Thank you to Berkley and Netgalley for an eARC.

RELATABLE.

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I didn’t know how I was going to feel about this one. I do think it’s Henry’s heaviest book and that you should definitely be aware going in! Not in a lengthy list of trigger warnings way, just the real life can bring you down way. The happy place ideal is oddly ironic for this book and by the end I liked how it was all portrayed.

The romance is a little more at the forefront than Book Lover (but not as much as BR/PWMOV). I liked seeing more of it and watching Harriet and Wyn’s story unfold. There was just the right amount of flashback chapters to add to the plot without feeling like everything was stuck in the past. Harriet and Wyn had some great banter, truly tender moments and I was loving the raw communication and anger that came out in the end.

Friendships are another main focus and, at times, over shadowed Harriet’s journey. The last 20% really hit me in the feels though with the many sentiments expressed. Life is hard, feelings are hard, and the parents you have truly play a part on how you view your future self and relationships. I am satisfied with how all of the friendships worked out too though. It’s something special to have that type of bond with others.

An impactful read that had me thinking and reflecting a lot. Do I still wish the romance was even more at the front? Yes. And there were a few scenes here and there that I thought slowed down progression. A glory days atmosphere I could have been cool without.

I loved the core of the story and the messages it left me with. And I thought Harriet really came into her own in the end and I LOVED that journey for her.

Overall audience notes:
- Contemporary Romance
- Language: some strong
- Romance: one full open; medium explicit + some almost scenes and fade to black
- Trigger/Content Warnings: losing a parent, grief depression and anxiety depictions, use of recreational drugs, alcohol use