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Reviewed by Priya Mathew for Readers' Favorite
The Angel by Ellen Wood is a second-chance love story. The novel opens with an almost cinematic scene. Carlene Jae, a woman admired for her grace and poise, is publicly served divorce papers by her powerful husband, Joshua Sendis, at the Philharmonic in front of cameras, the crowd, and half of New York’s elite. Carlene handles the situation with her signature smile and poise, which has earned her the name "The Angel." However, underneath the façade of a calm exterior lies a fractured past. At the center of that past is Zachary Knight, a man she once chose and then left behind. As Carlene returns to her hometown, both Zach and Carlene are forced to face what they lost and see if they can make things work this time around.
The Angel by Ellen Wood has a warm conversational tone with genuine humor and occasional hints of something almost tender enough to hurt. The exchanges between Carlene and Zach take the history of their relationship into the spaces between words. She teases, he resists, she teases harder, he breaks into laughter despite himself. There is almost a rhythm to their banter, like it would be between two people who learned how to talk to each other long ago and never quite forgot. Carlene and Zach do anchor the story, but I felt the supporting characters also have their own weight to add to this story. Felix and Sofia’s family adds an emotional anchor and domestic tenderness. Among the supporting cast, I loved Jennifer, who is young but is more self-aware and far more generous toward Carlene than you would expect. Readers who enjoy second-chance romances will find much to love here.
