He’s the meanest boss ever.
She’s the sweet shy intern.
They’re about to wreck each other crazy.
My name is Sydney Lucas. I am smart, deathly shy, and one hundred percent determined to make my own way in the world. Which is why I jumped at the chance to intern for Mr. Nick Brooks despite his reputation. After ten failed interviews at other companies, he was the only one offering. Plus, everyone says he knows his stuff, and surely a man as stunningly handsome as him can’t be “the devil incarnate,” right? Wrong.
Oh…that man. That freakin’ man has got to go! I’ve been on the job one week, and he’s insulted my mother, wardrobe shamed me, and managed to make me cry. Twice. Underneath that stone-cold, beautiful face is the evilest human being ever.
But I’m not going to quit. Oh no. For once in my life, I’ve got to make a stand. Only, every time I open my mouth, I can’t quite seem to muster the courage. Perhaps my revenge needs to come in another form: destroying him quietly.
Because I’ve got a secret. I’m not really just an intern, and Sydney Lucas isn’t my real name.
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OKAY! So moving on…
How to get a FREE signed OH, HENRY bookmark.
Step #1: HURRY! (Bookmarks and fridge magnets are on a 1st come basis. When I’m out, I’m out!)
Step #2: Email your shipping address to
Step #3: If you LOVED the book and posted a REVIEW, please do mention it! I’ll include an extra goodie (generally a magnet) as a thank you.
Next is one of my favorite parts about doing these notes: Explaining what the book is all about! Think you figured it out?
Let’s see!
This time there are two underlying themes, inspired by the stuff going on in my real life.
First, my son and I were talking about bullies the other day. Being that he’s about to go into middle school, it’s not an unusual topic. Now, the schools don’t ever want to be seen as advocating fighting. I also don’t feel like that’s the way to go, considering they’re all children. But I also had to recognize and be honest with my son about one important fact: If you don’t stand up, bullies just keep coming back for more. Power is like a drug to them. Sadly, I also had to explain that the bullies don’t end once you leave school. They’re everywhere and come in all ages and genders. So learning to stand your ground, with appropriate force, is part of learning how to deal with people in the real world. Someone hits you in the face, you have a right to defend yourself. If someone is always threatening you, you have the right to do something about it. Simple, right?
Not always. Sometimes there are no easy solutions—a bully boss in a job you need, a bully teacher in a class you have to pass, a family member you love, but who is not always nice. Sometimes there’s no easy walking away or a clear path. (And dealing with conflict is not easy for everyone.) But the alternative, doing nothing, will only leave you feeling helpless, and that is not an option either.
Anyway, as you saw, Henry and Elle did not have a clear plan B when it came to dealing with Henry’s overbearing dad, but they realized if they didn’t stand up, then his father would just keep going, making Henry quit football, making Henry work for him, and pushing a wedding with Candice.
So what next? After Henry believes his father died, Henry tries to put the pain behind him. But now that good old dad is back, they are going to have to face that dragon. Only this time, they’ll face him together. There just is no other option, even if they lose, and I think that was the point. We don’t always know if we’ll win, but if we don’t fight, for damn sure we’ll lose. Gotta at least try.
The second theme of the book is about love and how sometimes loving someone just isn’t enough. I look at the divorce rate in the US and then I look at my parents, who are about to celebrate fifty years of marriage. (Congrats, guys!! Love you!!) I have to wonder what’s made them so different? I mean, it’s not like all those people who get divorced went into it without love. That’s silly. Of course they loved each other. But then, something happens and it falls apart. So for the couples who make it through all the fights, money troubles, power struggles, illnesses, teenaged kids, aging, jealousy, and whatever else life throws at us adults, I have to wonder if it really comes down to commitment and believing that this other person is maybe just a tiny bit better than you. Maybe you have to put your partner on a pedestal? (Not too high, but high enough.)
No, I don’t mean it in a self-deprecating way. I mean maybe the trick is seeing that there are these parts of your partner that are incredible and superior to your own traits, which makes you lucky to have them. Because, if you’re like me, you tend to think a little too highly of yourself sometimes and wish that everyone could be perfect like you. (So me! Ha-ha.) And then reality sets in, and I see the truth about myself. I’m a rock star at some things, really. But not everything. And it’s those little parts of my husband that are so much better than me that remind me that I’m not really “the shit,” and he’s worth committing to.
Okay, anyway, the point is that maybe you can love someone with all your heart, but it might not be enough. Maybe you really have to be willing to see your imperfections in order to see their perfections. That’s really what happened with Elle and Henry, they finally caught a real glimpse of themselves, and then they were able to see each other. Obviously, Elle really had a superwoman superiority complex because of her IQ, and it took looking in the mirror for her to realize she wasn’t all that. Then she had to come to terms with the reality of her true strengths, including when and where she could really make a difference. Henry, too, had to face the fact that he couldn’t do it all. He needed help.
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed my mental detour and the philosophical bullcrap that goes through my mind when I’m writing these stories!
Until we mind meld again, read long and prosper!
With Love,
Mimi