The layover

On her last trip before quitting her job, newly engaged Ava finds herself working with Jack, a former pilot turned flight attendant who is rumored to be a playboy. Although Ava loves being a flight attendant, there is no room in the life that she shares with her wealthy fiancé for a job that involves so much travel and such an inconsistent schedule. With the appearance of Jack, Ava, normally confident in her abilities, finds herself out of sorts on what she had hoped would be an enjoyable final shift. They initially trade barbs, but their hostility turns into something very different when they agree to play matchmakers for a couple of colleagues during a layover in Belize that is extended due to mechanical troubles. The unexpected extra time gives Ava and Jack, who selected their careers partially in response to their childhoods and experiences with family, the opportunity to think about their life choices, both personal and professional. Waldon's gift for vivid description and lively dialog makes for a poignant, often laugh-out-loud debut romance novel.

Waldon debuts with a breezy enemies-to-lovers romp with just enough heart to keep it grounded. After almost a decade as a flight attendant, Ava Greene relies on her fiancé, Alexander, to add some much-needed stability to her life. Having agreed to leave her job once they're married, Ava prepares for her final flight and the coveted 24-hour layover in Belize that's sure to make it memorable. But Ava's vision of a perfect last trip is ruined by the presence of playboy flight attendant Jack Stone, with whom Ava butts heads at every turn. Their squabbling is delightful--and when Ava decides to play matchmaker for two of her coworkers, she reluctantly enlists Jack's help. Over the course of the trip, Ava's reminded of how much she loves her job and realizes she's not ready to give it up, leading to a heartbreaking call that ends her relationship with Alexander. Meanwhile, a maintenance delay adds an extra day to the tropical layover, giving Ava and Jack even more time to bond as Ava discovers that he's not the bad guy she thought he was. Though the conclusion's slightly rushed, the couple's sparkling chemistry and flirtatious fighting make this sing. Readers craving an armchair getaway need look no further. Agent: Claire Friedman, InkWell Management. (June)

DEBUT Flight attendant Ava Greene is melancholy during the last few flights of her career. She has promised her fiancé, Alexander, that she'll leave the profession as he requested. Although she should feel excited at the prospect of a more stable environment, she has a nagging sense that this lifestyle is in her blood. Making her retirement even harder is the discovery that she'll be flying the next leg alongside Jack Stone--formerly a pilot, now a flight attendant--who has a reputation for sleeping around with the crew. Jack also helped Ava's ex-boyfriend cover up his cheating. During their short layover in Belize, Ava offers to set aside her differences with Jack if he'll help her play matchmaker for two of their coworkers. If Ava can learn to let Jack break down her walls, maybe she'll learn that not everything is as it seems and that he might be part of the very destiny she's running from. VERDICT Former flight attendant Waldon's debut is a tale of learning to let go of the past to be open to whatever's ahead. Although readers might be frustrated with Ava's stubbornness, patience will yield the happy ending they expect.--Kara Kohn, Plainfield P.L, IL