February 26, 2024
While attending a music festival in the desert has never been 18-year-old Darcy Milligan’s idea of fun, she decides it’s high-time to do something out of character for once, especially since she’s preparing to leave California for college in Connecticut. Then the bus home breaks down, leaving her stranded and alone; her phone is dead, she has no money, and an alternate bus won’t arrive until the next morning—the same day as her flight to Connecticut. Cue the movie-style rescue from super cute festival-goer Russell, whom Darcy immediately crushes on. Darcy’s first-person narration is personable, but internal monologues detailing her hopeless romantic ideals and featuring myriad romance movie references sometimes slows the pace of this ticking-clock love story by Matson (The Firefly Summer). Things pick up when Darcy and Russell run afoul of local authorities and Russell reveals secrets surrounding his complicated—and famous—family. As the serendipitous duo bond over their hopes and fears and personal challenges, it’s impossible not to be invested in their growing connection. Darcy and Russell read as white. Ages 14–up. Agent: Emily Van Beek, Folio Literary.
April 1, 2024
A travel disaster turns into an unexpected adventure in this swoony romantic comedy. Darcy Milligan is on her way back home to Los Angeles from the Silverspun Music Festival ("the Coachella of Nevada!"). Her phone is dying, and when the bus breaks down, she ends up stranded near the scenic (but desolate and remote) town of Jesse, a couple of hours north of Las Vegas. Enter Russell Henrion, a young man with whom she has a tension-filled, love-at-first-sight moment. He's an adorable and awkward aspiring musical theater writer who will soon be starting a BFA at the University of Michigan. He also needs to charge his phone. As Darcy and Russell wait for the next morning's replacement bus, they undertake an emotional journey that's much more complicated than either of them anticipated. Readers will appreciate how Darcy and Russell's relationship captures the essence of a dreamy whirlwind romance while addressing the realities of awkward, in-person dating that people who spend so much time online often experience. The quippy dialogue, hilarious jokes, and corny but juicy chemistry will delight those looking for something steamy without explicit on-page sex. Matson has mastered the art of the gradual reveal; she also weaves the transition to college, navigating parental expectations, and explorations of privilege into the story. The main characters read white. A strongly plotted romantic comedy with plenty of well-structured, pitch-perfect drama to dig into. (Romance. 14-18)
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April 15, 2024
Grades 9-12 Though she's stranded at a bus station in Nevada the night before she's supposed to leave for college and with no money or phone charger, things are looking up for Darcy. Because also at the bus station is Russell, a very cute guy, and Darcy, a true romantic, might be smitten. They're both heading home from the same music festival--where Darcy saw the Nighthawks, her dad's favorite band, who wrote the song she was named after--and they both have dead phones. With the next bus not coming until morning, they set out into the night, ultimately finding themselves on an unexpected adventure. There are a few twists here, and readers will likely see them coming long before Darcy does, but the plot's not really the point: this is an intimate character study of a girl on the precipice of change and an examination of how love changes as we begin to really know someone. Fans of all-in-one-day stories, like Nicola Yoon's The Sun Is Also a Star (2016), will eat it up.
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May 3, 2024
Gr 9 Up-On the eve of a cross-country move for college, Darcy makes an uncharacteristic decision: to attend a music festival with a high school acquaintance. After said acquaintance abandons her for more exciting activities, Darcy heads home to California on a bus-which ends up breaking down in a remote town in Nevada. Darcy's phone is dead, she's out of money, and there isn't another bus home until tomorrow-the same day she's supposed to fly across the country. In her quest to find a phone charger, she meets Russell, with whom she shares an instant connection. Darcy's always dreamed of a love-at-first-sight romance, and, as she and Russell spend the day exploring the small town hunting for a phone charger and getting to know one another, she thinks she's finally found it. Romance fans may think the connection seems a little too perfect, but when an impulsive idea goes sideways, Darcy learns that things with Russell aren't so perfect after all. As secrets are revealed and choices are made, both Darcy and Russell will have to decide if this new romance is destined to be confined to one moment in time, or a part of their futures. This novel is full of the signature witty dialogue, laugh-out-loud humor, complex family relationships, and sweet romantic moments characteristic of a Matson rom-com, though the story does at times feel long-winded. VERDICT This look at the realities of what comes after love-at-first-sight is worth a read, especially for those who enjoyed Nicola Yoon's The Sun Is Also a Star and Jennifer E. Smith's The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight.-Alison Glass
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