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
Cursed to never be first, Imogen Finch feels stuck in mediocrity. When her mother sees signs and portents, she pronounces that Imogen will never come in first. After years of struggling to win any contest, to be the best, and to become another person's person, Imogen finally determines that she doesn't want any of it. She moves back home to care for her odd but loveable mother and takes up several jobs to support her family. Fresh from a recent breakup, she is also reunited with her childhood friend and secret crush. He vows to break what he considers to be Imogen's self-fulfilling prophesies by helping her compete in a marathon of contests. This romantic comedy is filled with the requisite meet-cute, missteps, and misunderstandings. The unusual situation and quirky characters make for a fun foray. Narrator Rebecca Gibel does an excellent job of reading Imogen as an appealing protagonist with a sharp wit and a snarky voice. Despite Gibel's insightful main-character performance, however, her secondary characters are sometimes hard to distinguish between. VERDICT Firkins's (Marlowe Banks, Redesigned) latest is a solid purchase for libraries looking for funny and heart-warming romance with a bit of a twist.--Lisa Youngblood
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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.
