Mommy Issues
Parents are equal opportunity trauma providers
Something I’ve noticed is how distinct the line between parental issues appears on page… daddy issues tend to be centered around achieving external markers of success (contemporary) or propriety (historical), while mommy issues tend to be more internally targeted, on self esteem, self worth, and identity as a whole. I’m sure there’s something more to say here about why that is, and what it says about us as a society living under patriarchy, but that’s not why we’re here today. We’re here to read books about characters with terrible moms who, upon appearance, try to ruin their lives even further!
The Summer Girl by Elle Kennedy. Cassie hasn’t been back to the waterfront small town of Avalon Bay since her parents’ divorce (she lived with her mom, who took her to Boston), but now that her grandmother is selling off the family inn (to the heroine from book 1 of this trilogy), she’s back for the summer, and ready for two things: a break from her mother, who won’t be joining her until a few months from now, and a permanent break from her virginity. She’s a 21 year old college student, and dammit, she wants a fling!
Her first choice is the conveniently next door Tate, who’s housesitting for her grandparents’ neighbor, but he pretty quickly realizes she’s not fling material, she’s forever material, so they strike up a friendship instead.
Obviously that doesn’t last long (it’s an Elle Kennedy book, we don’t know slow burns in these here parts!), but their burgeoning dynamic is complicated by the arrival of Cassie’s narcissist mother and the secrets from the past she brings with her. And while Cassie struggles to break free of her mother’s constant criticism, Tate struggles to break free of his own parental expectations. Is it possible to be true to yourself and a good son? He’s honestly not sure anymore, but he knows something has to change. If only a new girl in town could teach him to look beyond his preconceived notions of his own life….
I think this was my favorite of the Avalon Bay trilogy, because I’m a sucker for when an insecure character has a really concrete external source, on page, for their insecurity.
How hot? 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Just For The Summer by Abby Jimenez. If you’ve read this author before, you know the drill: she is going to make us as unhappy as possible before delivering a sweepingly romantic happily ever after. There will be maybe two pages between miseries for the characters before the end, and you will LIKE IT, you little worm. Even as you squirm and weep.
This book starts with a Reddit post and a fairly meta concept: Justin thinks he’s cursed, because all his ex girlfriends immediately find the love of their life after dating him, and posts about the alleged curse on an AITA forum. Emma, a traveling nurse whose friend finds this post, has the same curse! They message, and through a series of conversations decide on a plan, since theoretically they’re both looking for lasting love, what if they date EACH OTHER? Then when they break up, boom! Curse broken! So Emma and her best friend, also a traveling nurse, get placement nearby to Justin, and they plan their foolproof curse breaking situationship accordingly.
Then Emma’s disappearing act of a mom (foreshadowing for the last book in this roundup) returns, seemingly to reconnect with her daughter, and Justin’s mom’s situation (no spoilers but like DAMN) heats up, leaving Emma and Justin’s semi fake relationship as the only thing keeping either of them sane and afloat. But issues don’t go away through sheer force of will, and neither are in the right place for love (which perhaps was the curse all along).
Abby Jimenez has done it again. Fun meta romcommy set up, absolutely devastating execution.
How hot? 🔥🔥
The Other Side of Disappearing by Kate Clayborn. We’ve got true crime podcasting. We’ve got a mother who disappeared with a famous con man years and years ago. We’ve got impersonation of an older sister, who’s raising her younger sister in the wake of her mother’s disappearance. Best news yet, we’ve got a ROAD TRIP!
Jess Greene has spent the last decade raising her younger sister, keeping her head down, and generally just hoping for the best. Unfortunately her little sister isn’t so little anymore, has put together some things about their missing mom, and has contacted a true crime podcaster in need of a comeback to partner up to find her after all this time.
Adam Hawkins is a former football star, producing the podcast for the enigmatic host of a previous series about the con man Jess’s mom maybe ran off with, hoping for his shot to produce his own show if he can make this one work. They set off, visiting the places a series of secret postcards sent to Jess right after her mom left reveal. What follows is an emotionally harrowing exploration of grieving the idea of someone important to you, grieving people who were taken too soon, and grieving a version of yourself you can never get back.
Per usual, Kate Clayborn is a master of women who, to survive, also become their own worst enemies when it’s time to exit survival mode, and the men who just want to take care of them.
How hot? 🔥🔥🔥
Next week, what timing, I have an interview with Kate Clayborn herself!
What should I be reading next? Let me know in the comments!
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I liked Just for the Summer, but I felt like the big reveal was because of intentionally withholding information, which is one of my "shocking twist" pet peeves.
I enjoyed the angst, tension and emotion in The Other Side of Disappearing! But I also felt quite confused about Adam's arc: I just couldn't buy that he would go into an entirely different and competitive and tenuous career path just for one story with no other journalistic ambitions.