Lovesick
A Novel
-
- $4.99
-
- $4.99
Publisher Description
For Andy Altman it was love at first sight. Halloween, 1983: She was Princess Leia; he was Chewbacca. Determined to be more than star-crossed lovers, Andy vowed to do whatever it took to make Paige Day his bride, even if that meant dragging himself back to the small town of Crockett, California, and working for her father, Gregory, the local pharmacist and most demanding boss east of San Francisco.
Day’s Pharmacy is tight quarters, and for Andy and Gregory, the mixture is explosive. Unable to win Gregory over, Andy devises a surefire scheme to secure his blessing to marry Paige. But what Andy doesn’t realize is that the only way he’ll make it to the altar is if he protects his future father-in-law’s big secret. In so doing, he’ll have to fend off financial ruin, Paige’s aggressive ex-boyfriend, and an intimidating crime ring of geriatric gangsters. For young Andy, charting the path to true love will take sheer ingenuity.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In his first novel, writer and television producer Wellen (author of the memoir Barman) presents an uncommon love story; having already won the heart of his dream girl, college dropout Andy Altman now faces the hard part, winning the blessing of her crotchety father, Gregory Day, who also happens to be Andy's boss. After moving back to his hometown, Andy takes a job at the pharmacy and finds a great mentor in Gregory, the old pharmacist, until Gregory finds out that Andy's dating his daughter, Paige. Wellen balances a wacky plot about an illicit senior citizen drug ring with heartfelt coming-of-age storytelling and complicated family drama. Andy is endearingly dorky (charts and drawings of his amateur inventions are scattered throughout), and his close-to-cloying romance with Paige is saved by realistic roadblocks. A mid-book twist takes the story down an unexpectedly melancholy path, but Wellen pulls off a satisfying romantic conclusion. Part mystery, part romance and part screwball comedy, this novel keeps its varied elements from spinning out of control with a fresh, confident voice.
