Philippa Flynn's Year of Panic and Piracy by Jacqueline Firkins

Phillipa Flynn has a near-death experience and upends her life. She quits her job and moves into her grandmother's house. The only wrinkle? Her grandmother's writing partner is still in the house. But that's fine, they can both be there. Even if the house is falling apart, it's still large. 

At first, she and Dylan don't interact much, he doesn't really seem to have much to say. But then they start to open up.

And even though this seemed to be billed as a romance, the focus is more on Philippa and her personal growth. It took me some time to get into the book, but I really enjoyed the middle. Unfortunately, the end didn't match the rest of the story. 

Three and a half stars

This book comes out September 1, 2026

ARC kindly provided by Lake Union Publishing and Netgalley

Opinions are my own