This Is How It Ends

MacMahon takes an oft told tale and makes it fresh in her tender debut novel of love in a time of personal and social upheaval. During the first rumblings of the financial collapse and the 2008 U.S. presidential elections, former Lehman Brothers employee Bruno boards a plane bound for Ireland in order to discover his roots, and hopefully himself. But it's what he doesn't expect to find that changes his life. On a beach in Dublin, Addie contemplates the departure of her former flame, the loss of her job as an architect, and her newfound responsibilities as her ailing father's caretaker, settling on her spaniel, dad, and sister as the only things worth living for. But fate brings Bruno and Addie together%E2%80%94just in time to salve each other's wounds, and test their love in the midst of a new tragedy. The running backstory of the recession and political squabbling is distracting and unnecessary, but MacMahon's portrayal of Bruno and Addie's relationship, along with a charming supporting cast, make this a believable and warm tale. (Aug.)