Above MacGyver's Pay Grade

Hello Book Friends,

So, question. Why, at times, does life seem determined to throw every change at us all at once? Because even nature knows better than that.

First come the crocuses, poking through the snow in February. Then the daffodils and tulips take their turn in March and April. The lilacs and dogwood wait until early May before putting on their show. Nobody expects the entire garden to bloom on the same day.

Here’s my Amazon review if change was an item you could buy: "Great concept, but has terrible timing. Showed up uninvited. Zero stars. Would not recommend."

I’m the kind of person who will keep a cell phone long past its prime because I’m used to all of its little glitches. A new phone would work better, but then I’d have to learn where everything is again.

I thought that navigating work without my retired co-worker was going well and that maybe I was becoming slightly less allergic to the word “change.” Until two family members moved, another got married, and another had to have surgery. I hate the thought of family not being so close by like they’ve been for so long, and of course there is always concern when someone has to have an operation. Thankfully, all went well.

But then, when we were getting our ancient camper ready for Memorial Day weekend, our first trip of the season, my husband broke the news to me.

“I don’t know how much longer it’s got.” 😬

My first instinct was to call for the paddles. You know, the defibrillator kind. Because surely we could bring it back. When I say we, I mean my husband. He’d get in there, work his MacGyver magic, and duct tape the roof, or wire-tie a wire, or a tie, or something.

To be fair, the camper was a 1997 model. Campers, unlike fine wine, do not improve with age. They certainly don’t become more sophisticated or valuable. They mostly develop mysterious leaks and require increasingly creative repairs. Hence the duct tape. The floor was so soft in some spots we wondered not if, but when one of our feet would end up through it.

And honestly, it took years of practice for me to stand in the driveway with a cell phone (a walkie-talkie back in the day) and guide him between the fire hydrant on one side and the telephone pole on the other. On the first try, no less.

“A spectator sport!” one of my neighbors called it.

For nearly thirty years, it carried us through amazing summer vacations all over the Northeast. Camping shenanigans with 30 of our closest friends and their families, kayaking, sightseeing, campfires, one scary microburst that caused a tree to go through our awning.

What a trip that was.

Alas, after much deliberation, we agreed it was time to downsize, even though the idea of such a permanent change wasn’t on my Bingo card for this year.

“But it holds so many of our memories,” I sniffed, talking to the kids.

“At least you’ll get your driveway back!” one of them said. Very true, but that meant I would look out there and see a blank spot where it had been all those years.

“Mom, that camper owes us nothing,” daughter #2 said, although she insisted on having the sheets and blankets that she always used on the table that made into the bed she slept on. While that made me smile, it was still hard to see it go.

A guy with a young family towed it away. He was excited to fix the soft floor and start making his own memories in it.

As I watched it leave, I realized it wasn't really the camper I was saying goodbye to. It was that chapter of our lives. My husband, on the other hand, did a jig and said good riddance.

And then said, out with old and in with the new⬇️

So, even though lately, it seems like changes are showing up everywhere I look, none of them are bad ones. It simply means life is moving forward.

My coworker earned his retirement. One family member moved to a smaller home to downsize, the other to a home closer to work and school. The niece who married is starting her own happily-ever-after. The new camper fits our life better now. The kids are exactly where we hoped they’d be, and our newest grand is starting to grow into his own little personality.

So, maybe change isn’t something to fear. I mean, we don’t have to like it at all, but life goes a little more smoothly when we stop fighting it.

I actually listened to two books in May. The first one was, Georgie, All Along by Kate Clayborn.

Tropes: Small-Town Romance, Opposites Attract, Friends-to-Lovers, Grumpy Hero/Sunshine Heroine, Slow Burn, Hero Falls First.

After losing her job, Georgie Mulcahy returns to her hometown feeling a little lost and unsure of what’s next. While sorting through old belongings, she discovers a “friendfic” journal she wrote as a teenager—a list of dreams and adventures she once hoped to have. Determined to shake up her life, she starts working her way through the list.

Enter Levi Fanning.

Levi may be one of my favorite romance heroes in recent memory. He’s quiet, capable, dependable, and carries enough emotional baggage to fill a pickup truck. The entire town sees him as the local troublemaker, but beneath that reputation is a man who is endlessly thoughtful, fiercely loyal, and completely gone for Georgie long before she realizes it.

What made Levi so swoony wasn’t grand gestures. It was the little things. The way he paid attention. The way he showed up. The way he quietly became a safe place for Georgie to land when she was trying to figure out who she wanted to be.

This one was funny, heartfelt, and surprisingly emotional. I loved it.

Wild Love by Elsie Silver is what I listened to next.

Tropes: Best Friend’s Sister, Friends-to-Lovers, Single Dad (Unexpectedly), Forced Proximity, Billionaire Hero, He Falls Hard.

Ford Grant is a billionaire entrepreneur who has his life exactly where he wants it—until a twelve-year-old girl shows up claiming to be his daughter.

Suddenly, the man who is used to controlling everything is trying to figure out fatherhood while simultaneously fighting his attraction to Rosie Belmont, his best friend’s little sister and the woman who’s been under his skin for years.

Ford is a very different kind of hero from Levi. He’s confident, protective, successful, and more than a little possessive. But what made him stand out for me was watching him become a father. Seeing this powerful, capable man completely rearrange his priorities for his daughter added a surprising amount of heart to the story.

And Rosie is exactly the right person to challenge him. Their banter sparkles, the chemistry is off the charts, and the emotional moments hit just as hard as the romantic ones.

If you’re looking for a small-town romance with LOTS of heat, laugh-out-loud humor, and a hero who discovers that love isn’t nearly as scary as he thought, this one is worth the read (or listen).

Catch me this Sunday, June 14 from 12-4 for a Book Fair at Elicit Brewing Company in Danbury, CT. I’ll be with a group of other Connecticut Romance Writers. If you’re in the area, stop by and say hi! I’d love to see you there!!

Thanks for reading! And here’s to new adventures, old stories, and the next chapter, even when we’re not ready to turn the page.

Until next time,

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