A short yet powerful read discussing the reality of racism in modern America. I was enraged, heartbroken and reminded of my privilege. A book as timely as ever! 

I knew this was going to be weird going into it but maybe I underestimated the level of weird. I did appreciate the commentary on humanity, alienation and identity and am happy to have read this obscure little novella.

The writing was pretty bad but the story was fine. I may continue based off of the potential plot line for book 2 but no promises. 

This book had a different feel to it compared to Abby’s previous work. I admit that I didn’t fully grasp the romance until about 60% of the way in but Abby has a way of crafting her stories with emotional depth & invisible strings that get me emotional every single time! The way Xavier was down bad for Samantha and seamlessly blended into her family without hesitation was beautiful. He truly fell first, and harder. No other man has fallen harder I swear.

I know this book is quite divisive among readers which I can understand. Sadly I was able to relate to Samantha & her siblings when it came to their dad. Do I think his actions were okay? Of course not, but I was able to see a situation from my past from a different perspective. I can appreciate Abby for that.
 
Oh how I adore Dr. Brekken! He brought so much hope and wisdom to the story. What a sweet soul! The scene that he and Xavier shared together before the grand gesture is one that I will remember for a good long time.

“Look at you. Look at everything you did.” 😭

I like that this book showcased the complexities of long distance relationships. I don’t see this often if at all in books, so it was refreshing to see something new. Xavier and Samantha stayed true and devoted to one another even with all of life’s challenges.

“Because if you were my wife you would be my world. Everything starts with you and ends with you. Anything else is just the stuff that happens in the middle.”

Even through all the heaviness of this story, I love that it left off on a hopeful note. A family fractured by loss and disease came together again. What was once grey shone in full color, if only for a moment. 

This book was such an entertaining one to listen to and I HIGHLY suggest the audiobook because it features a full cast of narrators! The opening does its job and hooks you from the start, sharing some insight on the journey that you are going to take. 

In this book we’re essentially reading the memoir of anonymous author to the very popular book trilogy turned box office hit, The Very Last, Cate Kay. Cass Ford is the woman behind the manuscripts, that was previously known as Annie Callahan. Annie/Cass tells the story of how one incident changed the trajectory of her life and ultimately planted the seed of the mega hit series. We meet people who crossed paths with Cass that left an imprint on her story in big ways or small.

I loved that we got scenes from The Very Last woven throughout the story and because of that, I was reminded of The Bromance Book Club series which I wholeheartedly adore. The Evelyn Hugo vibes were spot on, with a dash of Daisy Jones in regard to the storytelling. I reread the foreword after finishing & loved the book even more with how everything comes together in the end.

The full cast narration was perfectly executed with the way this story unfolds. The fact that this was a debut makes me excited to see what else this author puts out in the future! 

“𝘿𝙞𝙙𝙣'𝙩 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙯𝙚 𝙝𝙤𝙬 𝙙𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙄 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙞𝙣𝙨𝙞𝙙𝙚 𝙪𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙡 𝙄 𝙢𝙚𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙣𝙤 𝙢𝙖𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙚𝙣𝙨, 𝙄'𝙡𝙡 𝙖𝙬𝙖𝙮𝙨 𝙗𝙚 𝙜𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙛𝙪𝙡 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙗𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙢𝙚 𝙗𝙖𝙘𝙠 𝙩𝙤 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚."

On a rare girls night out to celebrate her new job, recently divorced Ava isn’t interested in flirting with anyone. Ava’s unexpected encounter with Sawyer- the filthy mouthed, tattooed cowboy, soon leads to a passionate connection that evolves into a deeper relationship. Can Ava overcome her fear of heartbreak to embrace a new beginning despite the scars of the past? 

I swear this series continues to immediately draw me in and keeps me devouring its pages until the very end. As seen in the previous two installments of this series, JP crafts palpable chemistry that elevates the delicious spice to another level 🥵 

I haven’t read a book quite like this one featuring two single parents at the forefront. I appreciate that we get to see the duality of these character's in both their role as a parent, and as romantic partners. Ava is driven, fiercely resilient, and strong willed. Sawyer is ruggedly charming, emotionally intelligent, and is the embodiment of quiet strength. Together, they’re magic♡

One thing I’m going to eat up every time is a caring & committed man. Watching how gentle Sawyer was with Ava’s heart had mine soaring. Even understanding how difficult the road to healing & love was, Sawyer continuously proved his dedication to their relationship amid the complexities of his own life. He stayed the course and showed up, proving that effort + actions are louder than any words.

I’m telling you right now, if you’re craving a book with intense passion, emotional depth, & an acts of service king— do yourself a favor & pick this book up immediately. 

✨ ᴛʀᴏᴘᴇs 🤠

Small town

Single mom x single dad 

Banter 

“Good girl” 

He falls first 

Who did this you? energy

**𝒎𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒌𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝑽𝒂𝒍𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒆 𝑷𝑹 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑱𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒊𝒄𝒂 𝑷𝒆𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒐𝒏 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒂𝒏 𝒂𝒅𝒗𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆𝒅 𝒄𝒐𝒑𝒚.

I’m kinda sad about this because I LOVE Addie LaRue and in my opinion, comparing this to that gem did this book a disservice. 

This lacked any sort of depth with the romance and unfortunately the characters were one dimensional in every. single. lifetime. I wish there was a foundation continuing to be built upon with each flashback regarding the romantic connection, but I was left with wanting so much more. 

I was also surprised with the bit of spice in here with this being a YA book. 🤷🏻‍♀️

To end this on a positive note, I thought the writing had its beautiful moments and because of that, I would be inclined to pick up something by the author again.

This is a quick + addicting read that flowed well with it’s livestream podcast element and main storyline. I enjoyed this and look forward to reading more from the author!