Review by Booklist Review
In Alexander's outstanding debut, inspired by the film Serendipity (2001), the right couple meets at the wrong time. When Serena Khan encounters fellow Seattleite Julian at a bar in New Orleans during Mardi Gras, the intense spark between them is undeniable, but they have no time to make a real connection. With her passion for life reignited and few clues to draw from, this formerly practical woman begins a frantic search for the guy who set her heart on fire. She quits her unfulfilling accounting job and dumps her dependable yet boring boyfriend. She starts doubting that love at first sight exists, yet the universe keeps sending her signs that it does. Like when her best friend Clarence meets the love of his life after a car accident, a police officer named Terrance, who could be the key to tracking down Julian. Readers will be swept away by Serena's emotional journey as kismet determines when these star-crossed lovers are ready to be reunited. Alexander's inclusive representation of diverse backgrounds and sexual identities in lovingly crafted characters with rich and unique personalities is truly impressive. Readers will hope for more from this exciting new romance writer.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
A chance encounter derails the meticulously planned life of Serena Khan, heroine of Tubati-Alexander's charming debut. At 30, Seattle accountant Serena is right where her Indian immigrant mother would have wanted her to be: stable (but bored) in both her job and her relationship. While begrudgingly attending her cousin's destination bachelorette party in New Orleans, Serena meets fellow Seattleite Julian, in town for a friend's birthday, at a bar and feels an instant connection--but both of their parties get out of hand, separating them before they can exchange either numbers or last names. Serena can't stop thinking about Julian even after returning home, however, and recruits her best friend, Clarence, to help find him. Along the way, Serena questions her life choices, realizing that she's been chasing security instead of happiness and that she must let go of her mother's expectations. Endearing side characters that readers won't get enough of round out this moving tale of embracing life's imperfections. Tubati-Alexander will win plenty of fans with this. Agent: Elizabeth Weed, Book Group. (May)
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Review by Library Journal Review
DEBUT Growth, change, and a little bit of luck are at the center of Alexander's romantic debut. The story follows Serena Khan, who feels an instant spark of attraction with a man named Julian in a Bourbon Street bar, 2,000 miles away from their homes in Seattle. Their chance meeting--during which they never exchange contact details--causes Serena to rethink her career, her boyfriend, and her relationship with her family, which fractured after her mother's sudden death. The novel technically ticks all the romance boxes, but while love--or at least a love interest--is at the center of the story, the focus is more on Serena reevaluating her life for the majority of the book. Still, the novel and its characters are well-written, though a few of the more serendipitous moments may strain credulity. Many readers will forgive the more unbelievable moments, though, in service of an emotionally satisfying conclusion for Serena's story, in multiple areas of her life. VERDICT Will appeal to romance readers who like their books with a hefty dose of personal growth and women's fiction aficionados seeking a happily-ever-after.--Jenny Kobiela-Mondor
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