For a romcom, this book sure made me sad a lot, but not in a bad way. It was just the sheer number of lovely, flawed characters all needing hugs. The romance honestly was among the least interesting parts of the story for me because I was so invested in other subplots. Like Delilah’s “scapegoat and golden child“ relationship with Astrid and how Isabel fucked them both up with her parenting. Or Claire’s relationship with her daughter and her ex and the co-parenting challenges they faced. Or the mystery of why Claire and Iris couldn’t have just *talked* to Astrid about their concerns, because seriously, why all the plotting and worrying? Why not just sit your best friend down and go, “Hey, sweetie, if this swiftly developing new relationship is what you truly want, we’re happy for you. But you haven’t really been acting like yourself, and here’s a list of red flags that worry us—can we maybe talk about it?“

Honestly, the lack of actual communication was a huge thing throughout the book. I liked that by the end of the story it was somewhat addressed and acknowledged, specifically by Delilah and Astrid in relation to their relationship and, in general, to the results of the trauma they’ve endured growing up. But really, there’s not a single prominent character who is capable of just talking things out. I think the ones most up to the task were Claire’s pre-teen daughter and Delilah’s one-night-stand from super early in the book (when she made a brief reappearance).

Despite all the miscommunications, I did like the dynamic between Delilah and Claire a lot, especially as their relationship progressed. There was this interesting juxtaposition between the people they actually were and the people they remembered each other as, and Delilah in particular, in all her interactions with Claire, was constantly forced to confront and reassess certain aspects of her past. I did wish they were on a bit more equal ground. Because Claire, for all of her struggles, had a support network, while Delilah, outside of gradually fitting in with Claire and Iris, was absolutely on her own. No old high school friends happy to reconnect and be in her corner, no close New York acquaintances just a phone call away. It honestly hurt at times how lonely she was. 

Speaking of, I’m not sure I loved how her arc resolved in basically

coming home to Bright Falls and slotting herself into Claire’s life instead of having something to herself. Yeah, sure, she’s got her photography and her New York agent and she can sometimes go there for gallery showings and such, but ultimately she confines herself to… a small town she used to hate all her life? And tbh, as much as I love this type of “coming back home“ small town stories, this one left me struggling with the outcome because the town here is just so claustrophobic and hold so few good memories for Delilah. It felt less like she made a choice for herself and more like she sacrificed all she wanted to be with Claire, because *checks notes* none of her art and self-actualization and opportunities meant anything without love.

And hey, love is important for sure! I’m very much hear for it, that’s why I read romance! But I don’t agree that everything else should stop mattering without it. I prefer stories where romantic relationships add something to the characters’ lives, not devalue all their other achievements and preferences. I suspect maybe that’s why I gravitated toward all sorts of other storylines here rather than the romance I’d come for.

Those complaints aside, I did enjoy the overall experience and found all the characters deeply compelling. I’ll definitely continue the series with the hopes of seeing more of Delilah and Claire through other people’s eyes, learning more about Iris who’s my favorite (and I think has her own book?), Josh who’s pretty interesting, and hey, Astrid and Delilah both still have completely unresolved issues with Isabel that I want to see addressed!