at the beginning, i thought the writing was cringey, but i think it got better throughout the book. i did want more flashbacks so i could understand their relationship better between their childhood and their fallout. by the end, though, i was really emotional and i had tears in my eyes for like the last 25%. 

beth o’leary is such a unique and beautiful writer. i really fell in love with the characters and setting in this, and the miscommunication felt very realistic

i love jimmy carter, and i enjoy his writing and his musings on christmas, but some parts felt a little bit too self-serving, like how he pointed out every time he interacted with a black person

this was…not my fav. i liked the story, but i feel like this book was one of her weakest from a craft standpoint. like, sbren was a sweetie but i didn’t really understand WHY he liked penny. it was too insta-love/lust from his pov. he just kept saying he was obsessed with her but not why. and some of the story inconsistencies bugged me. like why is mardok m’dok but farlie is f’rlie? like why doesnt his name still have the r??? that just bugged me. idk maybe i was just in a bad mood when i finished this. 

fun but i just wasnt that into it

i definitely had to suspend my disbelief a lil for this one, but i am grateful to this series for introducing me to louisa masters!

this was good, but i don’t understand how its some people’s all time favorite. like i am all for a low-plot book, but this otherwise didn’t have enough substance for me. the characters were likeable, but i wasnt attached to them