Fight or Flight

September 3, 2018
Young (On Dublin Street) weaves a melodramatic tale of incompatible strangers who can’t fight the physical attraction between them. When Ava Breevort is nearly knocked down by the tall and brusque Caleb Scott in the Sky Harbor Airport, it sets off a chain of unfortunate events that tests believability. Soon the two of them are having altercations and public dressing-downs from the Sky Harbor coffee cart to the first class seating section to a layover in O’Hare Airport. That layover turns passionate, and then into a week-long arrangement while Caleb is in Boston for work, which becomes semipermanent. Eventually, romantic feelings start to form. Caleb’s curt arrogance makes him a difficult character to sympathize with, especially given Ava’s history of emotional neglect and trauma. By contrast, Ava is a kind and sympathetic heroine who is not afraid to speak up for herself. Ava’s best friend tells her that she deserves better, and that the way Caleb treats her is unacceptable; readers will agree. Titillating sexual chemistry and strong female friendships are the true strengths of this wild, implausible ride of a story. Agent: Lauren E. Abramo, Dystel, Goderich & Bourret Literary.

September 1, 2018
A botched flight and a steamy layover slowly turn enemies into lovers, as a Boston-based interior designer and a bristly Scotsman are thrown together time and time again.Airports and flying don't often bring out the best in people. This definitely goes for Ava Breevort and Caleb Scott. From the moment they meet, they're fighting over the last first-class seat on the plane or cutting each other in line to grab a coffee before the boarding doors close. But their antagonism quickly changes to chemistry, and they give in to their palpable attraction during a long layover. Something casual. No strings attached. Both Caleb and Ava believe their one-night stand will be the first and last time something like that will happen, but fate has other things in mind. Repeatedly, they seem to gravitate toward one another; Caleb is a friend of one of Ava's clients. And soon, Caleb finds his time in Boston has become a bit more permanent. However, neither of them planned on permanent. Ava and Caleb's relationship starts out very much like an unstoppable force meeting an immovable object, though they learn that first impressions aren't everything. Caleb sees that Ava is more than just the superficial woman he's pegged her to be, and Ava begins to realize that there's a softness beneath Caleb's gruff exterior. This romance is a knockout, and though Ava's point of view is the only one present, Young (As Dust Dances, 2018, etc.) is an expert at giving the full picture in all its emotional, messy, and swoonworthy glory. Living an unexpected life is sometimes more rewarding than planning every last detail, and this book is a testament to the power claimed in vulnerability and how taking chances can lead to the best moments.Passionate, pure, and a perfect addition to the genre; a romance with real heart.

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September 1, 2018
After a messy funeral drudges up bad memories, Ava Breevort just wants her flight from Phoenix to be over so she can get back to Boston. However, a run-in with a rude?and extremely attractive?Scotsman, Caleb Scott, thwarts her plans. A layover turns into getting laid, with Ava and Caleb assuming they'll never see each other again. Then Caleb ends up in Boston for work, and they become friends with benefits. Fueled by hate and passion, things heat up between the two, causing their feelings to erupt in more ways than one. Young (The Impossible Vastness of Us?, 2017) makes the temperature rise in this sexy new novel, which blurs the line between friends and friends with benefits. With explicit sex scenes that put the steamiest romances to shame, Young uses the heat between Ava and Caleb to explore their dysfunctional pasts, current realities, and future fears. However, the novel is more than just sex, as issues of physical and emotional abuse are addressed quite well. Readers will finish the novel craving more.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)