Anyone who’s ever reminisced about their unrequited first love or longed for a shakeup just when they thought they were settled will love the charming and fun story of Adeline Turner. A career-driven early thirty-something, Adeline is climbing the law firm ladder and navigating the roulette of “tall, dark and toxic” bachelors in the Chicago dating scene when opportunities new and old fall in her lap on a business trip to sunny California. Book clubs and fans of women’s fiction will devour The Trials of Adeline Turner: A Novel by Angela Terry.
Risk-averse Adeline uncharacteristically takes the leap into a new life in San Francisco. But a suddenly messy romantic life and suspicions of an office sabotage threaten to derail her high-flying future before it’s off the ground. Without the safety net of her old life in Chicago, Addie must become her own advocate and learn that people aren’t always what they seem. Does the key to having the future she desires lie in uncovering the truth of the past?
“Like my character, I moved from Chicago to San Francisco as an adult and had to go through the process creating a new life and friendships,” Terry says. “I want my stories to illuminate the importance of being true to yourself and finding what makes you happy – which often involves getting out of your comfort zone, letting go of any old stories that hold you back, and listening to your heart.”
Fans of Sophie Kinsella, Lauren Weisberger and Emily Giffin’s iconic Something Borrowed and Something Blue novels will adore The Trials of Adeline Turner.
“Ow, sorry,” I say apologetically. “I should really look where I’m going.”
“No problem.” A deep male voice laughs as he places his hands on my elbows, obviously trying to stop me from running him over. “Are you okay?”
As I’m standing there rubbing the tip of my nose, something about his voice strikes a chord inside me and I look up.
Whoa! This man is beautiful, and his smile is even more so, and I stumble a little as I take a small step back.
“Yeah, thanks. Sorry again for my clumsiness!” I answer laughingly, embarrassed.
“No problem.”
He releases my elbows, and I move aside as he goes up to the check-in counter.
Away from the line, I recombobulate myself, pulling my tote back onto my shoulder. I’m a little shaky, though, and feel a flush spreading across my chest. I sneak a look at the back of the man I just bumped into. Very tall and fit-looking with a gorgeous head of hair. The most perfect shade of chestnut, it’s thick and a little wavy and flops in all the right directions. He’s running his hand through it as he waits for the airline clerk. He’s looking around now. Mmm...what nice, strong-looking shoulders. Oh wait, he’s looking at me! Probably because I’m staring at him. Oops! I give a half smile, and just as I turn around to head to security, the clerk says, “Thank you, Mr. Summers,” and I freeze.
I know this man!
My flush escapes my crewneck to my cheeks, and I’m freaking out—not so much that I know him, but at my reaction. Am I sweating? One half of me wants to get the hell out of here, but the other half, the deer in the headlights, is rooted to the spot. Even if I wanted to run, my legs are like Jell-O and I’m too shaken to even try to take a step.
The blue shirt appears in front of me again. “Hi,” Brad says.
Brad Summers, my unrequited high school crush, is standing in front of me eighteen years later.
Angela Terry is an attorney who formerly practiced intellectual property law at large firms in Chicago and San Francisco. She is also a Chicago Marathon legacy runner and races to raise money for PAWS Chicago—the Midwest’s largest no-kill shelter. She resides in San Francisco with her husband and two cats and enjoys throwing novel-themed dinner parties for her women’s fiction book club. Her debut novel, Charming Falls Apart, is a 2021 Independent Press Awards Winner, 2021 IPBA Benjamin Franklin Awards Finalist, and 2020 Best Book Awards Finalist.
Connect with Terry at www.angelaterry.com, @AngelaTerryAuthor on Facebook and Instagram, and @AngelaTerryLit on Twitter.
The Trials of Adeline Turner: A Novel is available for pre-order at Bookshop.org, Amazon, and wherever books are sold.
Ah yes, that unrequited first love...always good fodder for a story.
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