I was searching for a dose of warm fuzzies, coupled with a trip down memory lane—basically the emotional equivalent of comfort food. Problem was, I’d already re-read my Nick Hornby stash too many times.
I came across Paul Carnahan on Bluesky, saw his pitch for “End of a Century”, and thought, ‘Why not give that a go?’ Camden captured my own heart in the 1980s and was the scene of a few clumsy attempts at romance, so there was already a connection.
After the first chapter, I was glad I had picked this novel.
Halfway through the book, I was a solid fan, adding his previous novel to the TBR pile.
Paul so clearly conveys the emotions of young love, infatuation, fear of rejection, awkward encounters, and meticulously planned declarations that come out all wrong.
Not really a spoiler – this resonated with me at the end: “…Dan and Erin fell in love. Or, rather, Erin joined Dan in love; he had been there since the first cup of tea.”
A delightful story, one I am grateful to have found.