Said No One Ever

At the start of this effervescent rom-com from Eding (The Unplanned Life of Josie Hale), Ellie Reed has lost both her relationship and her Ohio medical transcription job. Chaffing under the harsh opinions of family members (especially her perfect older sister), Ellie decides to treat herself to an Airbnb in small-town Montana. But things don’t go as planned: her octogenarian hostess, Marilyn Perry, falls and shatters her kneecap immediately before Ellie hits town, leaving Ellie to deal with a menagerie of assorted animals (including two sheep, an ill-behaved dog, and a donkey); a weasely neighbor determined to buy Marilyn’s farm out from under her; and Marilyn’s hot but grumpy grandson, Warren Oliver. Convalescing Marilyn, meanwhile, is determined to track down the man she once planned to marry and enlists Ellie’s aid gaining access to helpful materials hidden throughout her house. Ellie finds purpose in this unexpected new life—and discovers potent chemistry with Warren—but her new normal is threatened when Marilyn’s uptight daughters return to town. Marilyn is a hoot, easily stealing every scene she’s in, while go-with-the-flow Ellie and rules-follower Warren make a lovely match. This is sunshine in book form. Agent: Katie Salvo, Metamorphosis Literary. (Apr.)