Holding Pattern
Small-Town Romance (Landing in Love) Book 2
by Jennifer W. Smith
Description
After the tragic loss of his wife, Cole Miller’s not ready to fall in love again. Isolated, he pores over charts and monitors the weather when not at the helm of his boat. So when this Cape Cod lobster supplier runs into a beautiful tourist, fate entangles their lines. This sophisticated lady rekindles his desire, summoning an inner storm and, causing him to question if he can move on from his past.
Begrudgingly following doctor’s orders, billionaire Veronica Lang takes time off from running her corporation and rebranding her airline to recuperate at her newly built seaside mansion. When she gets involved with a hunky lobsterman, she regrets lying about her identity. Cole may be the distraction she sorely needs, but something about him soothes her damaged soul. Keeping secrets could ruin her health, her relationship, and her company.
Will Cole catch her hook, line and sinker? Or will she be the billionairess who got away?
LANDING I LOVE novels are aviation-inspired standalone titles. These are fresh, flirty stories of modern women and every-day men, finding their happily-ever-after in small New England towns.
Available Editions
ISBN9780996695497PRICE$0.99 (USD)
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My Thoughts
Jennifer W. Smith’s
Holding Pattern, the second installment in the
Landing in Love series, has a charming premise: a rugged lobsterman meets a high-powered billionaire CEO. While I approached it with tempered expectations for a light romance, I found myself wishing it had undergone more robust developmental editing.
The Good:
- Role Reversal: The “wealthy and lonely” trope gets a refreshing twist with Veronica as the affluent heroine. It’s always nice to see a romance that flips traditional gender dynamics.
- Diverse Representation: Veronica is a Latina protagonist, and the book avoids stereotypical portrayals—a welcome departure. Unfortunately, the same care wasn’t extended to side characters like her friend Lucy, described only as “that Asian girl.”
- Details About Lobstering: Readers might pick up a few intriguing tidbits about the lobster fishing industry, adding a nice touch of authenticity.
The Not-So-Good:
- Timeline Inconsistencies: Time is handled oddly. Early events are explored in meticulous detail, only for key scenes—like the sex scene—to be glossed over. Later, the narrative jumps forward abruptly, creating confusion (e.g., a sudden leap from May to an August event with minimal context).
- Superficial Handling of Mental Health: Veronica’s acute stress disorder reduces her to a fainting damsel, while Cole’s late wife’s depression is unfairly portrayed as the cause of her tragic overdose. These depictions felt reductive and lacked sensitivity.
- Geographical Realism: As a former Bostonian, the portrayal of Cape Cod logistics was jarring. In reality, the city-to-Cape commute is a notorious traffic slog—not a breezy drive. Also, wouldn’t a billionaire CEO own a private jet instead of enduring Boston’s congestion?
- Abrupt Climax: At 92% in, the story veers into soap-opera melodrama with a twist that feels out of place. To my disappointment, the fallout is resolved almost instantly, undermining the stakes.
Final Thoughts:
Despite its engaging premise and occasional bright spots,
Holding Pattern stumbles in execution. The timeline issues, shallow treatment of mental health, and abrupt resolution left me feeling underwhelmed. While it might work as a light, escapist read for fans of billionaire romances, it could have benefited from deeper character development and tighter pacing.
