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Katarina Spencer, better known as Rina, takes center stage as Heggeness explores themes like intimacy, emotion, and the loss of human connection from unique vantage points in an undoubtedly character-driven plot arc. The narrative opens with the revelation that Rina's mother has fallen gravely ill. Naturally, Rina shifts from the Manhattan apartment she shares with her surgeon-resident boyfriend, Brandon, to Southern California. The character development is on point, a feature which is driven home by the placement of the characters into arenas that seem tailor-made for them to probe their individuality and the ultimate question of what matters.
Of course, the premise is for Rina to spend some time with her mother and family, but in Southern California, sparks can fly in no time. Marcus and a group of friends, all law students, decide on a whim to audition for a reality TV show, Love at First Sight (LAFS). Ironically, Marcus is the last man standing, making the cut to entertain and build genuine relationships with the bachelorettes. From an analytical perspective, Heggeness' social commentary on the idea of love at first sight—and the process of attraction as a whole—is perfectly captured when Rina ends up living right next to the home where LAFS is being filmed.
Innocent encounters between Rina and Marcus hint at a looming inevitability, a deep sensual and emotional longing, yet both are entangled in their own romantic conundrums. From a plot perspective, this tug-of-war of the heartstrings reels audiences in and redefines the blurred lines between real life and reel life. From Rina's perspective as a writer, LAFS is a paradox: great for writing but utterly inorganic and superficial. The storyline between Marcus and the bachelorettes runs in direct parallel to his connection with Rina, further magnifying the dynamic between a relationship sensationalized for audiences and one that is blossoming behind the scenes.
Numerous undercurrents intersect, such as Rina's gut-wrenching story of losing her father on 9/11, which underscores the irony of her mother's mortality and her sister's imminent pregnancy. Heggeness has a knack for placing characters in tenuous circumstances where tough decisions must be made, and in nearly every scene, the situation helps the character and the individual's values shine through. With each unraveling plot point, the author spins an intricate web that threatens to consume Rina. The torturous nature of exploring her feelings for Marcus while still feeling a connection to her boyfriend, Brandon, adds an additional layer of intrigue as the pacing intensifies, reaching a breakneck pace and speeding toward the novel's denouement.
Though Brandon is in New York, everyone from her family to Marcus is in Southern California, and the pull becomes stronger by the minute. It is this pull that makes Rina such an endearing character, one that audiences can relate to as someone simply living the human experience. At its core, Heggeness' work is a thought-provoking commentary on the unexpected nature of life, love, and happiness. The author has produced a book that will attract readers who gravitate toward novels with well-developed characters involved in complicated relationships.