Lolly Blanchard's life seems to have passed her by, until her quirky great aunt gives her a chance to see what might have been and still could be. 'The Magic of Lemon Drop Pie,' by Rachel Linden (out now). But if you’re looking for a little hope, or a reminder of how chance encounters can change life for the better, this is the ticket.

It could have ended there – the final scene's too on the nose, or, rather, the bus. The mystery of Frank’s girl on the bus is resolved in a bittersweet twist, a nice break in the saccharine story. Same for small daily interactions like a conversation on public transport. They may, inadvertently, set us on the right path. Sampson reminds us that there’s value in the “failures” in life – missed connections, broken relationships, unattained college degrees. It’s as sweet as it sounds – a literary cup of cocoa. Libby sets out to find her, with reluctant help from Dylan, Frank’s handsome punk caregiver. She finds a distraction in Frank, an elderly gentleman she meets on the bus who’s been looking for a woman he met on the same route 60 years earlier. She moves in with her sister, only to become an unwitting nanny to her nephew.

Instead of proposing, her boyfriend dumps her right before her 30th birthday. July's top rom-coms: 'Dream On' by Angie Hockman, Lacie Waldon's 'From the Jump'īy Freya Sampson. ★★½ (out of four). However, they are still delightful, and I laughed out loud at their absurdity. Hall manages to include subtle (and not-so-subtle) commentary on wealth, power, family, religion and identity, intermingled with wild characters and out-there plot points. That said, I found several of the characters – including Oliver, Alex Twaddle, Luc's blue-blooded co-worker Judy, his mom's platonic life partner, as well as his mom herself – impossible to believe or lacking nuance.

Throughout, Luc is an entertaining and relatable mess. As the narrator, he provides all context, and it's impossible to say whether the absurd characters are real or whether Luc is an unreliable and judgmental narrator. The book is structured in five sections, each focused on either a wedding or a funeral within Luc's friend group and culminating in Luc and Oliver's wedding. The sequel to 'Boyfriend Material' starts two years after its predecessor and continues to follow Luc and Oliver's relationship.

Husband material by alexis hall