HOUSE RULES Uptown, Book 3

Emily Woo Zeller narrates a second-chance romance between exes who are struggling in the cutthroat New York City housing market. Seventeen years ago, Simon Mizrahi and Lana Kuo were married, but it didn't work out. Now they're roommates--with no benefits. Zeller deftly captures how utterly weary they are to be dealing with precarious housing situations, despite being respected professionals in their 40s. Similarly, Zeller portrays their tentative steps in reestablishing a relationship. Both Simon and Lana have changed in the years since they divorced, and Zeller makes their awkward "I-know-you-but-I-don't" phase utterly believable. Lana's cousin, Julia, is a particularly fun contrast, still being in her 20s, and Zeller projects her youthful, bubbly personality. K.M.P. © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine [Published: APRIL 2020]