The second you're single

Review by Booklist Review

Disappointed after dating a string of liars and cheaters, freelance writer Sora Reid now despises Valentine's Day and has vowed to give up men during the month of February. Working from home in her depressingly bare Chicago condo, Sora makes her decision official in a popular online fashion magazine, where her #SoloFebruary columns strike a chord with readers. To her surprise, she gains a following overnight, but is she the best person to give dating advice? Her resolve softens when she bumps into a childhood friend at the supermarket, Jack Mann, who is an award-winning baker with his own relationship baggage. Jack never lost the schoolboy crush he had on Sora, and he's willing to wait until March, but Sora thinks she can juggle this new love interest while still pretending to be single for her column. This is, of course, a recipe for disaster. While Tanamachi's multicultural debut, featuring Asian American leads and a host of diverse side characters, makes for a relatable rom-com, the romance story line leads to deeper messages about worthiness and self-love.

From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.

---

Review by Publisher's Weekly Review

Humorous observations on flab, friendship, and freedom animate this lukewarm rom-com from Cara Lockwood (Masquerade), writing as Tanamachi. Freelance writer Sora Reid, 32, has just broken up with her married boyfriend. With Valentine's Day looming, and despite pressure from her overbearing family, she decides to embrace her singlehood and pitches her editor a story about her Solo February challenge. Sora's empowering insights on nixing the month of love evaporate when she falls for the hunk giving out samples at the grocery store. Though Sora doesn't recognize him, gentle Jack Mann has crushed on her since elementary school, and he's thrilled when she reenters his life. But what will happen if Sora breaks her now viral #GoSolo vow? Even more trouble arises when Mal, the ex-fiancée who drove Jack from his pastry chef job at a Michelin-starred restaurant, starts scheming to get him back. Sora's biting, ironic commentary on her love life rings true, but the same voice applied critically to her relationship with food and her own weight occasionally grates. Despite some overwriting, Sora's complex relationships with her family, her followers, and herself provide plenty of food for thought. (Jan.)

(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

---

Review by Library Journal Review

This hilarious, heartwarming romance from Tanamachi (who has published other contemporary romances, like Her Hawaiian Homecoming, as Cara Lockwood) features relatable characters whom audiences will love, a fast-paced plot, and a sensibility that will quickly pull readers in and keep their interest piqued. Sora's childhood and early adult trauma have left her unwilling to put herself first, speak up, or make waves: Instead of the thoughtful political stories she longs to write, she's stuck reviewing makeup for Slick magazine. She lives in a condo she hates rather than look for a new place. And she doesn't question boyfriend Dan when he tells her he works weekends and dissuades her from going to his place. When Sora finally learns that Dan is married, she breaks it off and pledges to #GoSolo for February. Slick loves the idea and asks Sora to write it as a daily blog; she's game, since the extra pay means she can buy the good kibble for her one-eyed rescue dog. But then Sora runs into Jack, who's changed a lot since she knew him in elementary school. Jack is funny, kind, and incredibly sexy and seems to really like Sora. What does that mean for Sora's #GoSolo blog? VERDICT A great read, highly recommended for all collections.--Heather Miller Cover

(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

---