The Meeting Point

This cozy romance from Lara (Someday in Paris) doubles as a love letter to Carmel-by-the-Sea, Calif. Maya Maas is having a very bad birthday. She’s fired from her job, and when she flies out to California to surprise her boyfriend, David, during his business trip, she discovers that he’s cheating on her. That reveal comes from an unusual source: David leaves his phone in a cab, and when the driver texts Maya to get it back to him, he makes it clear he assumes she’s the blonde woman whom David was “all over” in the back of his car before Maya even landed on the West Coast. This chance message turns into a 24-hour love affair with one of the most charming places in Northern California, as, to cheer her up, the driver texts Maya places to see as part of a tour of the city. It’s a delightful mix of armchair travel, self-discovery, and romance. The love story itself gets off to a bit of a slow start, but this tale of finding happiness in unexpected places is still sure to charm. Readers who’ve been to Carmel-by-the-Sea will enjoy seeing it through fresh eyes, and those that haven’t will find themselves looking into flights. (Apr.)