I discovered Lily Chu a few years ago and I highly recommend all of her books in both ebook and audio. They all start out as Audible Originals, so exclusive to Audible for some period of time before being released in ebook and paperback and they are all excellent. It looks like she has a few books coming out that aren’t starting this way, but I still can’t wait to read them.
One mysterious mansion. Two rival journalists. Three weeks to uncover the story—and love—of a lifetime. Don’t miss this unforgettable romantic comedy performed by Phillipa Soo and John Cho!
Obituary writer Nadine Barbault doesn’t mind being called “Lady Death”. It suits the ice queen persona she’s cultivated to survive the fast-paced Toronto Herald. So when Nadine learns that famous (and reclusive) author Dot Voline has died, she doesn’t hesitate to run the obituary…only to discover that Dot is very much alive.
Nadine’s screw-up has brought Wesley Chen of the rival Spear no end of joy—she’s been a thorn in his extremely ambitious side for years. But the renewed interest in Dot also surfaced chatter about a mysterious past scandal. Intrigued, Wes goes to the source to learn more—only to discover Nadine had the exact same idea…and the infuriating woman isn’t willing to respect dibs. Typical.
At first, Dot refuses to speak to either of the squabbling pair, but then they receive an unusual request—work together, and Dot will share everything. The offer seems too good to be true…and of course, it is: in a bitter twist of irony, Dot dies for real before she can finish recounting her story. Not all is lost, however. The estate’s executor allows Wes and Nadine access to Dot’s sprawling wonderland of a mansion for three weeks to find their answer. That’s three weeks of working together…three weeks of endless sweltering in tight spaces…three weeks of learning there could be something more between them than a desire to win at any cost.
And maybe, just maybe, under the rubble of all those could-have-beens they’ll uncover more than the secret of Dot Voline’s long-ago scandal—and Lady Death will finally embrace what she’s wanted from life all along. (blurb from author)
Content Notes: emotional abuse, death, alcoholism, sexism, racism, stalking, sexual violence, grief, cancer, threat of job loss
As you might expect from the blurb, this is an M/F enemies to lovers romance in forced proximity. It’s truly delightful in a way that you wouldn’t expect a book centered around death to be.
You may not know this, but I used to be a reporter and I used to work in obituaries. So this, combined with my love of Lily Chu’s characters and the dual narration of John Cho and Philippa Soo, meant I had to listen to this. As with most fiction books about reporters, I had some quibbles about the industry’s presentation, but the rest was so enjoyable that I got over it.
Honestly, I want to grow up to be Dot Voline. She’s the epitome of a meddling old woman living her best life, except for that one Big Secret. I really loved how she hid the answers to her story throughout her house in a lot of different places, as if she was trying to hide it even from herself. Learning more about her from the things she left behind is one of the best and worst things about losing a loved one, and it’s even more true in this case.
I also really loved the cats. They were way more than just set dressing. Seeing Wes grow attached to them warmed me to my bones.
My favorite part, though, was the justice that the ending brought for all of the characters. In a year full of major and minor injustices, I needed that.
