I don't remember the last time I've felt so giddy reading a book. Almost Loved made me fall in love with the characters, the writing, and the beautiful story. I'm so glad to have had a chance to beta read before its release.

I am so so extremely proud of you, Mee! YOU DID IT.



I was kindly asked to be one of the first readers for Mira’s debut novel. It was quite an honor as I had previously read the first few chapters on Wattpad and remember adoring the story! I was ecstatic and impressed by Almost Loved, a love story but not just your typical love story. Lyris and Hale both have reasons to stay away from each other, to stay away from falling in love. But it seems like fate has a different idea.

One of the many aspects of the story that I loved was the writing. I was easily swept away by the description and the dialogue. I love witty dialogue! I couldn’t help but laugh and swoon and want to cry. Along with the dialogue was the great character dynamics. You have to have good character dynamics in order to have good dialogue. The two correlated like peanut butter and jelly. I absolutely adored Lyris and Evey’s relationship. It reminded me of my relationship with my best friend and to me that is authenticity. It brought a smile to my face whenever I read about the two, teasing each other and telling each other things that the other needed to hear.

Aside from the male protagonist (we’ll get to him in a bit), there were secondary characters that added a certain sweetness and reality to the story. Like West and Leon, Evey’s boyfriend and Lyris’ friend, who added their own kind of quriks to the novel. West and Leon were protective, both in different ways. They were also loyal and witty. West particularly made me laugh more than once out loud. I realize that I’m talking about these characters like they are real. But you don’t realize how very real they were to me because the author made it so.

Then, there was Hale. Ah, Hale. You are my new book boyfriend. It is unbelievable how he made me giddy with his undeniable charming self. He was strong and persevered. He was also honest from the start as the past constantly surfaced. I won’t say more than that as I don’t want to spoil you! I like how Hale tried, how he was willing to put his past aside in order to give his blossoming relationship with Lyris a chance.

This isn’t your typical “boy meets girl” story or a typical romantic comedy. How can I explain it? It’s a love story, where both parties are desperately trying to figure out what to do and how to move forward in hopes to finding a love that is real – truer than their past relationships. To me, that is a great message to have realized while reading. Most people don’t realize that they can find love again even when they think it’s quite impossible.

Lastly, you have your leading lady, Lyris. She is so easy to relate to. She’s been hurt (as many of us have been) when it comes to an ex-boyfriend. We see her struggle and slowly begin to evolve from the woman she is at the start of the story to the woman she ends up to be. It’s a beautiful evolution that is wonderfully written. I also love her voice. It made the story far more interesting because of amazing narration!

I didn’t just adore Almost Loved. I loved Almost Loved. There was no almost about it. But don’t just take my word for it, give this story a shot. It’s currently 99 cents on Amazon! That is a steal for a uniquely woven tale of finding love again.