The Checklist

Woolridge’s charming debut sends methodical Dylan Delacroix back to her hometown of Seattle, where she reconnects with her quirky family and handsome neighbor. Dylan, a corporate productivity consultant, uses her borderline obsessive list-making to stay organized and on-task, her preferred way of living. Which makes her newest client, Tim Gunderson, a chaotic, often ill-prepared CEO, her worst nightmare. Dealing with the questionably sane Tim by day and her unorthodox family by night has left Dylan unnerved and forgetful. Add in her underhanded boss, condescending long-distance boyfriend, and intense attraction to her neighbor, Mike Robinson, and Dylan feels like her life is spiraling out of control. The abundance of day-in-the-life detail slows the pace and frustrates, as readers will be eager to see how all the upheaval in Dylan’s life could possibly be resolved. Love interest Mike serves as the calm in the storm, but as the story is told entirely from Dylan’s point-of-view, it can be difficult to appreciate his character and the romance gets somewhat buried beneath all of Dylan’s other issues. Luckily, Dylan’s parents and Tim’s schemes provide plenty of entertainment. The diverse cast and amusing hijinks make this an appealing pick for rom-com fans. [em]Agent: Nalini Akolekar, Spencerhill Assoc. (June) [/em]