Life, Unscheduled

Rockaway (She’s Faking It) underwhelms with this broadly drawn rom-com. Nicole Palmieri’s demanding job at tech start-up Virtuality requires she keep a meticulous schedule. She always manages to make time for her best friend, Parisa—but when Parisa asks Nicole to be her maid of honor on the same day Nicole takes on a high-profile project at work, her calendar becomes more crowded than ever. Between bridal appointments and meetings with clients, Nicole has no time to spare—but she can’t shake Brandon Phelps, a bar manager she meets on a night out, from her mind. Brandon’s moving away in just a few weeks, making a relationship impractical. Nicole rejects him, but continues to make excuses to see him by offering to create a website for his new bar. Her untenable work-life balance reaches a tipping point when the dates for her work presentation, Parisa’s bachelorette party, and Brandon’s bar opening converge, forcing Nicole to make a tough decision. While Brandon and Nicole have strong chemistry, every other element feels cartoonishly exaggerated: Virtuality borders on dystopian, the wedding planning quickly spirals out of hand, and several dramatic reveals feel unbelievable. Readers will find it difficult to connect. [em]Agent: Jessica Watterson, Sandra Dijkstra Literary. (June) [/em]