Hot Dutch Daydream

February 1, 2023
A driven scientist and an artist who lacks focus aim to be more productive but end up falling in love. Sage Cunningham is going to spend the summer in Amsterdam looking after her mentor's 3-year-old son, Diederik. In exchange, Dr. Reese will pay Sage's expenses to attend a conference in Berlin and present at a poster session, something few college freshmen get to do. When Ryland, Dr. Reese's teenage son from her first marriage, unexpectedly comes home early from a backpacking trip, Sage worries he could be a distraction. But Ryland, who finds it all too easy to get derailed by relationship drama, is hoping some of Sage's work ethic will rub off on him, and he asks her to help him focus while he prepares for an upcoming art competition. Evenings spent together working on their separate projects in Ryland's attic lead to friendship--and then to more. However, Dr. Reese makes it clear that if Sage dates Ryland, she won't be able to work in her lab going forward in order to avoid the appearance of favoritism. Sage has been counting on the position and Dr. Reese's support to help her reach her professional goals, but can she really say goodbye to Ryland? The romance develops naturally and believably, with both protagonists learning that the right partner can help them achieve their dreams. Main characters read White. Armchair travelers and fans of opposites-attract romances will adore this story. (Romance. 12-18)

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May 1, 2023

Gr 7-10-Sage is driven. Her singular focus for the summer after high school is to attend a prestigious academic STEM conference in Berlin. In order to make this happen, she has agreed to serve as nanny for Dr. Reese, a preeminent researcher, working mother, and field expert. The summer takes on a whole new twist, however, when it is revealed that Dr. Reese's older son Ryland, an aspiring artist and general free spirit, will be living at the house, too, and that Sage and Ryland are expressly forbidden from dating. Gauntlet down. It isn't a handful of days before Sage and Ryland are constant companions, and soon sparks are flying. Ryland uses their time together to woo Sage with Amsterdam highlights including travel by tram, bicycling, a visit to a giant clog, and sampling a cone full of fries covered in mayonnaise. The romance is admittedly tame, focused predominantly on kissing and Ryland making personalized screen-printed T-shirts for Sage. Ryland is a great character who focuses on creating unique block prints featuring cats snuck into the corners of every image. He leans into his cat motif by leading Sage to cat-focused tourist attractions including KattenKabinet. Curious readers can lose more than a few moments exploring the virtual tour of this real-world facility or researching the works of Louis Wain. The novel is set in the Netherlands with presumably an all-white cast. VERDICT Hand this to fans of Stephanie Perkins. A perfect summer romance.-Leah Krippner

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