I freaking loved this. Over here crying and having my own little anxiety episode from listening to this in one sitting on a work day because of a library return date. But omg.

COMPARISON IS THE THIEF OF JOY!!!! My freaking life motto. BUT I will say that I liked this more than Love and Other Words (and less than People We Meet on Vacation if we have to compare). The relationship (past and present), the conflict, and the reconciliation were all handled so much better and I cared about them and they didn’t make me angry. (Feel free to peep my LAOW review for why the “what had happened was” pissed me off and ruined the whole book for me. - side note: I think Something Wilder is an improved LAOW contender from Christina Lauren. Soooo many parallels but handled better - I digress)

Probably a popular opinion - I love Charlie! Also Sam & Charlie’s mom reminds me so much of Connell’s mom in normal people 💚

I didn’t really care for Percy, but when has there ever been a likable Percy? (I’ve realized I often don’t like single child girls in books, especially if they’re from a privileged background.)

Love the lake setting! This is basically my adolescent fantasy so fml

It’s not a 5 star because I don’t like second chance romance or dual timeline, and I especially don’t like flashbacks if they’re in adolescence because I don’t read YA and I don’t find it relatable. Sorry not sorry for being a late bloomer. And the whole waiting for a big reveal and then they magically get together in the last 5% 🙄 OMG WAIT THE MORE I THINK ABOUT THIS THE MORE I FIRMLY BELIEVE THIS STORYLINE WAS HANDLED SO FREAKING WELL!!! Idk how people can put it down compared to the other.

But the best friends to lovers is my NICOTINE!!!!!