Advanced Physical Chemistry

January 20, 2020
Nix (Rising Star) offers a sweet and often hilarious tale of a heartbroken heroine who makes an impressive rebound. Plus-sized scientist and fan fiction enthusiast Penny Popplestone is at a knitting group meeting in a café when her boyfriend, Kenneth, saunters in with another woman. It’s bad enough that she’s being cheated on, but she’s also mortified that the hottest barista in the shop is witnessing it. Turns out Hottie Barista, aka Caleb Mayhew, a soon-to-be medical student, has had his eye on Penny for a while. Knowing Caleb will soon leave town for school, Penny, who has dealt with a long string of terrible boyfriends, sets out to have her first no-strings-attached affair. Nix’s pacing is pitch-perfect, and a cast of endearing secondary characters, particularly Penny’s supportive friend Olivia, add depth and appeal. Penny is a refreshing heroine with a messy personal life, but an inspiring career. Readers will eagerly devour Nix’s smart and sexy story.