Brooke Abrams

Brooke Abrams approaches contemporary fiction through family comedy, romantic reversals, and characters reconsidering old judgments. Her debut, Penelope in Retrograde, turns a tense Thanksgiving homecoming into a warm story about expectations and second chances. Lake Union Publishing released the novel in October 2023. Its central figure, romance writer Penelope Banks, returns to Southern California after years away and arrives with plans for a romance-only bookstore that still needs financial backing. An awkward trip from the airport reconnects her with Smith, her former husband, while a pretend relationship with her father’s colleague complicates an already crowded holiday. Abrams places that romantic plot beside Penelope’s strained bond with her twin sister and her fear that she has disappointed a high-achieving family. The title’s astrological image suits a story about looking backward before moving forward. Written with a four-day holiday frame, the book combines contemporary romance and family comedy as Penelope revises the story she tells about herself.