Iona Iverson's Rules for Commuting by Clare Pooley

Rules are made for breaking, but when you break them, there's no telling what the results might be. 

Iona Iverson is an experienced advice columnist whose editor would love to trade her in for a younger, cheaper, hipper model. But Iona loves her work, knows her value, and plans to cling to her job for dear life. As the stressful battle for her job begins, Iona breaks the rules of her London commute, speaking to another commuter on her train. To be fair, he was choking to death on a grape. And Iona doesn't speak to him but noticing his predicament, actually bellows, "Is there a doctor on the train?"

There isn't. But there's a conscientious male nurse called Sanjay who Heimlichs the choker, Piers,  back to life. That's just the beginning of the chain of actions and reactions that changes the lives of a group of commuters on train. By the time "Iona Iverson's Rules for Commuting" winds down, readers will have enjoyed a bit of romance, break-ups, humiliation, trauma, career changes, and redemption. The cast of characters includes Sanjay the nurse, his crush Emmie, teenaged outcast Martha, and Piers, along with Iona and Bea, the love of Iona's life. 

The book is a reminder of the sweetness of human connection, something that is easy to lose in a world of virtual relationships. Iona is her own woman, a character with a strong voice, and a streak of independence. But when she needs her new friends, they rally around her, just as she ministered to them in their time of need. "Iona Iverson's Rules for Commuting" will be published June 7, 2022, by Pamela Dorman Books, and I look forward to purchasing a copy for the library. Fans of Frederik Backman's "A Man Called Ove" will enjoy Iona and her train mates.  

I received a pre-publication copy of the book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. ​