Love, Lists, and Fancy Ships

Ruiz debuts with a touching, hilarious rom-com that finds Florida yacht steward Jo Walker striving to cross 30 items off her bucket list by her 30th birthday. Unfortunately, a family tragedy throws Jo off track, and the list gets put on the back burner. Now she has just three months left to complete her bucket list. She books a trip to Europe to knock off two items—visit 10 countries and sleep in a castle—but this plan is derailed when her two nieces unexpectedly arrive to spend the summer with her. When the girls discover the bucket list, they launch a scheme to help Jo complete it in time. Meanwhile, task number five—kiss a stranger—leads Jo to meet Alex Hayes, who doesn’t stay a stranger for long. But Jo’s failure to confront difficult emotions causes problems in all her relationships, and she must address her past before she can construct a meaningful future. Ruiz presents a layered story by merging the heartbreak of Jo and her family’s loss with the sheer joy of chasing down items on the impossible bucket list. The sunny setting; chaste, endearing romance; and heartwarming themes of familial devotion will leave readers hungry for more from Ruiz. Agent: Wendy Sherman, Wendy Sherman Assoc. (Nov.)