I don’t usually like sad books. But this one… WOW!! I’ve never finished a book in tears yet wanting to read it again. Yarros has beautifully and tastefully covered loss, illness and heartbreak without being cliche as can so often happen in books like this. 

The characters make you fall in love with them! Ella, the strong, determined single mother who would stop at nothing to protect her kids. Beckett, the former special ops agent who drops everything to care for the sister of his best friend who was KIA. Maisie and Colt, the twins who share a bond like no other, that despite everything life has thrown at them remain positive and bring joy to those around them. 

An awful lot happens in this book (I won’t say too much so as to not spoil anything) but none of it feels rushed. You can really tell that Yarros has done her research when planning and writing this book. 

And yes before you ask, there are sex scenes. They’re not as spicy as you’d usually expect from Yarros, however they perfectly fit the narrative and show the complex emotions that the characters are feeling at the time. 

It does need pointing out that this book does cover childhood cancer, death of a child as well as war, all of which could be triggering for some readers.