April May Fall

Parenting isn't for the weak in Hovland's latest romantic comedy. April Davis is trying to nurture a new online career, which includes teaching yoga, while also taking care of three young kids and keeping her household running. She's on the cusp of influencer greatness just as her divorce is finalized, but despite her "Calm Mom" persona, she's barely holding it together. After numerous mishaps during a livestreamed trip to the grocery store, April goes viral for all the wrong reasons. Her confidence is shot, but she knows that she has to get her act together before an upcoming live television appearance that could make or break her career. Enter Jack, her brand manager and all-around fixer, who arrives to help her regain her center. He's handsome, funny, and married to his work; he helps, in part, by folding laundry and babysitting the kids, giving April the time and space to regain her mojo. Soon, both April and Jack acknowledge that their relationship feels more than just professional. After they sleep together, they swear to keep it casual, but Jack, a bachelor who thrives on control, finds himself falling for April's chaotic but wonderful life. Hovland's novel is light and funny, and readers will find elements of April's situation highly relatable: One day you're on top of the world, the next you're mopping up urine in a supermarket. April is also surrounded by a quirky, loving, and hilarious group of women who delight in supporting one another. April is shown to be a woman doing her very best while grappling with the unexpected, and her children are depicted as lovely but more than a little exhausting. Her journey to rediscover herself, and find joy and peace in the process, ends in a lovely acknowledgement that everyone needs a little help sometimes--and that just because you can do it alone, it doesn't mean you have to. A sweet, humorous novel that reminds readers to take a cleansing breath when the going gets rough.

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