Queen B’s Decree: Fly with Me really struck me. The author, Andie Burke, used her experience as a nurse during COVID as inspiration, and it really felt so accurate. As a healthcare provider, so much of it was so close to home and what I see too often.
Olive is trying to work on her brother’s “bucket list,” as he’s no longer able to while in a vegetative state. One of the things on the list is flying to Disney World and running the marathon, but a medical emergency mid-flight causes the flight to be rerouted. One of the pilots, Stella, discovers her after their landing and ends up driving her to Orlando.
Long story short, the media gets involved and Olive and Stella decide to “fake date,” but c’mon folks, they basically real date the whole time. Their relationship is adorable, full of cute and witty banter and sexual chemistry/tension. Their relationship progresses at a natural pace and it felt very realistic and sweet.
But what really stayed with me was Olive’s relationship with her brother and family. I work in an intensive care unit, and my team often has to have difficult conversations about goals of care, and family isn’t always on the same page. It can be so heartbreaking to watch a patient decline, with no hopes of improvement. So I really felt for Olive. I know how it feels to be a healthcare provider and know the science behind what’s happening and feel hopeless. The author’s writing truly brought me to tears; it was so real.
I couldn’t put Fly with Me down and I’m super interested in reading more from Andie Burke.
Book: Fly with Me by Andie Burke
Series: standalone
Genre: Contemporary
Hotness: mild-medium salsa
Plot Devices/Tropes: fake dating