Publishers Weekly
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In her touching and powerful debut, Reid masterfully grabs hold of the heartstrings and doesn't let go. A mere six months after their chance meeting at a pizza joint, Elsie Porter and Ben Ross impulsively elope, confident in the knowledge they'll be happy forever. Nine days later, happily-ever-after evaporates when Ben's bike collides with a truck, killing him instantly. Soon, Elsie is navigating the shoals of planning a funeral with Ben's initially hostile mother, Susan, and learning how to live without her true love. The author beautifully weaves Ben and Elsie's courtship throughout the narrative, showing the reader the deep love that has bloomed-and the utter capriciousness of the fate that has taken that away. As Elsie and Susan begin to heal, they offer each other strength borne of their shared experience-which helps each of them open doors, once again, to the possibility of love. A stunning first novel. Agent: Carly Watters, the P.S. Literary Agency. (July) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Kirkus
Copyright © Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

A debut love story from Los Angelesbased Reid. Elsie's new husband, Ben, is hit by a truck while riding his bicycle. He dies on impact. Ben's mother, Susan, never knew her son had a wife (the courtship was brief). When she and Susan meet after Ben's death, there's friction. The book flashes back to Elsie and Ben's brief, fun-filled romance and Vegas elopement, and it tracks the post-funeral friendship that develops between Elsie and Susan. Ben was reluctant to tell his recently widowed mother about his upcoming marriage since he was afraid Susan would feel that he was pushing her out of his life. And Elsie was afraid Susan wouldn't like her since her own parents had always made her feel like an unloved failure. Over time, the two women work through their suspicion and anxieties and confide in one another, support one another, talk about Ben together and eventually talk to Ben together. There is a subplot involving an old man, a frequent visitor to the library where Elsie works, who's preparing for the death of his wife. A moving novel about life and death.]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.