WHEN KATIE MET CASSIDY

How do you find yourself again after a devastating breakup? It might involve redefining what love looks like to you.

For Katie Daniels, who was just dumped by her art curator fiance, the steps toward recovery begin with days of binge drinking followed by a dose of reality: She has no choice but to leave her apartment for a big closing at Falcon Capital. As a tall, blonde, 20-something lawyer, she’s used to being treated a certain way in the typically male-dominated boardroom—which might be a nice ego boost given her new single status. Katie is totally thrown for a loop when “he of the trim suit and shiny dark hair” is introduced as Cassidy Price—a she. Her reaction blossoms from surprise, to intrigue, to possible attraction. And the feeling is mutual. Told from both Katie's and Cassidy’s points of view, the book shows how the two protagonists deal with a connection that is entirely new to them, and for very different reasons. Perri’s (The Assistants, 2016) second novel is similar to her first in being a combination of fun and fulfilling, but the content this time is softer and runs deeper. Expect some typical rom-com tropes, like the opposites-attract scenario of commitment-prone romantic meets commitment-phobe realist. Not to mention Cassidy’s apartment and wardrobe, which are worthy of Christian Grey himself. But Cassidy’s emotional depth is revealed early on, as she patiently waits for Katie to reconcile the woman she was with the new woman she’s becoming. Katie’s admission that “the rest is me trying to understand” her initial feelings toward Cassidy is a small taste of the honest conversations about female identity and sexuality included throughout. The cast of supporting characters and the rambunctious Greenwich Village bar scene are added bonuses.

A romance with a big heart and refreshing perspective.