“Listen, girl. You need to accept the fact that your attempt at boring and normal failed. Stop clinging to the hope that one day you’ll wake up and be someone else. You need to embrace who you are and get back out there. You are stagnant. Stir things up. Slap on some concealer, bust out something that shows cleavage, and do something.”

Jasmine Patel fulfills the quintessential best friend character trope. She’s Riley’s closest confidante and therefore feels comfortable being direct with her. Here, Jasmine urges Riley to stop pretending she’s something she isn’t, encouraging her to “embrace who she is” instead of remaining isolated and stagnant. Jasmine frames change as a necessity for her friend. Her words of tough love and the strength of her character contribute to Riley’s finally committing to a personal growth journey.

“Perry gestured at him with the sub. ‘The way I choose to live my life is not providing a commentary on how you should live yours. You’re a young, healthy man, Nicholas. Complications are the best part of life. I’m starting to get concerned about you.’”

Nick Santiago’s unhoused friend Perry offers him the encouragement he needs to change. Perry observes Nick’s life and notices how stuck he is. Nick is convinced he’s happy with his bachelor life, but Perry is attuned to his complacency. He believes Nick could start Developing Self-Acceptance Via Personal Challenges. If he faces life’s complications with courage and heart, he could live a more fulfilled life.

“Nick’s ass going up stairs turned out to be the distraction Riley had been looking for. Staring at worn denim moving over taut muscle had an anesthetizing effect on the panic she’d spent all day squashing. Griffin’s ass had always been a little too flat for her liking. He didn’t have any tattoos either. Or dimples. He’d also never voluntarily carried anything anywhere. Not groceries, not laundry, not even Riley across the threshold on their wedding night.”

The third-person narrator’s detailed description of Nick’s physicality conveys Riley’s interest in him. While in proximity to Nick, Riley notices his “ass,” his “worn denim” jeans,” and his “tattoos” and “dimples.” In addition, she compares him to her ex, which conveys her desire to be in a relationship that’s different from her disappointing marriage. Nick and Griffin are foils for each other and thus impact Riley in different ways: Everything that Griffin wasn’t, Nick is. The moment foreshadows how Riley and Nick’s romance develops.

“In five years? I want a job I love. A non-shit sandwich significant other. At least one dog and a kid or two. And a bank balance that I don’t have to check every single day to make sure I can afford a cup of coffee. Quiet. Peaceful. Happy. Normal.”

Riley opens up to Nick about her hopes and dreams in this scene. Her vulnerability conveys her desire for stability and predictability. She wants a good job, a dog, kids, and enough money to get by. These simple longings capture how unwilling Riley is to dream big at this stage of the novel. Although she’s being honest, her words convey her fear of branching out and accepting her truly special nature.

“He wasn’t going to think about the fear that had gripped him when he’d heard the shots fired. He had just pulled into the lot and confirmed Frick’s shitmobile was there when he’d heard the shots. All he’d been able to think about was getting to her.”

Nick’s fearful reaction to hearing the shots at the Front Street house conveys his concern for Riley. The two aren’t in a relationship, and Nick has convinced himself he isn’t interested in commitment, but he can’t deny his impulse to protect Riley. This instinct is a manifestation of his burgeoning love and foreshadows how their romance blooms in subsequent chapters.

“Gentry’s blond hair was perfectly coiffed and sprayed with industrial shellac. His suit was somewhere between gray and a light purple. He wore a lavender shirt, a purple paisley tie, and loafers with tassels. The man’s teeth were a shade of white not known to exist in nature.”

The narrator’s detailed description of Griffin in this scene captures his inauthentic nature. His hair is “coiffed,” “sprayed,” and “shellacked”; his suit, tie, and loafers look like a costume; and his teeth look fake. These aspects of his appearance provide a window into his untrustworthy, fraudulent nature. Griffin appears more fake than Riley’s “fake boyfriend,” Nick, who presents a more authentic, raw aura to the world.

“This was the unhinged, deranged, hiccupping gasp of a lunatic who desperately needed sleep. This was the delayed hysterical reaction of a woman who had been pushed too far. A woman who had tried to save a dumbass’s life. A woman who had cushioned the fall of the very fine, very dense body of Nick Santiago, who was never, ever going to see her again. A woman who was hanging on by her fingernails while her cheating ex-husband booked first class tickets for his second honeymoon.”

Riley’s sudden outburst of laughter is a manifestation of her internal tension. Not only has she lost sleep in recent days, but life has “pushed her too far.” She feels strained by her personal circumstances and her recent disappointments, and she doesn’t know how to process these challenges. Her “unhinged, deranged, hiccupping gasps” appear outsized but convey how pent-up she feels. She has yet to accept herself or reconcile with her past, and anxiety thus overcomes her. The language in this passage affects a humorous tone, which mimics Riley’s raucous display of emotion.

“Tired, grumpy, and annoyed with the world, Nick gave Brian and Josie a cursory grunt before shutting himself in his office. He wasn’t in the mood for another round of ‘Did you call her?’ and ‘Are you going to call her?’ Most of the hours since Sunday morning had been spent reminding himself of all the reasons why he should definitely not reach out to Riley Thorn.”

Nick attempts to convince himself that he shouldn’t get involved with Riley because he’s afraid of romance and commitment. He feels “tired, grumpy, and annoyed with the world” because he’s experiencing internal conflict. Logically, he doesn’t want to call Riley, but emotionally, he can’t stop thinking about her. He tries to apply a logical train of thought (listing “all the reasons” he shouldn’t contact Riley) to his emotions because he wants to be in control. Riley makes him feel out of control because of the strength of their chemistry, which soon proves transformative for both of them.

“Riley had thought about Nick’s offer all afternoon. And while the extra money would come in handy, she really didn’t want to get involved. She’d rather forget the whole thing had ever happened and move on with her boring life and stick to her boring plan.”

Riley’s reluctance to work with Nick and continue their fake engagement conveys her fear of change. She thus feels conflicted about her attraction to Nick and her curiosity about him. His character represents the unknown. Riley is more comfortable choosing her “boring life” and “boring plan” because they’re predictable. Like Nick, she hopes to control her life instead of welcoming adventure and taking risks.

“Riley was interested. And terrified. Casual sex with Nick wouldn’t be casual for her. It would be life-changing, world-rocking, potentially vagina ruining. It was like strapping on a pair of skis for the first time ever and plummeting down a black diamond trail. She felt like it would be smarter to start on a bunny trail until she could get the hang of things.”

Riley’s internal monologue reveals her intense sexual attraction to Nick. However, her thoughts also reiterate her fear of getting involved with someone she feels genuinely interested in. She senses that sleeping with him would change her life in both physical and emotional senses. Her predictions affect a humorous mood but also foreshadow the transformative nature of the relationship they soon share. In addition, she compares sex to “a black diamond trail” versus “a bunny trail.” The skiing metaphors imply that she fears the urge to take a leap and risk emotional comfort, but recognizes that the “smarter” choice limits her growth.

“Lily never locked her bedroom door. What if the intruder tried that one? What if Mr. Willicott took another middle-of-the-night trip to the bathroom? Was she about to hear one of her poor, sweet neighbors who she’d miss much more than Dickie Frick yelling, ‘Cabbage casserole’?”

The questions Riley asks herself during this tense scene affect an interrogative mood. Riley isn’t sure what is happening in her house. She’s still discovering The Importance of Learning to Problem-Solve and Think Creatively. At this juncture of the novel, she can only think about the potential intruder conventionally and logistically. The passage conveys both her attempts to understand her unprecedented circumstances and the work she’ll have to do to grow as a sleuth.

“It means that you have much more control over your gifts than you believe. It is not an always on or always off experience. There are ways of refining and filtering what you open yourself to.”

Gabe’s character plays the role of Riley’s archetypal guide. He’s sent to Riley to help her “control her gifts” and to “refine and filter” the messages she receives from the beyond. He speaks in a direct yet kind and controlled manner—a tone which conveys his patient nature and investment in Riley’s growth.

“She also noticed that about every half hour or so, Betsy would come out and take what looked like a lot of cash from Rod behind the bar. A lot more than what should have been coming in for two-dollar drafts. She itched to text Nick with an update. Something fishy was definitely happening at Nature Girls.”

While undercover at Nature Girls, Riley’s observations of the bar convey The Importance of Learning to Problem-Solve and Think Creatively. Her decision to go undercover shows her working to think outside the box about her and Nick’s investigation. She’s gathering information in an untraditional way, which creates leads on the case.

“The pattern continued into adulthood. Now, while Wander experienced steady growth and marched her way toward her goals, the other Thorn sister sometimes felt as stagnant as pond water. But Riley was proud of Wander’s celebrity. Even if it made her life seem a little quiet by comparison.”

Riley compares herself to her sister Wander because she’s still learning about herself, which thematically highlights Developing Self-Acceptance Via Personal Challenges. Riley knows that she and Wander have fundamentally different personalities, but she envies her sister’s ability to “grow steadily” and to “march toward her goals.” In reflecting on Wander’s life, Riley has revelations about her own life; she begins to recognize that Jasmine is right: Riley recognizes that she’s caught in a rut. She compares her circumstances to “stagnant pond water,” a metaphor that conjures notions of algae, filth, and unmoving mire. After experiencing great personal pain in her marriage to Griffin, Riley is understandably reticent about opening herself up to experiencing joy.

“‘You’re also not actually engaged,’ Blossom pointed out. ‘But if I have to hear from Lily one more time about how charming and polite and “smoldering with sexuality” my daughter’s fiancé, who we’ve never met, is, I’m going to blow a spiritual gasket. Cheers,’ she said.”

The fake dating trope compels Riley and Nick to commit to a serious, real relationship with each other. Blossom understands that Riley and Nick aren’t “actually engaged,” but their pretend arrangement still piques her interest in getting to know Nick. She wants to know the person her daughter is spending so much time with, which creates an opening for Nick in Riley’s family.

