Penelope in Retrograde

In this clever and poignant novel, romance writer Brooke Abrams unwillingly returns home for Thanksgiving in an attempt to heal fences with her estranged family—and perhaps even to bring about her own happily ever after. Penelope Banks, a romance writer, is skilled at crafting the ideal love tale, but her grasp of family dynamics is limited to a rough draft. Penny gave up on the dream of being like her successful family years ago, but when her new business, a romance bookstore, is in danger of failing before it ever opens, she is compelled to turn to the one place she never thought she would need assistance. House. Penny is ready for the typical Thanksgiving with her hardworking father, perfect sister, meddling grandmother, and matchmaker mother. The visitor she had not expected? Smith, her ex spouse. Following an uncomfortable ridesharing with Smith, which leaves Penny wondering why the romance in her life only occurs in her books, Penny injects fiction into reality by manipulating her father's colleague into the ideal foil for a pretend lover. Penny has to have everything work out perfectly in order to write her and her family's happily ever after, because she has just four days to reconcile broken relationships and her bookstore's future is on the line.