The first part of The Missed Connection is one of the funniest romances I’ve read. I wouldn’t call the book a romcom, because it doesn’t hold on to that level of comedy. I enjoyed it, but I did feel a bit as if I was reading two different books. It starts out funny (with tragedy underpinning the humor, as the best comedy does), gets messy and a little toxic, before ending on a sweet note.
Sasha is trying to come back as a casting agent after a couple of dark years. She had a stalker and that experience left her anxious and hyper vigilant. To mange her anxiety on a flight to Italy she takes some meds and ends up spending the hours of the flight bonding with her handsome seat mate. They hold hands and spill truths, but don’t exchange names or contact information. And then they are separated at the airport. Sasha, while still high on prescription drugs, sends out a company wide email pleading for help to find Seat F. As a result of that email, there are interstitials of other employees explaining how their attempt to find Seat F has led them to their own love.
Once back in New York, Sasha decides to contact the only man she trusts, Wes, the private investigator who solved her stalking case. Wes has left the PI business and is now a bbq artist with his own food truck and a fan group called the barbecuties. He loves being a grill master, but when Sasha approaches him about finding Seat F, he can’t say no. This is where the mess comes. He is so clearly in love with Sasha. Their past is more tangled than they are willing to admit and they lose their minds while also looking for Sasha’s “dream” man.
I think the book would have held together better if he had stayed a fantasy. It’s clear that Sasha and Wes are the end couple. Wes is a POV character. I don’t think it’s a spoiler that Sasha and Wes end up together. Bringing Seat F back into the plot added a sour note to the end of the book. I can’t get into why I wish Tia Williams had made a different choice without getting into spoilers. (If you read it and want to talk about it, let me know.) So I will say she is a very good writer, and she told the story she wanted to tell, but it didn’t work for me as well at the end. I still think the book is worth a read because there is a lot of humor and sweetness.
I received this as an advance reader copy from Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley. My opinions are my own, freely and honestly given.
