Maybe, Probably by Amanda Radley is an age gap, friends-to-lovers, medical romance set during the first months of the Covid pandemic in London. I’ve been waiting to see who would be the first brave author to set a book in the time of the pandemic. I’ve read several books that alluded to Covid in their stories, but didn’t use it as a major part of the tale. With this novel, Ms. Radley tackles this sensitive subject matter in a very realistic way. She also shows that life (and romance) really did continue during that very trying time.
Dr. Eleanor Osborne is a doctor in a major hospital in London, so she gets to see exactly what the new virus is doing to the people in her city. She is also a single mother of a baby named Sophia. Eleanor’s babysitter has just left the city to get away from the virus, so Eleanor now has to find a new sitter as quickly as possible. Gina Henley lives just down the hall from Eleanor and Sophia. Normally a social and gregarious person, Gina is now forced to work from home. Feeling claustrophobic and hating the silence and loneliness of her apartment, she offers to babysit Sophia. Gina and Eleanor gradually become friends with the chance of becoming more than that if they can get over all the hurdles that are thrown in their way.
I did enjoy this tale, and I could understand everything these three went through with the sudden changes in their lives. The events during that time (the pandemic) actually play a major role in this book, and the author handled it very well. I especially connected with Eleanor, and understood the struggles she was facing in both her personal and professional life. It took me a little longer to connect with Gina, mainly because at the beginning of the novel, she comes across as rather immature. Her character does grow as she is forced to meet the challenges of this time period in the narrative. I did have some trouble seeing the connection between the two women at first, probably because of Gina’s lack of maturity at that time, but it becomes quite apparent later in the tale.
I’m really glad I had the chance to read this romance. It’s a beautiful love story set in a very trying time.
I received an ARC from NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for an honest review.
Rainbow Reflections 