cover image Adulting

Adulting

Liz Talley. Montlake, $12.95 trade paper (364p) ISBN 978-1-5420-2603-1

A troubled celebrity finds common ground with her reluctant therapist in this touching tale of female friendship and personal growth from Talley (Room to Breathe). After yet another setback with drugs and drinking, 25-year-old actor Chase London is paired up with life coach Olivia Han, creator of a program designed to teach 20-somethings how to be healthy, productive adults, by the producer on her latest project. As Chase addresses her past traumas and reestablishes boundaries with her overbearing mother, Olivia wrestles with guilt about her sister’s suicide and is forced to learn some “adulting” techniques of her own. While the heroines bond over their personal demons, Talley effectively contrasts their personalities and backgrounds, making them excellent foils. Meanwhile, Chase finds love with Olivia’s childhood friend Zeke, while Olivia grows closer to Chase’s handsome model friend Spencer. Though Talley touches on heavy topics including suicide, rape, and child abuse, the focus on the protagonists taking active steps toward healing makes for an uplifting story, and the romance adds tension to the plot without dominating the story. The balance of sobering themes and upbeat tone is moving as it teeters on the line between romance and women’s fiction. [em]Agent: Michelle Grajkowski, Three Seas Literary. (Feb.) [/em]