4.5 stars rounded up.

Ashley Poston is the contemporary romance author for me. I absolutely love the whimsical elements she adds to make her work stand out from the rest. It gives her writing such a 2000s rom-com feel and I mean that in the BEST way. I also appreciate that her books are a lower spice level than others, which I personally prefer, generally speaking. (My fan fiction tastes are not on trial here.)

It was a little insta-lovey and I had some issues with the conclusion sort of moving too fast — similar to how I felt with The Dead Romantics — however, I kind of brushed that aside because other elements of the novel really captured me unexpectedly. ⬇️

*tw: discussion of suicide*

I had assumed going into this that Clementine’s aunt died of natural causes. When it was revealed that she took her own life, and that Ashley Poston’s grandfather had done the same, it resonated with me so deeply. Having lost a loved one to suicide in the last year, much of Clementine grappling with that grief hit me on a personal level. Given the genre, it is a somewhat watered-down examination of that experience, but no less meaningful for that.

Go into this with care if the subject of suicide is triggering for you, but also know there is a very real and raw reckoning within the text that might ultimately help you feel seen.

If you or a loved one is struggling with thoughts of suicide, please text/call the National Suicide Lifeline at 988 (United States) or other resources in your country.

You are not alone. ♥️