Missed Connections, Aimie K. Runyan (Review by Melissa Frye)

Missed Connections by Aimie Runyan follows Sabrina Sorenson, an aspiring Michelin inspector, as she faces major life decisions after losing her job as the manager of a Parisian restaurant. She returns to her home in California to celebrate her sister’s engagement where she faces a slew of criticism for her inability to commit to a relationship or path in life. Without knowing where else to turn, Sabrina finds herself at the airport with a mysterious flight attendant who offers the chance to revisit pivotal points and relationships in her past. The novel broaches the theme if you could change your choices, would it really impact overall life fulfillment and happiness? Would your overall trajectory be changed with just a minor tweak in a past event?

Runyan’s story is extremely reminiscent to me of The Midnight Library but with a culinary spin. I have never really known much about the restaurant industry and was really surprised getting an inside look as to what it takes to be successful. There were points that it felt even so cutthroat to me that I wondered what degree of passion was really required to want to endure such a situation. While this wasn’t necessarily an original plotline, I enjoyed how relatable the characters were and the details of the new recipes that were being experimented. It’s always fun considering what might have been if only certain things were said or done even at a small scale. I appreciated this perspective’s emphasis on valuing the journey over the destination and its effect on those we connect with. Sometimes we are so focused on how things in the past detracted us that we fail to realize that a little bit of a mind shift could open even greater possibilities.

This was a good light read that would be great for upcoming summer weather. I definitely recommend reading it with a snack in tow! And reading all the way to the end where the author may have shared a recipe or two to try.