Gray Hair Don't Care

Starred review from February 1, 2021

Booth tells the story of 47-year-old Lela Bennett, whose divorce and subsequent one-night stand with her former college best friend inspire her to start fresh with a new business and--wait for it--newly gray hair. In three short years, Lela manages to turn her life around with a new cosmetics company and a stunning new look. An upcoming deal with a lifestyle brand sounds almost too good to be true, until Lela finds out that the brand is owned by the daughter of Donovan James--the same man who loved her and left her three years earlier--and she'll be working closely with him, since he is in charge of brand marketing. As Lela and Donovan spend more time together, their individual vows to stay out of romantic entanglements become harder to keep. Could it be that the time is finally right for both their romance and Lela's business? VERDICT Readers looking for older romance heroes and heroines won't want to miss Booth's ("Forever" series) latest stand-alone. Themes of starting over, embracing your true self, confronting ageism, and family forgiveness make this a romance to remember.--Rebecca Moe, Alden Ewell Free Lib., NY

Copyright 2021 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from January 18, 2021
With this funny, surprising novel, Booth (the Sterling Wives series) might just have written the definitive Gen-X romance. In addition to the ages of the protagonists—both in their 50s—and how glorious it is to see a woman celebrated as a silver fox, the novel stands out for consistently defying expectations. Lela Bennett is a lifelong romantic whose life was altered by her unrequited love for Donovan James, the thrice-divorced serial heartbreaker who inexplicably ghosted her in college. These complicated former BFFs meet-cute again at a Manhattan wedding 26 years after their initial estrangement—but it takes time for the reunion to stick. After Donovan flakes on her again, Lela reenvisions what she wants. Embracing her gray, she’s sexy, confident, and laser focused on starting her own makeup line. When Donovan and his daughter sign on to help launch the brand, romance is explicitly off the table, but attraction and friendship remain. Their circuitous path towards coupledom allows time for understanding and compassion to grow. Booth enriches the story with keen observations about aging, relationships, and pop culture. Her uncommonly humane approach is less interested in making Donovan grovel than it is in his emotional growth, and she swaps out miscommunication for sometimes terrifying candor. This second—and third—chance romance both entertains and inspires.