Eithne Shortall (Love in Row 27) has created a poignant love story in Grace After Henry. Grace and Henry have been dating for several years, are happily in love, considering marriage and children and in the process of buying their dream home in Dublin. That is, until Henry is killed in a bicycle accident.
Reeling with grief, after a few weeks with her parents, Grace moves into their new home anyway and returns to her job as a chef. She's going through the motions of living, trying to fool her well-meaning friends and family into leaving her alone, but her heart is emptier than her new house. Until the day that Andy, a contractor, knocks at her door. Andy looks so much like Henry that at first Grace thinks she's losing her mind. But as she gets to know Andy, she sees the differences between the two men, and she's conflicted. Is she ready to let go of Henry? Is she really letting go of him if she moves on with someone who looks exactly like him?
Grace After Henry is bittersweet and charming, perfect for fans of Jojo Moyes. Grace's grief is all too understandable, as are her conflicted feelings about Andy's presence in her life. The story of Grace's progress is broken up with flashbacks to her life with Henry, offering the reader an emotional glimpse into their life together, including sweet moments, silly arguments and all the quotidian things that make up a relationship. --Jessica Howard, bookseller at Bookmans, Tucson, Ariz.