A Thirty-Something Girl

The opening of Gott’s debut reads like a well-written letter from a forlorn friend. By the time her 30th birthday arrives, Hope Jackson’s life has crumbled into ruins because of a miscarriage, a failed marriage, and a continuing list of setbacks. Her sadness overflows as she describes her troubles to her three closest friends, who offer her their love and support. One of them, Clara, provides Hope with generous financial help and the opportunity to stay in her family’s gorgeous beach house, where she can begin to recover her emotional equilibrium. The story then takes an abrupt turn, becoming a romance and introducing multiple elements that threaten the reader’s suspension of disbelief, such as the fact that Hope’s love interest, Sam, is perfectly handsome and perfectly flawless, as well as the fact that Hope’s random guess of Sam’s name turns out to be accurate. Even when fate deals Hope one final harsh blow, it’s something that’s simultaneously beneficial to her, and her life becomes absolutely ideal. These improbable plot twists are off-putting in light of the fair amount of talent Gott displays and a voice that sounds real, such as when Hope wishes “he would hurry up and hate me, so I can get on with my life.” Romance devotees may find much to enjoy in this novel, but it might help if they’re fans of fantasy, as well. (BookLife)