My kids love this book and have been running around our house singing “ Sparkle Sparkle Glitter Time” repeatedly. As a mom I appreciated the lesson on responsibility that comes with owning and caring for a pet. While the story shows that mistakes can happen working together and honesty are the best solutions. The sparkly cover and beautiful illustrations are the perfect backdrop to this sweet story.

Triggering topics

I thought the commentary on domestic violence was wonderful . While I mostly enjoyed the story I do wish that it had been a little less wordy in a few spots it was still a good story .

Many thanks to the author, NetGalley and the publishing company for the advanced copy of this book. This is one of my top reads this year and is definitely going to be one that sticks with me . Honestly , who can resist a past lost to amnesia , juicy in-law drama, & a mysterious secluded setting ?

Kate Alice Marshall is an absolute queen when it comes to building tension ! This book is one that keeps you on the edge of your seat start to finish. Even as parts of the story unfold and you speculate about the truths of each part of the story , you can’t help but be skeptical of your assumptions. While I did piece a few things together I didn’t guess one of the larger twists .

I love that despite a very full cast of characters I was able to identify each character and form a full visual based on Marshall’s excellent descriptions and character development !

The last 20% will have you spinning a bit with all the twists but it is worth every minute.

I look forward to reading more by Kate Alice Marshall. What a way to come out of a reading slump!

I feel like this story had a lot of potential but fell short for me . The ending was so abrupt I checked multiple times to make sure I had actually finished and not just accidentally skipped ahead . Parts of the story were incredibly intriguing but I feel like the world building could have used a bit more work especially on the journey parts . The majority of the characters were likable but I would have loved a little bit more of a dive with others . This was quite a large cast of characters though so I can give some understanding as to why that wasn’t totally feasible .

This was closer to a 3.5 for me but I rounded up here. The main character is so critical of herself at points which is totally believable and understandable given the circumstances. However, I feel like the friends in parts of this book are AWFUL people. I think it is a more honest look at the ups and downs of divorcing young than we typically see though and that was refreshing . Pacing lagged a bit throughout the middle of the book & I think that was the biggest issue for me personally.

Nearly a 3/3.5 for me the first half

This was actually my least favorite Jess Lourey book so far. I have loved all of her other works but this one felt a little off for me. I think mostly it was the pacing was not her standard . The last 20% helped bring up the rating to a 4 for me as I didn’t guess the ending and I felt like more tension was added. I also personally was hoping to gain more for Harry’s character but it didn’t quite feel like enough. I did appreciate his backstory though . I did laugh catching references to her other novels sprinkled in though .