Eighty Days to Elsewhere

Dyer (Finding Fraser) takes readers on an adventurous trip around the world with this high-concept rom-com. Romy Keene’s life revolves around the introvert paradise of her uncle’s New York City bookshop, so when Frank Venal takes over the building and threatens to evict them (saying “nobody in their right mind reads books anymore”), Romy will do anything to save the store. In a moment of rare boldness, she applies for a lucrative position with ExLibris, a travel firm that specializes in recreating famous journeys from literature. To land the job, Romy must successfully retrace the path of Phileas Fogg as a test-run for a client who hopes to mimic the Jules Verne character’s trip from Around the World in Eighty Days. To make this impossible task harder, she discovers that Frank’s “Evil Nephew,” Dominic Madison, is competing for the same position with ExLibris, leading to a neck-and-neck race around the world. But as their far-flung travels continually throw them together, Romy realizes there’s more to Dominic than meets the eye, and before she knows it, she’s falling for her rival. Like Romy’s journey, the plot sometimes wanders off course with an abundance of misadventures, but Dyer keeps readers engaged with scenic descriptions and a sweet, slow-burning love story. This is a delightful romp. Agent: Laura Bradford, Bradford Literary. (Aug.)