Maggie North's THE RIPPLE EFFECT

Thanks to partners NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the digital ARC of Maggie North's The Ripple Effect. The book will be published on June 17!

Just about a year ago, I published a rave review of Rules for Second Chances, the first book in Maggie North’s romance series. I’m thrilled to report that book two, The Ripple Effect, is just as lovely, just as nuanced, just as moving.

Lyle “McHuge” McHugh, the psychologist behind the second chances detailed in book one, is the male protagonist here. He’s a relentlessly positive, understanding nurturer whose new company Love Boat, a whitewater canoeing/relationship therapy business, is facing some challenges. Because of some negative press, McHuge needs to anticipate every potential disaster . . . which means having a doctor on staff.

In steps Stellar J Byrd who is facing her own challenges. After losing a job she loves as an ER doctor, Stellar has been struggling to make a living wage through gig work, but in their expensive tourist destination, she’s having a hard time. The Love Boat opportunity would be just perfect except for the awkwardness of her relationship with McHuge because of an ill-fated hookup that ended with Stellar ghosting him.

Out of desperation, Stellar does accept the job, along with a stake in the burgeoning company. But their first outing includes the journalist who wrote the hit piece on McHuge; his former mentor seems out to steal his idea; and the awkward energy between Stellar and McHuge represents its own problems, particularly after Stellar gets the idea that faking an engagement might help to provide one more shield between the company and the critiques it’s received.

North excels at taking romance tropes and offering authentic complexity. Both McHuge and Stellar have intriguing backstories that have shaped their current outlooks on relationships (romantic and otherwise), and watching North peel back their protective layers is both illuminating and satisfying. I’ll continue to read whatever she publishes, and I recommend The Ripple Effect as a perfect read for summer!

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