Genre: Romantic Fiction

Loss and grief don’t necessarily call romance to mind, but, as she does, Linda Holmes makes it all work in Flying Solo. Laurie returns to her hometown in Maine as the family representative to clean out her Aunt Dot’s house after her death. Aunt Dot found a place for Laurie when she was overwhelmed with her brothers and her chaotic home. She wants to honor her and her independent spirit after her passing. As she works through piles and piles of pictures, she discovers a wooden duck, they may have ties to a local artisan. Laurie has a mystery to solve. She also reunites with her best friend June and her first love Nick, the local librarian. Laurie is left with much to figure out.

I have learned to love Holmes’ female protagonists. Aunt Dot - who exists only in Laurie’s memories - is a force. She is independent, artistic - a free spirit who lived life on her own terms. She inspires Laurie, who has sought the same kind of independence, moving across the country and creating the kind of quiet life she longed for as a child. But she is unable to see any kind of compromise that might allow for love in her life though Nick tries to offer it. These complex ladies are the kind I’ve come to expect in Holmes’ work. The plot has twists and turns that make the read a fun one. I didn’t expect a quest to determine the price point of a wooden duck that would end up in a discovery (no spoilers) that would cause Laurie to reevaluate her life and decisions. This subplot really contributes to the humor factor too, keeping the book light hearted even with all of the seriousness. Entertainment at its finest!

My big life decisions feel long ago - in terms of marriage and family that is. But I appreciate very much Laurie’s thoughtful approach to her own life. I admire her desire for autonomy, but admit to feeling a bit relieved as she evolved near the end. I just wrote about Holmes’ new release Back After this, and I’m going to just repeat myself here : I love a woman learning to consider what she wants - and learning to trust herself - and acting for her own best interests. I also appreciate that there are no easy answers here. Holmes offers a bit more complexity and a little less ease in her happily ever after. Flying Solo is excellent - I’ll be waiting for Linda Holmes’ next novel!