to return to Massachusetts for their high school reunion. Despite the crippling phobia of highways she has recently developed, Melanie is finally convinced to go when an old high school flame starts sending her flirty emails. Melanie's road trip with BJ to the reunion forces her to acknowledge her fear, come to terms with her past, and find a direction for her future. VERDICT Fans of Elizabeth Buchan and Mary Kay Andrews will enjoy Cook's strong characters and the sense of humor that infuses her latest heartwarming novel.--Kristen Stewart, Pearland Lib., Brazoria Cty. Lib. System, TX

Copyright 2013 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 1, 2013
Time Flies is a spunky, lighthearted road trip down memory lane as two best friends reunite for their high-school reunion and challenge their fears. Years ago, Melanie left her friends and native New England to follow her husband to Atlanta, uprooting their two young sons. Now at midlife, she's a recently separated, self-employed metal sculptor with a fear of highways, sawing her marriage bed into disposable chunks and bending the springs into art. When her best friend urges her to return home for their class reunion, Melanie's driving phobia kicks in, and she begs off. But it's hard to resist when an old crush she can barely remember lures her with his flirtatious e-mails. So she takes the plunge. What follows is a lot of reminiscing to the soundtrack of the good old days when the BFs finally meet up for their driving adventure. The banter is a lot of fun, and the characters' realization of what is important is certain to make readers yearn for reconnections of their own. Another delightful beach read from the author of Wallflower in Bloom (2012).(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)