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emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Infidelity, Sexual content, Grief, Death of parent
Minor: Bullying, Cursing, Toxic relationship, Car accident, Pregnancy, Alcohol
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Once again, a great book by Emily Henry. I really loved the story telling. Just a warning, as much as love is a central theme of the book, the love story between Alice and Hayden is not a main focus so if that’s what you’re looking for, maybe this isn’t for you.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death, Cancer, Child death, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Medical content, Grief, Stalking, Car accident, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Alcohol, Classism
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I can't bring myself to give this book three stars because I love Emily Henry and this book got better as it went along, but unfortunately, this is definitely my least favorite book of hers by far. The subplot of America's sweetheart Margaret and her family's sordid history did not work for me at all - I saw someone describe it as discount Evelyn Hugo, which sadly feels right, and I just found the way the story unfolded to be so cliche and forced (words I truly never thought I'd use in connection with Emily). The "twist" almost made me mad because it felt just so fundamentally silly. Hayden and Alice's grumpy-meets-sunshine vibe was almost too on the nose, and Hayden seemed more like than a jerk than shy or cautious. The turn from Hayden and Alice being begrudging allies to being desperately in love didn't make a lot of sense, and I wasn't that invested in their story.
Of course, even when it's not on point and not up to her usual form, Emily's writing is still absolutely lovely, and she knows how to tell a story. I just didn't like this particular story unfortunately. Oh well. Given how many books Emily has put out in the last few years, she was bound to have a clunker at some point. I have zero doubt that her next book will be absolutely stunning :)
Of course, even when it's not on point and not up to her usual form, Emily's writing is still absolutely lovely, and she knows how to tell a story. I just didn't like this particular story unfortunately. Oh well. Given how many books Emily has put out in the last few years, she was bound to have a clunker at some point. I have zero doubt that her next book will be absolutely stunning :)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Death, Dementia, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
A very different book from Emily Henry in the best way! I really enjoyed the dual timeline and the mystery and twists that unfolded in the story. She has also maintained a lot of her trademark aspects of her books - the banter, the heartfelt emotion, the complex relationships with family, the colourful cast of characters, and the friendships all make an appearance. I did, however, feel like the focus on Margaret’s story ended up somewhat detracting from the story between Alice and Hayden - I felt that their characters felt too similar to January and Gus from Beach Read, and their romance lacked a lot of chemistry. I really wish it could’ve been more of a slow-burn to balance the relatively fast pacing of Margaret’s story. That said, I still had a lot of fun reading this, Henry is a fantastic writer.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Grief, Death of parent
Moderate: Car accident
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Well this was a slow starter but the end had me in tears. The relationship dynamic felt very similar to Beach Read’s grumpy/sunshine, mixed with the plot of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by TJR. It took me about halfway through to feel more invested in Margaret’s story - the meta-nature of the second hand storytelling felt lacking and it was hard to track the family history without the character development. I also didn’t love the insta-love between Alice and Hayden - not Emily’s strongest couple. This has a pretty different tone than Emily’s other books but I overall appreciated the mystery aspect, watching everything unfold, the overall message and the well-written complex family dynamics. Not my favorite of Emily Henry’s books (yes I’ve read them all) but still an enjoyable conclusion.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Sexual content, Car accident, Death of parent, Abandonment
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Not quite enemies to lovers but more of semi-forbidden love??? Lots of similarities to “The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo” but I appreciated the competition of the writers and their fated love story. There was a lot personal growth in all the main characters too and I liked feeling that.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Death of parent
Minor: Eating disorder
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Emily Henry is the queen of romcoms for a reason and she has absolutely done it again. This book was not like anything she's ever written before, but I personally loved the departure from her usual format. Despite it not being a "typical" romcom, it still had all the elements that make an Emily Henry book special - the complex relationships, raw human emotion, and the big beautiful feelings that she draws from her readers.
This story really sunk itself into my heart and didn't let go. I generally find her books fast, compelling, easy reads that I can binge quickly, but I truly would have finished this in one setting if I didn't need to also see to basic human functions like eating and sleeping. As soon as I put it down, I wanted to pick it back up again - I was absolutely gripped in a way that I typically am not with just a straight up romcom.
