THE LAST FIRST KISS

High school sweethearts reconnect six decades later in Bennett’s contemporary romance.

Ace Sinclair and J’nelle Reade, both in their 70s, dated in high school but haven’t seen each other in years. They’ve bothlost their spouses; his wife died some years ago, and her husband went missing in Alaska. After a long email exchange, J’nelle flies in from New York City to visit Ace at his beach house in North Carolina's Outer Banks. As they catch up, J’nelle confesses that she secretly had an affair with a married teacher while they were dating in high school. He forgives her, however, and soon they’re sharing stories about their children and spouses. J’nelle confesses that she got back in touch with him because she wants to “Search for the truth. About us, about each other, about ourselves.” She urges Ace to join her in her quest, and he reluctantly agrees. Over the next few days, they visit the beach, go out to dinner, and talk about the past and present. They discuss religion, Ace’s service in Vietnam, and parts of their pasts that they aren’t proud of; meanwhile, a hurricane bears down on North Carolina. Things soon turn romantic, and as the storm gets closer, they have to decide if they’ll head to their homes in safer places or ride out the storm together. Most of Bennett’s novel consists of Ace and J’nelle’s dialogue as they explore their pasts, and as such, it reads a bit like a play, with lovely and expressive exchanges throughout. The book explores a number of intriguing themes, such as aging, how to move on from trauma, how to pursue love late in life, and whether it’s better to forget the past or use it to make change in the future. As each character faces their own mortality—both are expecting the results of medical tests that could be devastating, and the hurricane picks up speed and intensity as it approaches—they try to come to terms with the events of their lives. Overall, it makes for a nice, contemplative read.

A quiet, conversational late-in-life love story.