Reasonable Adults by Robin Lefler: Book Review

Reasonable Adults is the hilarious look at one woman starting over in a new job in a new location and perhaps finding love along the way. This is the author’s debut novel and I enjoyed it.

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From The Publisher:

A swanky new gig at a luxury artists’ retreat in Muskoka, a delightful canine companion and a chance at a clean start. It should be smooth sailing from here . . .

Everything has fallen apart for Kate Rigsby: she is freshly single—separated from an ex she never really liked—and freshly fired—from a job she never really liked, either. Somehow, she’s reached the age of thirty-one and the only things she truly cares about are her goldendoodle, Eric, her two best friends, and proving to her parents (and, if she’s honest, to herself) that she made the right choice moving to the city. Except, instead of thriving, she finds that her life has taken a nose-dive. So when a job at Treetops Creative Retreat suddenly lands in her lap, she’s thrilled. Three months at a glorified arts and crafts workshop for grown-ups that boasts five-star cuisine and a helipad, and she’ll be well paid? The perfect escape. So what if her contract spans the depths of winter? Neat! A charming life experience! She can learn to snowshoe.

But when Kate arrives at the retreat, nothing is as she imagined. She didn’t read the fine print, her targets are impossible, her boss seems committed to seeing her fail and there happens to be an extremely off-limits fellow staffer who has no business being so gorgeous.

Part self-discovery, part rom-com and part comedy of errors, Reasonable Adults is a hilarious debut about finding yourself—and maybe love—along the way. A little summer-camp romance never hurt anyone, right?

My Thoughts:

I love reading debut novels that check all the boxes I’m looking for in an entertaining read and Reasonable Adults does just that. I love the strength of the protagonist despite the many obstacles she faces while trying to restart her adult life.

When Kate loses her job after calling out her cheating boyfriend on social media, she begins a new job at a retreat in Muskoka. I loved that this book is set in Canada. For those readers who have seen the mini-series Nine Perfect Strangers this retreat is very reminiscent of the setting. For those of you who have not, think quirky, artsy and wholistic.

The situation that Kate is put into with this new position is something I wouldn’t wish upon an enemy. The office and living quarters are closet-like and non-hospitable. The author does a great job of describing the setting – the good and the bad.

Kate is an interesting and well-developed character. I enjoyed her way of looking at life and her wonderful sense of humour. The slow build of the romance in the book was fun to read and I loved their time together exploring the area around the retreat. Kate’s dog Eric was a fun addition to the story and his charming ways stole my heart.

I recommend Reasonable Adults to those readers who enjoy General Fiction with a touch of romance. I look forward to reading more books from this author.

• The quirky retreat setting in Muskoka
• The interesting and well-developed protagonist
• The use of humour throughout

Acknowledgments:

Thank you to HarperCollins Canada and Netgalley for the DRC of this book in exchange for the honest review provided here.

Similar Books I’ve Reviewed:

The Maid by Nita Prose

The Best is Yet to Come by Debbie Macomber

Half-Blown Rose by Leesa Cross-Smith