If ever a book was written that included everything I love about reading romance, it was this one. I swooned, I laughed, I giggled and kicked my feet in glee, I cried, and I fell head over heels in love with Ben, Luca, and Jeremiah. This book took a difficult topic - the loss of a loved one - and handled it with realism and such care. Ben’s grief was palpable, and my heart hurt for him and his son Luca as they tried to move on from their loss. But instead of bogging the story down with sadness, it was perfectly balanced by the entry of Jeremiah into their lives. He was a ball of sunshine with a heart of gold, and he was smitten with Ben and Luca from the moment he met them. Without him even really trying, Jeremiah became the balm the Stirlings needed to mend their broken hearts.

This book was the best kind of slow burn. I loved seeing the easy way Jeremiah became integrated into Ben and Luca’s daily lives. The three of them were adorable, and it felt so organic. I wouldn’t call Ben grumpy, he was just sad, but even so, he was still so kind toward Jeremiah right from the start. The way they bonded and the way Ben grew to trust him and began opening up to him was simply beautiful. There’s one scene where everything Ben’s kept bottled up finally bubbles over, and the way Jeremiah is there for him during it brought tears to my eyes.

These two were so perfect together. I couldn’t get over how sweet they were. I was giddy for a good portion of this book, they were just the cutest. The pining from Jeremiah was sooooooo good. And the way Ben’s bi-awakening was handled was fantastic. It was gradual and natural and felt totally believable. And most importantly, it was handled in a way that didn’t invalidate Ben’s love for his late wife. I loved everything about it.

I also loved Jeremiah (aka Jelly) and Luca’s relationship. I’m a total sucker for the love interest falling in love with the kid as much as they love the parent and that’s exactly what happened here. Some of my favorite scenes in the book were when Ben, Luca, and Jelly were all together. These three made the sweetest family! I could keep rambling about this book; there was so much I loved about it, but instead, I’ll just urge you to grab a copy and check it out for yourself. It really is something special!