Before I’m Gone

Bestseller McLaughlin (The Lobster Trap) tugs on readers’ heartstrings with this sick lit romance about the importance of seizing the moment. When San Francisco loan officer Palmer Sinclair, who grew up in an orphanage and has always relied on no one but herself, learns that she has a brain tumor and is given “six months to a year” left to live, she knows that, for the first time, she’ll need someone to lean on. Enter strapping EMT Kent Wagner, whose longtime crush on Palmer has made him a repeat customer at her bank. He offers to help her through her illness—and to join her in completing the adventurous bucket list she’s drawn up, which includes “meet Lana Del Rey,” “watch the sunrise in Cape Cod,” “hug an elephant,” and “find my family.” Palmer agrees to Kent’s help only if he’ll add his own goals to the list, expanding their mission to include seeing the northern lights and the Grand Canyon. But for Kent, the most important goal is to “make Palmer smile.” The story gets off to a slow start, but as this well-matched duo venture out across the country, they discover a genuine connection that will draw readers in. Palmer’s ability to find the beauty of life in the face of death makes her an admirable heroine. Readers should have tissues at the ready. Agent: Marisa Corvisiero, Corvisiero Literary. (Nov.)