Julie Murphy (If the Shoe Fits) immerses readers in a Palm Springs retirement community full of aging Hollywood veterans in Vera Stein Is Fine. Forty-year-old Vera has been the assistant (and more) to Brody, one of Hollywood's famous himbos, for nearly half her life. When she realizes the job is a dead end, she camps out on her scream-queen grandmother Ruby's chaise lounge. To her surprise, the man she once married for a day on a dare from Brody is the community's doctor, who she is certain has hated her for years.
Vera Stein Is Fine is a delightful, fun, and heartfelt read. It's full of amusing side characters, such as Ruby's enemy/neighbor, who is trying to sell a baby-blue coffin on Facebook Marketplace; her former/perhaps current-lesbian lover; and a sex-toy shop owner who sells through his stock at a class in the community. Lovers of forced proximity and second-chance romance will adore the banter between Vera and Elias, who bunk together in staff housing. And anybody who has ever had a bad boss will celebrate with Vera as she stands up to Brody and decides to pursue her dreams of becoming a screenwriter.
Readers will likely relate to Vera, who's "waiting for my life to begin. To become the person I was meant to be--whoever the hell she was," and to her journey as she makes her way in the world. Vera Stein Is Fine is an absolute joy, perfect for those who believe in fresh starts or adore a kooky grandma. --Alyssa Parssinen, freelance reviewer and former bookseller