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4.31 AVERAGE
4.31 AVERAGE
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc!
5 million stars
I don't think that I'm properly capable of articulating how much I loved this book. It was deeply emotional, yet funny at the same time. Anita Kelly is truly a fabulous author. Their character writing was stellar; I loved both Alexei and Ben so much, and their relationship was adorable right off the bat. The pacing of the story was perfect, and the writing was incredible; this is truly a new favourite.
5 million stars
I don't think that I'm properly capable of articulating how much I loved this book. It was deeply emotional, yet funny at the same time. Anita Kelly is truly a fabulous author. Their character writing was stellar; I loved both Alexei and Ben so much, and their relationship was adorable right off the bat. The pacing of the story was perfect, and the writing was incredible; this is truly a new favourite.
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
I LOVED THIS BOOK. I knew less than 20% in that this might be a five star book, and it never lost momentum. It was so sweet, so funny, made me cry. Love love love can’t wait to read more by Anita Kelly
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
I kind of expected to feel like this was just okay given that I wasn’t super sold on the plot, but Anita Kelly just writes the sweetest characters. It was impossible not to fall in love with Ben and Alexei.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I am by no means of the imagination outdoorsy, which is why I absolutely wanted to read an emotional love story taking place on the Pacific Crest Trail. I loved Alexei and Ben! Their journey, the literal physical and mental endurance feat they embarked on, paired with their emotional travails was such a joy to read. Alexei is going through so much! Grappling with parental estrangement over his queerness, a loving but complex relationship with his sister, the loss of his job, and a crisis of faith. He views the PCT as a time to reflect on all of this and decide what he wants to do next and who he envisions himself becoming. Alexei is understandably guarded and perhaps a tiny bit naive. Enter Ben. Ben brings sweet golden retriever energy. He is the balance that Alexei needs on the trail: funny, genuine, honest, charming, charismatic, and willing to open up emotionally. He also has a supportive family back home in Nashville. Yes, there’s a third act break up, but those letters. Those letters! 😭 What a way to maintain the emotional intensity while Alexei makes his way north. (And eventually being reunited with both his sister and Ben.) Putting all of Anita Kelly’s books on hold at my library!
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Review:
I don’t know why I hadn’t read this sooner, but I’m glad I finally did! It’s evocative, with messy characters with real issues that complicate their romance. There’s an epistolary section that had me sobbing all the way through.
I don’t know why I hadn’t read this sooner, but I’m glad I finally did! It’s evocative, with messy characters with real issues that complicate their romance. There’s an epistolary section that had me sobbing all the way through.
Stars: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5: Blows me away, loved it, life-changing, will sit with me
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌡️ 3.5: open door scenes with a mix of explicit/detailed scenes and vaguer scenes
Perspective: third
Tense: past
POV: dual
Source: Library (Libby)
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced