You know that feeling you get when you finally have a chance to read a book that’s been on your tbr as long as you can remember? What about that feeling when a book you thought you’d love was a big disappointment?

I’m feeling both of those things right now. I’ve only read one other book by this author, and that was written under Morgan Matson rather than her pen name. It was a fun read, so I had some expectations for this book.

It didn’t meet any of them. I’m not trying to be mean. It just didn’t. I didn’t like any of the characters, and the plot was entirely predictable. I didn’t hate this, so it gets more than one star, but I also didn’t like this.

Gemma came off as immature and mostly unmemorable. Almost immediately after the story started, I thought she was rather one-dimensional. After the flashback, when readers discover what exactly she did five years prior, I knew I wouldn’t like her. I don’t care that she was eleven; that should be old enough to know what’s right and wrong. What she did was wrong. Throughout the story, in present day, she kept saying she wanted to make things right. I think she should’ve thought things through more when she was younger. And what made her think that Hallie would just forgive her so easily? That’s just naïve.

Josh was cute but nothing special. Hallie and Sophie were nice enough. I didn’t really care, though.

Plus, all of this drama started with a simple mistake on a train ride. Sophie had gotten Gemma coffee, so the cup had Sophie’s name on it. Josh assumed Gemma was Sophie, and she was too busy making heart eyes to correct him. Then she found out Josh was Hallie’s brother, and oops! Everything got complicated from there.

All of the parents and adult figures were conveniently busy or not mentioned for 90% of the story. Just throwing that out there. Deception is so much easier when you’re home alone, right?

A lot of other things in this book were really unrealistic. The bikini incident. The babysitting. Going to a complete stranger’s bar mitzvah for a concert. No one commenting on Gemma’s random and often nonsensical interrupting, something she did when she thought her cover would be blown. Everyone seemed clueless.

As for the ending, I called it from the beginning. Too many small details lined up for it to be just coincidence. Everything fit together too well. By the time the reveal came, I was reading to finish. I didn’t realize quite how expansive it all was, but I had figured out the other details. There was no shock factor whatsoever.

I don’t know what the next book is about, but I imagine it’s going to pick up where this left off. I’m not interested in the slightest.

I didn’t hate this book and I don’t hate this author, but I do consider this book to be a disappointment.