From the publisher:
In this spectacularly enjoyable and serendipitous adventure, a chance romantic encounter during a wild night at a Mardi Gras bachelorette party sends strait-laced Serena Khan’s carefully constructed life into chaos.
A wretched maid of honor. A hangover from hell. Raucous Mardi Gras crowds. There isn’t much Serena Khan is enjoying about this four-day New Orleans destination bachelorette party for her semi-estranged cousin, the bride-to-be.
UNTIL sparks fly with a handsome stranger, who—like her—is also from Seattle, at the ladies’ last stop of the evening, a Bourbon Street bar. After their conversation is cut short, Serena is overwhelmed by the desire to find the charming man with the brooding eyebrows, but her list of clues is pretty short:
His name is Julian
He lives on Chamber Hill
He works at a tech company
He loves Lil Wayne and Nirvana
The need to find him is, for Serena, both irresistible and totally irrational. In a few short weeks, her college alumni magazine is featuring her in a “Life at Thirty” feature, cementing her as a success story. She will have officially achieved the safe, stable life her late mother insisted upon. Julian is not part of the plan.
As she combs Seattle for her New Orleans flame, stripping away the perfectly curated life that would have made her mother proud, Serena must decide if the pursuit of real passion is worth it, and fast, before she destroys the life she always thought she wanted.
In a sharply funny, thoughtful, and romantic debut combining the wistfulness of Rebecca Serle with the witty sizzle of Emily Henry, Neely Tubati Alexander prompts us all to ask if the life we’re living is a life worth loving.
“[An] outstanding debut . . .. Readers will be swept away . . . Alexander’s inclusive representation of diverse backgrounds and sexual identities in lovingly crafted characters with rich and unique personalities is truly impressive. Readers will hope for more from this exciting new romance writer.” — Booklist (Starred Review)
“A charming debut. . . . Endearing side characters that readers won’t get enough of round out this moving tale of embracing life’s imperfections. Tubati-Alexander will win plenty of fans with this.” — Publishers Weekly
“Growth, change, and a little bit of luck are at the center of Alexander’s romantic debut. . . . well-written. . . . emotionally satisfying . . . . Will appeal to romance readers who like their books with a hefty dose of personal growth and women’s fiction aficionados seeking a happily-ever-after.” — Library Journal
https://amzn.to/3OBziO4
I love finding new authors and this debut has put Neely Tubati-Alexander firmly onto my “must read” list! Do you believe in love at first sight? Maybe reading this book will convince you. Serena is our heroine and the book opens during Mardi Gras in New Orleans. Serena is there as a bridesmaid for her cousin (and former best friend’s) bachelorette weekend. Coral, the bride to be, and Serena grew up together and their mothers were best friends as well as sisters. But when Serena loses her mother, she doesn’t feel supported by Coral or her mother, and they become estranged. But Coral invites Serena to be a bridesmaid, and that opens the door for the women to work their way back to one another.
But that is just part of the story here. The other part is the romance – their last night in New Orleans, Serena meets a man at a bar. In a surprise coincidence, Julian is from Seattle, not too far from where Serena lives. There is a really strong attraction there, but then Julian’s friend is being escorted out of the bar by security, and Julian has to go with him. They never got to exchange phone numbers or even last names, and Serena can’t stop thinking about him.
Growing up with a single mother made Serena frugal and practical. She got her degree in accounting and has a good job with a top-tier accounting firm. But after meeting Julian, she feels unsettled and decides to try and find her happiness. And Julian.
Without much to go on other than the neighborhood he lives in, Serena starts exploring that part of Seattle. She ends up in a new job and finds a new cafe to get her coffee fix – and there she finally runs into Julian, or so she thinks. He is with a beautiful blond, and Serena is pissed. He told her he had never been in love, but he sure looked like he was. She storms out and refuses to hear what he has to say.
This book reminded me of a Nora-Ephron-type romcom. The couple meet very briefly, then spend most of the book apart, only to find one another towards the end. Yes, there is a happy ending of the best kind. Don’t miss this amazing debut novel full of charm, pathos, & lots of laughs!
Bonus: This is a fun interview – the author interviews her main character!
Authors Interview Characters: Neely Tubati Alexander interviewing Serena Khan
5/2023 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch
LOVE BUZZ by Neely Tubati-Alexander. Harper Perennial (May 2, 2023). ISBN: 978-0063292918. 304p.
Stacy Alesi's BookBitch.com™ 