Sleepover

Starred review from September 24, 2018
In this touching and seductive contemporary by Bell (following Head Over Heels and Do Over), the friendship between two boys leads to romance for their single parents. Handsome furniture maker Sawyer Paulson moves to the small town of Revere Lake, Wash., and his son immediately bonds with their neighbor’s son. The other boy’s mother is Elle Dunning, a writer with whom Sawyer had a one-night stand after the death of his wife two years earlier. There is tenderness and humor as Elle and Sawyer rekindle their earlier passion while managing the logistics of raising their inseparable eight-year-olds. Sawyer and Elle’s erotic encounters are sizzling and well balanced with complex emotions as Sawyer copes with missing his wife and wanting more intimacy with Elle, while Elle, who is still recovering from her ex-husband’s betrayal, is wary of Sawyer’s continued attachment to the memory of his wife. Bell’s characters are fully actualized, and their interpersonal relationships, such as Sawyer’s interactions with his brother and Elle’s relationships with her supportive best friends, effectively highlight their likable personalities. This is a perfect blend of romantic sexiness and sweet sentimentality. Agent: Emily Sylvan Kim, Prospect.