If you’re looking for an adorable Christmassy novella this is it! It’s a second chance romance with an epistolary twist and I loved that I could sit down and read it in one sitting. It was charming and witty and just overall a short and sweet delight. 

There was something about this one that pulled me in right from the start. I think it was the way the story was told, Dora is an unflinchingly honest narrator and at times it read like she was confessing her sins. I loved that aspect, it felt so juicy and gossipy and throw in her fascinating backstory and I was hooked. Dora experiences some confusion throughout the book and there were some times that I was confused as well. Things shift about halfway through and although I was a little lost I just went with it and I’m glad I did because I feel like it all paid off in the end. There were so many surprises in the back half that entertained me. Were they the most shocking and well executed twists ever? No, but they were so fun! I think if you just go along for the ride this was such an addictive popcorn style thriller. Don’t get too caught up in the details and just settle in for a pretty wicked time. 

Wow. That was my initial reaction upon finishing this book, just WOW. I’ve sat with my thoughts for awhile, it’s been several days since I finished this one and I needed some time to process my feelings. I almost didn’t have a choice in the matter, the way that these characters and this story got under my skin and in my heart and head is unmatched and unlike any other experience I’ve had with a book before. It’s the kind of story you cannot escape. I took my time reading it too, and there were many reasons for that as well. The story the author tells is harrowing and uncomfortable to read about so as a reader you will need to take a breather occasionally. But it is important and necessary and I don’t think it is the type of book you’re meant to read in just a few sittings. You’ll need time to sit with the beauty of the writing. You’ll need time to process the horrors you just read about. You’ll need time to think about all of the women who live lives like this. You’ll just need time, but the time invested is so very worthwhile. 

I don’t think it’s necessary for me to get very far into the plot itself because there is a special kind of magic in the way this story unfolds. I will talk about the characters and the way the author humanizes the victims of the River Man because it gave a voice to women everywhere. Arc and Daffy are followed throughout several years, through life and death. Through addiction and prostitution. Through loss and more tragic loss. If there is an issue that anyone could find triggering it is in here at some point, but again it is important. I can’t even begin to describe how phenomenal the authors writing is, she’s on a level all of her own and it’s incredible. It’s haunting and devastatingly beautiful and the kind of poetry that speaks to my soul. It was an honor to read this one, I won’t soon forget it and I’m glad I won’t.