A review by rachelshubin
Penelope in Retrograde by Brooke Abrams

adventurous emotional funny hopeful lighthearted relaxing fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I chose Penelope in Retrograde as my Amazon Prime first read for September as it was one of my anticipated fall books. Brooke Abram’s debut novel managed to tell a <i>full </i> story in just 238 pages. It’s always fun and meta to read a romance book about a romance writer. I actually found the story less to be about romance and more about estranged family, feelings around divorce, and complex family relationships all taking place during Thanksgiving. I mean, how often do you read a romance style book about Thanksgiving? 

My favorite aspect of the story is the flashbacks to various Thanksgivings of the past, which explain why the present holiday celebration is tense. The banter was great, Penelope is a quirky and fun character. A great story of complex interpersonal relationships. 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings