Welcome, Sally, to the PP! And congratulations on Going Native.
In the dark of winter, nothing lightens my mood like a brilliant romantic comedy. I’m especially fond of 1993’s “Groundhog Day,” with Bill Murray and Andie MacDowell.
When Phil Connors (Bill Murray) asks, “What would you do if you were stuck in one place and every day was exactly the same, and nothing that you did mattered?” it’s easy to relate. Who among us hasn’t felt trapped by a stifling relationship or dead-end job?
In the film, Phil is doomed to relive the same day over and over until he gets it right. Only when he decides to transcend the monotony and take an honest interest in the people around him—and become a better man—does he win Rita’s heart and unfreeze the calendar.
In other words, when we’re stuck, we can wait (and wait) for circumstances to change. Or we can take a risk and do the changing ourselves.
That’s the choice facing my heroine, Violet. Rather than go to Rio with the free-spirited friend she idolizes, she stays stuck in her dutiful Good Girl ways and offers to house- and dog-sit instead. But come Groundhog Day, there’s a rowdy block party at her new digs, a little champagne carbonating her blood, and before she knows it, Violet accepts a dare that lands her in a stranger’s arms.
It’s her chance to try something different. To risk feeling sexy. To walk a mile in her friend’s sky-high heels. It’s not a perfect fit, and there’s a price to pay. But scary as it is, it’s a lot of fun.
