Book safety, content warnings, and tropes down below.

I hope you’re happy. I know you are. I hope you’re living. I have no doubt of that, either. I hope, sometimes, that you think of me like I think of you.

I knew this book was going to hurt my feelings, as it’s childhood best-friends-to-lovers with endless mutual pining. Even when prepared for it, it packed an emotional punch like few other romance books do. This book is beyond beautiful, and I think everyone should read it. You can tell the story is dear to the author’s heart.

Both main characters are beautiful and well developed, and it really was a joy to go on their journey with them, even if I cried through about 70% of the book. The term ‘hurts so good’ is more than apt for this story. Lucky is an amazing character, but Ellis will hold a special place in my heart for a long time. You’ll have to look far and wide to find a more loyal, loving and selfless character. The way my heart and body ached for him was unreal. Seriously, bring all the tissues.

I was ten years old when I met Lucky. I knew it then, and I know it now. He’s a firefly. Luminous and wild. He was never meant to be trapped. Not here and not with me.

Now for the smut. I have to say, calling it ‘smut’ or ‘spice’ feels almost disrespectful. Not because it wasn’t smutty or spicy, but because it was so much more than that. These characters had insane chemistry and intimacy, and one of the sex scenes was so intense and intimate that I had to take a breather and talk to my friend about it. You don’t see that a lot.

I’ve only read a couple Emmy Sanders books before this one, and even though the writing was amazing in those, To Catch a Firefly was on another level entirely. Couldn’t recommend it more, honestly.

I suppose, in the end, it doesn’t matter when things started to change. Because Lucky’s path has been set from the moment he came into my life. “I’m gonna get out of this town one day, El.” He never was mine to keep. No matter how much I wish it.

I’ve edited my rating down to 4 stars because the excessive OM stuff drags on for way too long for my comfort and made me feel awful on Ellis’ behalf. Still a beautiful book, but to me it was unnecessary and made it difficult to connect with Lucky.

⬇️ Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️

⚠️ Tropes & tags ⚠️
Neurodivergent MC
Selective mutism
Mutual pining
Best friends to lovers
Adrenaline junkie MC
Size difference
Slow burn
Small town
Long distance friendship/relationship
Virgin MC

⚠️ Content warning ⚠️
Explicit sexual content
Brief mention of miscarriage
Mild violence (past, on page)
Homophobia
Side character with multiple sclerosis
Themes of abandonment
Death of estranged parent (off page)

⚠️Book safety ⚠️
Cheating: No
OM/OW drama: The book spans 15 years, with most of it being in present day. Neither MC believed being together would ever happen, which results in Lucky being with other people (off and on page, but never detailed). In one ‘flashback’ chapter, Ellis sees Lucky with a previous hookup at a party, and there is some touching. He has casual hookups with a coworker in present day, but there are no feelings involved from Lucky. All of that stops as soon as things evolve with Ellis. The hookup later confesses that if could’ve developed feelings for Lucky.
Breakup: No
POV: 1st person, dual POV
Genre: Contemporary romance, M/M
Strict roles or versatile: Versatile (switch in bonus epilogue)
MC age: 25 and 25
Pages: 313

I wonder, when he’s done getting his picture, if he’ll be able to see the world spinning. I wonder how many more revolutions Lucky will be in mine.

Of course Lucky needs to leave. I’ve been foolish to hope otherwise for all these years. Just a foolish boy who didn’t want to grow up. Not if it meant saying goodbye.

But even if Lucky could ever look at me the way he looks at guys like Andrew, what good would it possibly do? It would only hurt more, in the end—having a taste, only to lose it. I’d rather never know. I think, maybe, this is all I’ll ever have. Because who else is going to take the time to understand me like Lucky?



You can find most of my reviews on Instagram as well: https://www.instagram.com/booksafety?igsh=MWZ3azhkdDc2Y2ludg%3D%3D&utm_source=qr