One of the best parts of starting a book is getting lost in a new world. Getting the chance to dive into other people’s lives and see a different world from a new perspective is always exciting.
This is just as true for B.K. Borison’s newest novel, “And Now, Back to You.” The second book in her “Heartstrings” collection follows the story of two weather reporters, Jackson Clark and Delilah Stewart, from Baltimore’s local news and radio stations.
The two begin their journey with a deep dislike for one another due to a string of unfortunate misunderstandings in their shared work parking lot. But they are quickly forced together by their bosses to cover what could be Maryland’s biggest snowstorm in history.
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Truth be told, I really enjoyed this book. While its concept has been used over and over again, it is a trope that people love, myself included. Although the main trope is forced proximity, it also includes a hint of enemies-to-lovers and a one-bed-only scene, which are staples for any romance novel.
In all honesty, though, my favorite parts of this book were at the start. It only took me two days to get through the novel, mostly because I could not put it down at the start. I have never read one of Borison’s books, but she does a wonderful job at keeping a reader enticed.
The book is told from both Delilah and Jackson’s points of view, which keeps things moving at a steady pace. Borison does a perfect job at keeping attention from chapter to chapter.
Though I did start to get a little lost halfway through the book, I think the story was very well written. It covers a lot of difficult topics, especially family issues and the trials of being a woman trying to be taken seriously in the workplace.
Both of the main characters underwent different types of family troubles, Delilah dealing with her grandfather’s illness and Jackson having to raise and protect his younger twin sisters. It allowed them to grow into one another throughout the book as they peeled away these layers to reveal their true selves. I also found this to be the best way to have rounded out their characters, especially Jackson’s.
Truly, without the family trauma that he had faced, I do not think his character would have been as likable as it was. While Delilah’s character obviously had her own issues, I found her much more relatable in a different way.
Part of her plot was this struggle to fight against a boss who was practically out to get her because she was too good at her job. Which might sound a little ridiculous at first, but Borison was able to write it into something really meaningful. Many of Delilah’s internal conflicts, which did not have to do with the love storyline, were about how she had tried so hard to simply be a serious news anchor who was doing what she loved most.
Despite losing steam for me toward the second half of the book, I think it was well-written, and I sincerely had a fun time reading it. This was a delightfully funny romance that did not include much spice at all. It was exciting to be able to watch as these characters grew alongside each other, breaking through all of their doubts and anxieties by one another’s side.
Though I have not read any of Borison’s other novels, I will absolutely be checking them out to see if they live up to the excitement of this one.