Review by Booklist Review
Being dumped 17 times effectively illustrates the prediction her mother made 20 years ago that Imogene Finch is cursed to always come in second in love and life. Just when Imogen is ready to permanently throw in the romantic towel, her childhood friend (and secret high-school crush) Eliot Swift returns to Pitts Corner. While he is passing through, Eliot is more than happy to help Imogen find a contest she can win, thus proving her second-place curse is nonsense. However, what Eliot doesn't realize is that the one thing Imogen desperately wants to win is his heart. Firkins (Marlowe Banks, Redesigned, 2022) once again works her literary wiles on readers with a sublimely sexy, heart-meltingly romantic love story that also deftly explores the many guises love can take in our lives. Writing with a deliciously snarky wit, Firkins fashions a wonderfully whimsical story that includes a marvelous blink-and-you'll-miss-it reference to Busytown, the setting for children's books by Richard Scarry, and a cast of uniquely endearing characters, including a ragtag group of canines that threatens to steal the whole show.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Firkins (Marlowe Banks, Redesigned) delivers a charming friends-to-lovers romance that runs surprisingly deep. When Imogen Finch was a child, her psychic mother prophesied that she would be destined for perpetual second place--and a lifetime of disappointments has, to Imogen's mind, proven that prophecy true. Her relationships inevitably fail, and her harried days consist of juggling several jobs while taking care of her demanding mother. Then the only boy who ever really mattered to her returns to town, and Imogen decides to make the best of what she knows will be a doomed relationship. World traveler Elliot Swift has done everything he can to distance himself from his hometown and his cold parents, but when a family emergency brings him back, he finds friendships he still values and a second chance with a love he always thought was unrequited. But can romance conquer both Elliot's lifetime of wanderlust and Imogen's curse? Happily, the more time these two spend together, the more Elliot helps Imogen see that she's the one who's been putting herself second. To get her happy ending, she first needs to learn to love herself. It's a strong message, and Firkins drives it home well. Readers will fall in love with the emotional depth of this outing. Agent: Laura Bradford, Bradford Lit. (Oct.)
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Review by Library Journal Review
An offhand clairvoyant prediction--that she'll never come first at anything or to anyone--has ruled Imogen's life for over two decades. After losing countless competitions and weathering double-digit breakups, Imogen has accepted her second-place status--except when it comes to Eliot Swift, her best friend and secret crush who left their small Oregon hometown after high school and never looked back. As Imogen navigates life in their hometown, Eliot's surprise reappearance shakes up more than she'd like to admit. Is her love life failing due to a curse or because she never really got over Eliot? As Imogen and Eliot reconnect as adults, their friendship blossoms amid playful attempts to nab her a win. But the more they interact, the more their relationship blooms into something Imogen can't bear to lose again, and she must reckon with her belief that she isn't good enough and how it has defined her life. VERDICT The latest from Firkins (Marlowe Banks, Redesigned) is a winning blend of charm, pathos, and sex appeal that's anything but predictable. Fans of Rachel Lynn Solomon and Emily Henry will come away with a new favorite.--Rachel Alexander
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
Cursed with being forever second best, a 28-year-old woman risks everything to win the heart of her high school crush. Imogen Finch is unlucky. Clinically unlucky, according to her clairvoyant mother, who prophesied Imogen's silver-medal existence when she was only 6. No matter how hard Imogen tried to win student offices and ace math exams, she was forever destined to be runner-up in life--and in love. Every one of her 17 exes not only dumped her but left her for other people. Resigned to mediocrity, Imogen works six jobs in Pitt's Corner, her small coastal town, caring for her mother and avoiding the pitying stares of her now happily married ex-boyfriends. Despite the blows to her ego, Imogen was never certain she was even in love with her past flames--all except heartbreak No. 1, Eliot Swift. Even though they were never a couple, Eliot was Imogen's first and only love, the one who didn't believe in her mother's miserable prophecy, the one who ghosted her (and the whole town of Pitt's Corner) 10 years ago. Still nursing her wounds a decade later, Imogen finds her world turned upside down when Eliot's father dies, forcing him to return to the friends and family he left behind. Seeing Eliot again only confirms Imogen's feelings for him, but will she be able to separate herself from a fate she spent years believing was irreversible? Firkins' novel is a special blend of humor, passion, and friendship, with a hint of a sixth sense that sets it apart from other contemporary romances. Every so often, a chapter outlines one of Imogen's 17 breakups, each more outrageous and humiliating than the last, and it's impossible to root for anything other than a well-deserved happily-ever-after. Don't expect Imogen to find her HEA too easily, though; Firkins takes her time with her characters, patiently weaving moments of grief, healing, and understanding to make this friends-to-lovers tale gratifyingly worthwhile. A quirky romance about second chances for those who come in second place. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
