The Opposite of Maybe
A Novel
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4.2 • 86 Ratings
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- $6.99
Publisher Description
A heartfelt and exceptionally human novel about the best mistakes a person can make
Jonathan and Rosie have been together so long they finish each other’s sentences—so when he (finally) proposes and asks her to move across the country with him, everyone is happily surprised.
But when things suddenly unravel, Rosie sends Jonathan packing and moves back home with Soapie, the irascible, opinionated grandmother who raised her. Now she has to figure out how to fire Soapie’s very unsuitable caregiver, a gardener named Tony who lets her drink martinis, smoke, and cheat at Scrabble.
It’s meant to be a temporary break, of course—until Rosie realizes she’s accidentally pregnant at 44, completely unequipped for motherhood, and worse, may be falling in love with Tony, whose life is even more muddled than hers. When Soapie reveals a long-hidden secret, Rosie wonders if she has to let go of her fears, and trust that the big-hearted, messy life that awaits her just may be the one she was meant to live.
Praise for The Opposite of Maybe
“Dawson’s charmingly eccentric cast of characters is at turns lovable and infuriating, ensuring a quick read helmed by a memorable, complex heroine.”—Publishers Weekly
“Delightfully witty . . . A messy, funny, surprising story of second chances.”—Kirkus Reviews
“Dawson keeps readers turning the pages to find out who Rosie will choose in the end.”—Booklist
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Rosie's grandmother, Soapie, is hardly your average 88-year-old: she chain-smokes, cheats at Scrabble, gets speeding tickets, and regularly entertains a gentleman caller. She's also the only family Rosie's ever known, and as exasperating as Soapie can be, Rosie feels a duty to look after her, as old age begins to slow her down. But the tables are turned when a sprained ankle and an explosive fight with her boyfriend send Rosie, 44, to Soapie's for a few months. Rosie plans to help prepare the house to be sold and help Soapie find a home healthcare aide or an assisted-living facility, but Soapie bristles, claiming the only assistance she needs is from Tony Cavaletti, a sarcastic, rough-around-the-edges, aspiring landscaper who's taken up residence in her guest room. When Rosie discovers she's pregnant, she questions her ability to provide a stable environment for her baby, but as she bonds with Tony, who's in the midst of his own bitter custody battle, Rosie realizes that the collection of oddballs that has gravitated around Soapie is the best family anybody could ever want. Though the plot doesn't exactly have any earth-shattering moments, Dawson's charmingly eccentric cast of characters is at turns lovable and infuriating, ensuring a quick read helmed by a memorable, complex heroine.
Customer Reviews
Great characters
This book was totally readable . I loved it, loved those characters, even though I’m really closer in age to the granny…
The Opposite of Maybe
An unknown author to me, but from now on I will search her out. I really don’t have the right words to express my total enjoyment of this book. The characters became so real to me that even though their story was so satisfyingly long, I still wasn’t ready to say goodbye to them. I laughed, got tears in my eyes, and sympathized while reading this book, a truly original story.