I honestly was so impressed with how Henry wove together the stories of our two characters in present day, Alice and Hayden, who are journalists competing to write the life story of Margaret, the now elderly heiress to a media fortune who is ready to tell her side of things - the fame, the fortune, and tragedy alike. This book really reminded me of Daisy Jones and the Six (which I mean as a compliment) - this is most clearly felt in the way that there are interview segments with flashbacks and then moments in the present day coming together to form a coherent, sprawling tale of a full life.
I honestly think there are plenty of thriller writers who could take a lesson from Emily Henry in this book - the way she dropped clues and built suspense to the finale was really impressive and was part of what made it so compelling for me. There generally aren't any big reveals in a romcom, but this blending of genres worked well. Not everyone has the talent to pull this off, but Henry certainly does.
We do have plenty of those classic Sleepless in Seattle-like moments, though, so if you're a lover of the OG romcoms, there are still these themes and elements throughout. I love a competitors-turned-lovers, and I think no matter what part of the story you show up for, you'll be satisfied. In this novel, Henry gives her readers exactly the sort of tension needed to craft a complex story while keeping that secret sauce that makes a romance feel magical.
Bravo to the queen, long may she reign!
This story really sunk itself into my heart and didn't let go. I generally find her books fast, compelling, easy reads that I can binge quickly, but I truly would have finished this in one setting if I didn't need to also see to basic human functions like eating and sleeping. As soon as I put it down, I wanted to pick it back up again - I was absolutely gripped in a way that I typically am not with just a straight up romcom.
I honestly was so impressed with how Henry wove together the stories of our two characters in present day, Alice and Hayden, who are journalists competing to write the life story of Margaret, the now elderly heiress to a media fortune who is ready to tell her side of things - the fame, the fortune, and tragedy alike. This book really reminded me of Daisy Jones and the Six (which I mean as a compliment) - this is most clearly felt in the way that there are interview segments with flashbacks and then moments in the present day coming together to form a coherent, sprawling tale of a full life.
I honestly think there are plenty of thriller writers who could take a lesson from Emily Henry in this book - the way she dropped clues and built suspense to the finale was really impressive and was part of what made it so compelling for me. There generally aren't any big reveals in a romcom, but this blending of genres worked well. Not everyone has the talent to pull this off, but Henry certainly does.
We do have plenty of those classic Sleepless in Seattle-like moments, though, so if you're a lover of the OG romcoms, there are still these themes and elements throughout. I love a competitors-turned-lovers, and I think no matter what part of the story you show up for, you'll be satisfied. In this novel, Henry gives her readers exactly the sort of tension needed to craft a complex story while keeping that secret sauce that makes a romance feel magical.
Bravo to the queen, long may she reign!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Sexual content, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Misogyny, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Dementia, Kidnapping, Abandonment, Alcohol
Minor: Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Terminal illness, Trafficking
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Car accident
Minor: Suicide attempt, Pregnancy
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
"It's a love story, like everything I write. That's what it comes down to. That's what always matters most to me[...]For whom would you unmake the world?"
This is a romance. This is definitely a Emily Henry story. It just happens that there is a much bigger secondary story taking up space this time. I definitely enjoyed it. I love her writing.
I was a little worried that this was a introduction to a departure from writing romance. But the pieces were all there and she kept telling us through her characters that telling love stories was what she loves to do. So while it is not my favorite Henry. It is still a very good book.
This is a romance. This is definitely a Emily Henry story. It just happens that there is a much bigger secondary story taking up space this time. I definitely enjoyed it. I love her writing.
I was a little worried that this was a introduction to a departure from writing romance. But the pieces were all there and she kept telling us through her characters that telling love stories was what she loves to do. So while it is not my favorite Henry. It is still a very good book.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Sexual content, Grief, Death of parent
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
“There’s an old saying about stories, and how there are always three versions of them: yours, mine, and the truth.”
Lowkey, I was kind of nervous about this one, due to the mixed reviews I've been seeing. I've always enjoyed Emily Henry's books, they're fun, fast paced reads, palette cleansers, if you will, with some depth in between. And this one... was no exception. I don't know what it is about the romance in this book, but even though Alice and Hayden had a few moments together I was eating it up. And I got into Margaret's Story later. It took a while, but by the end, I was there. That part really did remind me of Taylor Jenkins Reid's Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. The romance did feel rushed, and maybe a bit insta-love, but I really didn't care. I actually would have liked there to be more focus on the romance, instead of it being a 50-50 split.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Sexual content, Grief
Moderate: Medical content, Car accident, Pregnancy