Quirky misfits struggling to fit in, find love, and create meaningful lives are hallmarks of the tenderly irresistible rom-coms written by Jacqueline Firkins (Marlowe Banks, Redesigned; How Not to Fall in Love). She continues in this vein with The Predictable Heartbreaks of Imogen Finch, where a lovable, down-on-her-luck heroine intends to break the curse of a prediction made by her pseudo-clairvoyant, widowed mother.
When Imogen was six years old, her mother forecast that Imogen would "never be first at anything." Twenty-two years later, Imogen still lives with her mother in Pitt's Corner (population: 347) and juggles six jobs. Imogen--always a nominee, a runner-up, or romantically dumped--struggles to extricate herself from what's become a self-fulfilling prophecy. She just can't seem to get her life on track. With 17 exes in her past, Imogen's second-place fate seems interminable.
But when video travel blogger Eliot Swift--Imogen's first love, who ghosted her--returns to town for a funeral, old feelings are rekindled, and romantic sparks fly. Eliot spurs on Imogen, championing her to shed her insecurities and rebuild her self-esteem in order to finally break the curse. The trouble is, Eliot is a restless and wandering free spirit who has demons of his own. Can and will he stay the course with Imogen this time around? Or will he break her heart yet again? Playfully unpredictable plot twists and complications--along with steamy romance--infuse Firkin's charming, feel-good story of hopeful second chances. --Kathleen Gerard, blogger at Reading Between the Lines