Now Until Forever

October 16, 2006
A hardworking set designer and young widow, Ryan Mitchell has good reason for swearing off office romances in White-Owens's mellow new novel. She has a reputation to uphold—one that doesn't involve sleeping her way to the top of the television production food chain. All of that changes, though, when she meets the big boss, Keir Southhall: award-winning director, owner of One Leaf Studio and recently divorced. The attraction between the two is undeniable, and against Ryan's better judgment they begin dating in secret. After revealing themselves as a couple to their co-workers and families, Ryan's on-set boss, Glo, becomes angry; Ryan's sister disapproves; and Keir's two grade-school–aged children want nothing to do with Ryan—pulling them both in a number of different directions. The romance between Ryan and Keir, though passionate, has little suspense behind it—the couple connects early on—and Ryan's willingness to throw her relationship rules out the window further dulls the conflict. What's left is a series of mundane confrontations stretched to fill out entire chapters, including some wishy-washy stabs at the emotional fallout from Ryan's husband's death, a theme that fades in and out of the novel without much emotional depth.