Striking Gold

Amesta’s stirring debut proves there’s fulfillment to be found in imperfection and spontaneity. Voted “most likely to succeed” in high school, Mia Russo really believed the honorific was true. After she burns out while working on a political campaign in D.C., however, Mia’s perfectly planned life trajectory hits some bumps. She returns home to Placerville, Calif., to figure out what comes next. In the meantime, she takes a job at the local coffee shop—and crushes on the owner of the jewelry store next door. Former “bad boy” Ross Manasse immediately recognizes Mia as the academic superstar who tutored him in high school, and he’s hurt she doesn’t remember him. As they grow close in the present, old feelings mix with new. But with Mia treating Placerville as a temporary rest stop, can their relationship survive? Amesta makes answering this question deeply emotional as Ross shows Mia the joy of an unplanned life. Both protagonists undergo impressive growth over the course of the novel, helping each other to become better people. Readers are sure to fall in love with this perfectly matched pair. (Aug.)