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emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I loved this book. I can definitely see why many people have said that it is different than Emily Henry's other books, but I thought it still had Henry's voice in it. It was so beautifully written.
The romance part of the book was the least satisfying part for me; it fell a bit flat. I love a slow burn and I feel like generally speaking, Emily Henry does a great job at building tension and yearning between the love interests. There was a bit too much instant chemistry for me in this book. I liked Alice and Hayden's relationship fine, I just didn't feel it in the same way that I have with other books. However, the story and relationship between Margaret and Alice was stunning. I absolutely loved the way they interacted, the way Alice told Margaret's story, and the way they helped each other progress.
Overall, I really loved the book. It made me laugh and cry, and I fell in love with Alice and Margaret both. I did not see the big twist coming and it was so satisfying to find out what was really going on. The ending had me in tears in the best possible way.
The romance part of the book was the least satisfying part for me; it fell a bit flat. I love a slow burn and I feel like generally speaking, Emily Henry does a great job at building tension and yearning between the love interests. There was a bit too much instant chemistry for me in this book. I liked Alice and Hayden's relationship fine, I just didn't feel it in the same way that I have with other books. However, the story and relationship between Margaret and Alice was stunning. I absolutely loved the way they interacted, the way Alice told Margaret's story, and the way they helped each other progress.
Overall, I really loved the book. It made me laugh and cry, and I fell in love with Alice and Margaret both. I did not see the big twist coming and it was so satisfying to find out what was really going on. The ending had me in tears in the best possible way.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Death, Mental illness, Sexual assault
Minor: Dementia
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
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
If you have critiques about this book, tell them to literally anyone else but me! Because this was a perfect love story and I won’t hear otherwise. ❤️
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Grief, Death of parent
Moderate: Chronic illness, Sexual content, Car accident
Minor: Cursing, Pregnancy
emotional
funny
lighthearted
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: Cursing, Sexual content, Death of parent
emotional
funny
lighthearted
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:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Death of parent
Minor: Infertility, Infidelity, Blood
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Toxic relationship
Moderate: Child death, Panic attacks/disorders
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Sexual content, Car accident, Death of parent, Alcohol
Minor: Forced institutionalization, Dementia, Gaslighting, Abandonment
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
So, your mileage may vary so take the following with a grain of salt. I wanted to adore this book but I never fully clicked with it, which surprised and disappointed me. It took me a long while to engage with the story, I think because of the split focus with the past and present dual storylines. And while I liked both Alice and Hayden as characters, it felt like their relationship was sped up and superficially developed. (I would have really liked to see Hayden's POV alongside Alice's.) I had a hard time investing in them together as a couple, and the insta-lust felt like a shortcut to emotional intimacy. Margaret's backstory was interesting and I know her life story is what brought Alice and Hayden together, but it didn't really work for me as a romantic plot device for them. Not sure if this makes any sense, but it's like there was simultaneously both too much and not enough going on in this story. There were some enjoyable moments and it did pick up towards the end. I usually really like Emily Henry but this one wasn't the book for me.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Death, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Blood, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail
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