“She heard footsteps and froze. Quickly, she reached into the stall and flushed the toilet. Then she moved to the sink and ran the water. How long was too long to pretend to wash her hands? Was it suspicious that she was washing her hands in a place like this? Would that tip him off that she was a plant?”

Riley’s internal monologue in this scene in the Nature Girls bathroom affects an anxious, tense narrative mood. She’s trying to investigate the bar and determine who Duncan Gulliver is. However, she’s overcome by fear and trepidation because she understands that Duncan is a threat and that Nature Girls isn’t a safe place. At the same time, her interrogative tone thematically illustrates The Importance of Learning to Problem-Solve and Think Creatively. She must rescue herself from this sticky situation. Additionally, the passage underscores the symbolic significance of the Nature Girls setting, where Riley and her friends learn new sleuthing tricks.

“Was it any wonder he was developing feelings—or whatever—for her? In fact, when all this was over, when he’d bagged the killer and collected his fees, he was going to take Riley out on a date. A real one. He’d just have to figure out how to convince her.”

Nick’s internal monologue conveys the theme of Romantic Tension as a Form of Professional and Personal Motivation. Nick has thus far used the Dickie Frick case as an excuse to spend time with Riley. At this juncture, however, Nick is beginning to acknowledge the intensity of his feelings for Riley. Their chemistry is motivating him to “bag the killer and collect his fees” simply to create the opportunity to take Riley out on “a real date.” Their unexpected romance has changed Nick’s outlook.

“Did she have any idea how much damage someone could inflict in the minute it would have taken him to get to her? […] But Riley wasn’t Beth. She was tougher. Smarter. Older. But she still needed protection. And he was fucking terrified that he couldn’t give it to her.”

Nick’s concern for Riley reiterates his desperate desire to be close to her. His protective instincts are manifestations of his burgeoning love. He often gets upset with Riley because he fears that she’s putting herself in danger. He’s “fucking terrified” of losing her, both because of what happened to Beth and because he wants a future with her. The narrator inhabits Nick’s consciousness to reveal his true feelings for Riley.

“She needs the kind of man who will support her. Not like sugar-daddy support her. But someone who will help her spread her wings. A guy who will break her out of the boring safety cocoon she’s crocheted herself into. She needs the kind of man who will help her be herself, not expect her to play fan club president while he runs off and has a good time.”

Jasmine’s open and honest conversation with Nick about his relationship with Riley conveys her care for her friend. Jasmine doesn’t simply encourage Riley and Nick’s relationship because Riley is single and Nick is attractive. Rather, she understands who Riley is and what she needs. The final sentence of the passage explicitly references how Griffin treated Riley during their marriage. Jasmine authentically advocates for her friend’s emotional and romantic well-being. Her words help Nick understand Riley better.

“She was fine. He told himself that as he took the stairs two at a time. She met him halfway and jumped into his arms. He hugged her hard. It was only relief that had him kissing her like his life depended on it. At least that was what he told himself.”

Nick and Riley’s reunion after another close call with their enemies thematically reiterates Romantic Tension as a Form of Professional and Personal Motivation. The characters want to solve their case, but they’re more concerned with being together and ensuring each other’s safety. Their body language in this scene underscores their investment in each other. Nick skips stairs, and Riley “jumps into his arms.” These behaviors convey their excitement and relief.

“It was covered with a hideous orange-and-green floral bedspread. The hideous orange-and-green floral bedspread that had haunted her visions for the last two weeks. Riley looked from the bedspread to Nick and back again. Here. They were always meant to come here.”

The Happy Acres room, where Riley and Nick stay, symbolizes their romantic fate. Riley is shocked to encounter the same “hideous orange-and-green floral bedspread” from her sex vision because it makes her realize that she and Nick are meant to be together. The moment marks a turning point in their relationship, foreshadowing their first sexual encounter and helping them embrace their mutual attraction more honestly.

“Riley looked back at the rumpled bed and remembered with aching clarity what had transpired there only hours before. Nick was going to be so pissed. But at least he’d be alive, and Jasmine would be safe. She hoped he’d forgive her eventually.”

Riley’s decision to risk her life to save Nick emphasizes the theme of Romantic Tension as a Form of Professional and Personal Motivation. Riley knows that Nick won’t be happy with her for changing the plan and approaching Nolan Flemming without him. However, she takes this risk because she cares about Nick. Her decision underscores her willingness to make sacrifices on his behalf.

“That was the thing about fantasies. Unlike psychic visions, they didn’t come true. Considering the fact that there was no reason for them to pretend to be engaged anymore, she’d be lucky if she ever saw him again.”

Riley fears that Nick won’t want to be with her after they solve the Dickie Frick case because she’s accustomed to romantic disappointment. She has finally adjusted to the power of her psychic visions, but she realizes that her more human fantasies might not be as feasible. The moment conveys how the fake dating trope functions in the novel: This arrangement has brought Riley and Nick together and ultimately leads them into a committed relationship.