On the Same Page

November 15, 2018
A woman returns to her childhood home on Martha's Vineyard and soon finds herself embroiled in local drama.Joanna Howes grew up on Martha's Vineyard but left to become a journalist in New York City. When her uncle, Hank, injures himself, she returns to the Vineyard to care for him. She plans on only staying in town for a short while before returning to her big-city life, job, and boyfriend, but it turns out Hank's recovery time is longer than she predicted. He isn't supposed to put weight on his broken leg, so he needs someone to do pretty much everything around his house--and that someone is Joanna. Joanna takes a freelance job at a local newspaper, but the pay isn't quite enough to cover her expenses, so she starts writing for a competing paper under another name. The problem? The papers are locked in a bitter rivalry, meaning she has to keep each job a secret from the other. This is hard to do on an island where she grew up and knows just about everyone. When wealthy seasonal resident Orion Smith sues the zoning board for the right to land a helicopter on his property, it's big news that Joanna must cover for both papers. But, of course, yet another problem presents itself: Joanna falls for the wealthy helicopter owner. He doesn't know about her secret writing identity, and he also doesn't know that Joanna's Uncle Hank is on the zoning board. Galland (Stepdog, 2015, etc.) writes lush and convincing descriptions of life on Martha's Vineyard in the off-season, and her writing brings to life the struggle between the year-rounders and the summer people. However, the drama of Joanna's duplicity is never as intense as Joanna acts like it is--very few people who discover her secret even care that she has two jobs. Much more conflict is present in Joanna's relationship with Orion, who's presented as a charmer. However, he often comes off as a bully, particularly when he discovers that Joanna's uncle is on the board he's suing. He threatens her livelihood, insults her with multiple expletives, and never fully apologizes; yet Joanna and, presumably, the reader are supposed to look past his behavior because he had a difficult upbringing.An interesting look at town politics on Martha's Vineyard, but the characters are hard to root for.

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December 1, 2018

Within hours of her Uncle Hank's accident, Johanna Howes returns to Martha's Vineyard from New York City to care for the man who helped raise her. When she learns how long she'll be away, Johanna reconnects with her previous editor for employment as a freelance writer at one of the local papers. Her first assignment, covering a helicopter pad variance request from wealthy summer resident Orion Smith, seems pretty straightforward: he'll be turned down and everyone will move on. But Johanna is about to learn that nothing about Orion is simple. The emotionally engaging, relatable characters who remain true to their values are refreshing. Focusing on relationships among family, friends, and in romance, Galland (Stepdog) develops drama by revealing past and current personal secrets. The enclosed, tight-knit culture of island living is woven throughout all aspects of the story, appearing through the details of daily life and traditions. VERDICT Readers who enjoy character-driven stories with a strong sense of place and a great narrative to get lost in will be first in line for this novel.--Stacey Hayman, Rocky River P.L., OH

Copyright 2018 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

December 1, 2018
When her uncle Hank, the "vinegary crank" who raised her, has an accident, freelance journalist Joanna leaves New York City for Martha's Vineyard to help him recuperate. To earn some money while Hank recovers, she takes a job reporting on local politics for one of the island's two papers. The zoning board is considering a request from Orion Smith, a seasonal resident, to build a helipad on his property to accommodate his private helicopter, raising the hackles of the year-round islanders, particularly Hank. The job covering the town-politics beat doesn't pay much, so Joanna takes another gig under a different name at the rival paper, putting herself in an ethical quandary. Then there's town enemy" Orion Smith. At first, Joanna's relationship with him consists mostly of banter about property rights and islander vs. summer-resident values, but as the attraction grows, so do the complications. Galland (Stepdog, 2015) imbues latest her novel with a strong sense of place, and it will appeal to readers who like small-town settings that aren't overly sweet or falsely charming.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)