So this is the fourth TJR book I've read. These last three I read one right after the other. And I've come to the conclusion that she may not be the author for me. That being said, her books are quick to get through, and I really want to like them, so I keep reading. For me, she's kind of like the Kasie West of adult chick-lit. Her books are easy and quick but I'm usually left feeling underwhelmed. That being said, I continue to pick up their books because I feel like I SHOULD like them. I also get Nicholas Sparks vibes from her books, which isn't exactly a compliment. BUT I STILL READ THREE IN A ROW.

I have a problem.

In any case, this book just wasn't great. I am shocked by the high ratings.

What I liked:

1. The concept of a long-lost love coming back into your life was intriguing.

2. The first part chronicling Emma's younger years with Jesse and Sam was probably my favorite part of the story. There were some definite moments of nostalgia, as I was around the same age as Emma's character.

What I didn't like:

1. I don't like TJR's dialogue. It is so bad. And not just in this book. People just don't talk the way she writes. Maybe this was so obvious to me because I've listened to her books all on audio and so I'm actually hearing this dreck spoken out loud. I would give some examples if I had a physical or e-copy, but I don't, and I'm not going to track one down for the sake of this review.

2. Predictable. I was hoping this book would veer away from the direction I assumed it would go. But it didn't. It played out exactly how I expected it would, as far as who Emma was going to choose at the end of the day.

3. I don't really care for first person, present tense. It has to be done really well, and I don't think this was. I don't know if it's just the way she writes, but it tends toward telling, not showing, especially when she's writing in first person. This book also had a sizable section that switched into second person, after the first part of the book which was told in first person, past tense. It was just a lot.

4. I had a hard time rooting for Emma in this book. I was glad that she was able to move on and open herself up to love after losing her husband, but the way she behaved after he came back was kind of gross. I was hoping that TJR would be able to write a realistic love triangle, and that's not what happened here at all. And don't even get me started on what she did when she and Jesse went to Maine.

I don't really care that they had sex. It makes sense to me I suppose that she would still feel that pull toward, especially since there was never any closure in their relationship. But it wasn't long after that that she began to realize that she was still in love with Sam and that she and Jesse were two different people than they'd been three years prior and that they no longer fit together. But that doesn't stop her from having sex with him again. That's a little icky, but I guess she could justify it to herself that she hadn't fully made up her mind yet. And then they actually lay all their cards on the table and admit to each other that their relationship is over and that she is going to go back and marry Sam. AND THEN THEY HAVE SEX AGAIN. That is gross. She has sex with a man she has no intention of being with all while the man she actually loves is waiting for her to figure her shit out.

That was the last straw for me.
Now, I'm okay not liking a main character, but since this is a romance novel, I'm pretty sure we're supposed to root for her to have a happily-ever-after. I just couldn't do that.

After reading four of her novels and only really liking one, I don't think Taylor Jenkins Reid is the author for me. And that's okay.