A Five-Letter Word for Love by Amy James
I really enjoyed this unexpected romance. Emily has dreamed of a creative career in a bustling city, with a group of close friends that she confides in and spends time with outside of work, but she hasn't fully identified what exactly she wants to do, and so, for the moment, she is house-sitting for friends of her parents. The house is in small town Prince Edward Island, and she's managed to get a job as receptionist at a local garage. She tries to keep in touch with friends from college but feels increasingly that they've moved on.
She decides that it is time to invest in her life, and tries a number of things, from making a date in nearby Charlottetown on an online dating site to volunteering at the only museum in town, one about barrel-making. As she gets to know the staff and volunteers at the museum, she begins making friends, and she finds herself coming up with creative ways to promote the museum.
When her elderly neighbour needs assistance, she finds herself starting a side business of senior care, and when she plays her daily Wordle at work, she learns that one of the mechanics also plays, and may not be as boring as she thought, although John is definitely car-obsessed, and part of the local racing community.
As Emily puts herself into her community, she finds she gets a lot more in return than she expected, but some of her efforts beyond the community also bear fruit for her, and she finds the life she wanted is a real possibility.
I liked the character Emily, with her energy and ideas, and her uncertainties for the future. I was like that when I was her age too. She is a caring person, curious and open, and I appreciated the changes that she went through as she connected with people. This is a story about a woman figuring out her life, not just her love life, and I really wanted to see what happened with her life.
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