Recently divorced phys-ed teacher Makayla is about to turn thirty and is determined to make up for lost time by having as many of the quintessential experiences that she missed out on in her twenties as possible. She makes a list. It includes such things as: go skinny-dipping, get a tattoo, and, the first cab off the rank, have a one night stand. This is the set up for What Did I Miss?, Holly Brunnbauer‘s funny, sexy, and frequently heartbreaking debut romantic comedy.
At first glance, the story of a young woman living out her (usually sexual) bucket list might seem as predictable as they come, and yet there are a few things that set Brunnbauer’s novel apart. For a start, Makayla is not your typical romantic heroine. She isn’t the cute and quirky, awkward type who needs to rediscover her self-confidence – instead that role is reserved for best friend, Cece.
While she may feel like she’s out of practice in the flirting department, Makayla is a character who is used to being somewhat in control, and she knows exactly what she wants. When we first meet her, during the opening chapter, she has identified a man at the bar who is her preferred candidate for said one night stand, and the two hit it off easily after some unusual banter. There is very little will they won’t they. They very quickly do, and if Makayla’s recounting of the event later is anything to go by, they do several times and in rather inventive ways. It seems that Makayla’s marriage to childhood boyfriend, Warren, had been holding her back.
But things get complicated when the supposed anonymous hook-up, with whom she refused to exchange names, turns up at the school where she works. Beau Shepherd – ex-army, private school educated, generally very considerate human being – is the new English teacher. He might be glad to have found Makayla again, but she’s not so sure. Add into the mix a pact with her aunt to stay single until her thirtieth birthday in order to inherit a classic car with a connection to the women in Makayla’s family, and you have the classic set up for a romantic comedy. What could possibly go wrong?
What Did I Miss? is a little more complicated than your average romance, however, and while Makayla and Beau go through several cycles of growing closer and then apart, the reader begins to see that Makayla is not always the most reliable of narrators. From very early in the book, we know that ex-husband Warren has done something that she views as unforgivable, but that it wasn’t infidelity. We know that Makayla feels like something is off between herself and best friend Cece ever since the latter came back from maternity leave. We know that ex-mother-in-law, Trish, is trying to force a reconciliation between Makayla and Warren despite knowing what Warren did, and despite the fact that he has a new partner already named, bizarrely, Diamond.
We also know that Makayla has a work nemesis in the form of a shifty woman in her late sixties who is in charge of timetabling. (Agnes is possibly my favourite character- for all her moxie, she does have a few fairy godmother moments in this book, even if Makayla doesn’t see them for what they are.) But, what if Makayla isn’t doing as well as she’d like everyone to think? What if part of the reason for her marriage breaking down, her friendships feeling strained and her feeling like people at work are out to get her have a lot more to do with her own inability to process something heartbreaking, and the fact that she’s kept her heartbreak a secret from the people who could have helped her through it?
This dynamic, where the woman is the character who is emotionally closed off, does a nice job of flipping one of the genre’s most beloved tropes – grumpy and sunshine – on its head. I also appreciated that the book had a decidedly more working class Australian setting. Makayla, who might otherwise have seemed a little prickly, was softened somewhat through her genuine care for the kids at her school, who she has taken great pains to relate to on their level. In particular this comes out with her interactions with Ebony, a troubled young woman who frequently butts heads with Beau, but whose loyalty to Makayla saves the lovers from a potentially very embarrassing situation on a school camp. (On that note, can I say that if you suffer too much from second-hand embarrassment, this scene will have you feeling mighty uncomfortable.)
Brunnbauer’s book leans on the spicier side of the commercial rom-com genre, featuring frequent scenes of a sexual nature. While at times this did feel like a lot, I appreciated the way that these were included to show Makayla’s growing sense of empowerment. At times, these moments of abandon were also an indicator of just how badly she wanted to avoid thinking about certain elements of her life.
Personally I would have liked to see more plot time devoted to teasing out the issues between Cece and Makayla, however, whilst their changing dynamic was somewhat addressed by the end of the book, the growing sense of unease between friends with children and friends without was one of the most interesting set ups in the opening chapters. While she is finally honest with Cece, and Cece is honest with her, the two never really have that big, satisfying argument where both of them get to say what they really have been thinking, and their relationship does largely continue as Makayla calling the shots.
Makayla does, however, get to have it out with her aunt, Quinn, so if you’re seeking a romantic comedy which centres women supporting women, you will get this in spades from What Did I Miss?
Fans of Karina May will find lots to love in this book, but have tissues ready. As much as the book is full of funny and sexy moments, its heartbreaking moments will move you to tears.
FOUR STARS (OUT OF FIVE)
Holly Brunnbauer’s What Did I Miss? is out now through HarperCollins. Grab yourself a copy from your local bookstore HERE.
Header Image supplied by HarperCollins Australia.
