50 Ways to Win Back Your Lover, a second chance, small town romcom, by Kelly Siskind, has introduced me to a new favorite author! What a well written, engaging book with witty banter, lovable characters, and a cozy, but gossipy, small town. Hooked! Not only were the main characters well developed, but even the incidental ones are memorable. I'm someone who gets overwhelmed with too much information thrown at me too quickly, and have a hard time remembering who's who, but no problem with this one, and that's due to good writing, not my suddenly improved memory!
The book is written from the male lead's POV. E, or Edgar, is a softie with a determination to win back the love of his high school sweetheart, Delilah Moon, after he and his family suddenly disappeared overnight 10 years earlier. A decade apart with no communication (it's complicated, as E would say) seems like an insurmountable hurdle to leap, but it's made even worse by the fact that E can't tell anyone WHY he and his entire family deserted their small town and all their friends. It's not just Delilah Moon he needs to make peace with, it's the whole town, and he's the only one in the family making an effort. Poor E has a lot on his shoulders. But, he's determined, even though he is working through his own pain, regret, anger, and ongoing family problems.
E makes a reference to Windfall, the small town, being like Stars Hollow in the Gilmore Girls, and with that the whole town seemed more relatable. It made me appreciate even more how the townspeople rallied around Delilah in a protective circle when E dared to show his face there again.
I love the scenes in Delilah's bakery, the precious dog E adopts, the banter, and the passion between E and Delilah, but it's not all sweetness and light. There's a lot of hurt on both sides to deal with, as well as mental health, angst, fear of the future, and so on.
I can hardly wait to read more in this series, but even though this is the first book, it's a standalone. I'll be very interested in the other brothers' stories, but especially Desmond's. I'm excited to follow the journeys of the Bower brothers!
Thanks to NetGalley, Kelly Siskind, and Montlake for providing this ARC for me to review.
