Miranda in Retrograde
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4.7 • 3 Ratings
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- $18.99
Publisher Description
After getting passed over for tenure and having her life upended in the process, a physics professor decides to throw caution to the wind and live by her horoscope predictions for a year in this effervescent rom-com from the New York Times bestselling author of Made in Manhattan.
As the youngest physics professor at her university, practical-minded Miranda Reed plans her life with minute precision. But that’s before she’s denied tenure and the promotion she thought was guaranteed. Suddenly, her tidy life is anything but constant.
Overdue for a sabbatical, Miranda takes some time to look towards the stars—only this time, she’s not looking for black holes. With her faith in science shaken, Miranda turns to a practice she’s long dismissed as preposterous: astrology.
Determined to figure out why her life has suddenly gone sideways, Miranda commits to a year of letting her horoscope guide her. Soon she’s taking on new home improvement projects, adopting a new pet, and studying what the stars have to say about her ideal love match. The intriguingly aloof artist living next door? Never. His Aries energy is all wrong. On the other hand, the charming father of her new tutoring pupil is Sagittarian perfection. Made for her...right?
As Miranda navigates life with new a perspective, she slowly discovers neither science nor the stars have all the answers. And that, when it comes to love, you sometimes just have to trust your heart.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
When her belief in herself is shaken, the woman in this lovable rom-com puts her faith in the stars. Physics professor Miranda Reed’s plan for her life was perfect—well, until that promotion she was counting on didn’t happen. Now, nothing makes sense. But instead of starting over, Miranda decides to try something new. She’ll spend a year making every decision based not on logic or even on science (since they’ve both failed her miserably) but on her astrological chart, which she’s never taken seriously at all. Miranda is just the kind of smart, good-hearted, imperfect heroine we want to root for. Each chapter begins with a new horoscope, and it’s delightful to discover how Miranda will decide to interpret each one—especially when you add her brooding, handsome neighbour to the mix. Miranda in Retrograde is a heartfelt novel about the astronomical power of opening your heart and trusting your gut.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
This grumpy sunshine contemporary from Layne (Passion on Park Avenue) brims with wit and warmth. Astronomer Miranda Reed is approaching Neil Degrasse Tyson levels of fame thanks to her approachable and entertaining teaching style, so it's a big shock when she's denied tenure at the fictional Nova University. Forced into taking a one-year sabbatical and crashing at her aunt's Manhattan townhouse, she throws herself into an entirely unscientific endeavor: astrology. Since she no longer trusts her own judgment, she'll allow her horoscope to make her decisions for her. Meanwhile, she takes on tutoring clients, including astronomy-obsessed Kylee, and meets her new neighbor Archer, a reclusive artist who enjoys painting by night on their buildings' shared roof. As Miranda and Archer form a tentative, bickering friendship, she begins dating Christian, Kylee's knight in shining armor of a father. But is their relationship really written in the stars? What begins as a bog-standard rom-com quickly develops subtleties and nuances as Miranda undergoes some serious personal growth. The result is a rich tale of self-discovery and empowerment, complete with a romance that readers will root for.
Customer Reviews
3.75stars-inviting & imaginative
3.75stars-MIRANDA IN RETROGRADE by Lauren Layne is a contemporary, adult, romance story line focusing on thirty-one year old physics professor Dr. Miranda Reed, and artist Simon Archer.
Told from first person perspective (Miranda) MIRANDA IN RETROGRADE follow Dr. Miranda Reed in the aftermath of not making tenure, and taking a year’s sabbatical to follow her horoscope, using astrology and the signs to show her the way. Without a place to live, Miranda sets up shop in her Aunt Lillian’s house where she will meet the neighbor, artist Simon Archer, the man with whom Miranda will fall in love but along the way, Miranda continues to take advise from the stars, and her relationship with Archer is threatened by her inability to follow her heart. What ensues is the tempestuous but growing relationship between Archer and Miranda, and the potential fall-out when betrayal threatens our heroine’s future.
The world building focuses on Miranda Reed as she follows her astrological chart to the point of obsession. Everything she does bounces back to the stars, and in this, she may miss the important events and people who call to her heart.
The relationship between Miranda and Archer begins as neighbors but Miranda refuses to bend on her need to follow the signs, and narrowly mises the opportunity to fall in love. Believing she has already met the man of her future, Miranda pushes away the man with whom she is falling in love. There are no $ex scenes.
We are introduced to Miranda’s friend Daphne, and Miranda’s aunt Lillian; her brothers Brian and Jamie as well as their parents; love interest Christian Hughes, his daughter Kylee, and Archer’s ex Alyssa.
MIRANDA IN RETROGRADE is a sweet yet quiet romance; a story of hope and fears, of expectations and friendships. The premise is inviting and imaginative ; the romance is subtle; the characters are animated and sassy.