FINDING GENE KELLY

A New Englander dreams of opening a pastry shop in Paris, but life gets in the way in Jean’s debut romance.

Twenty-six-year-old Evie O’Shea flees to France from her home in Tallow, Massachusetts, in part because of her toxic relationship with her mom. Evie finds her hometown to be “a place where my overbearing, high-society Southern belle of a mother, Caroline, reminds me what a constant disappointment I am for, well, everything.” She also suffers from debilitating endometriosis, which forces her to make dramatic changes in her life. While in Paris, she contends with her anxieties over her brother’s upcoming wedding and her mother’s desire for her to have a suitable date. After a surprise visit from Liam Kelly, a childhood crush, her world turns upside down. They decide to go on a “fake date” to the wedding, but first, they decide to practice being a couple so they aren’t thrown by each other’s fake flirting, and a real romance begins to bloom. Liam and Evie’s banter is full of light wordplay, as when Evie makes tea: “Just letting off some steam, don’t mind me.” “Oh man, how long have you had that one brewing?” However, Evie’s endometriosis flares cause her self-esteem to plummet: “I had somehow wrapped my disease around my identity.” Eventually, though, Evie develops a profound awareness “that home isn’t exactly a place for me. It’s a person. It always has been.” Jean’s portrayal of the easy, relaxed relationship between the two longtime friends intermingles effectively with Evie’s frustrations. Jean also effectively relates the sexual tension between characters and shares the main characters’ thoughts and dreams with readers along the way. Jean’s knowledge of Paris, and a sprinkling of French phrases, gives the setting a feeling of authenticity.

A heartwarming novel of love triumphing over life’s struggles.