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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
funny
lighthearted
reflective
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
Another 5 star from Emily Henry, which I'm not surprised about in the slightest. One of her most multi-faceted and layered plots, but it all came weaved together in the end. I also just love a mmc who is completely at the mercy of the fmc, we LOVE a yearning man!!
Cried at the end. Unapologetic about it. The only thing I'm most upset about is that I'll have to wait another year for her next one.
Cried at the end. Unapologetic about it. The only thing I'm most upset about is that I'll have to wait another year for her next one.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Death of parent
Moderate: Sexual content, Pregnancy
Minor: Terminal illness
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
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
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
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-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
God I loved this.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Confinement, Grief
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
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
- the pacing all together felt off, their relationship was weird instalust/lonely and desperately needing a lay, quickly followed by instalove with very little actual character, relationship, or time development.
- the build up of "margaret's lying to us" was also paced poorly - too much time building it up for a rushed reveal that could have been done so much better.
also feel like everyone's brushing past hayden giving up the job too quickly - that was super insulting. i get that he wanted to avoid the situation with his ex but why did he think she'd be receptive to that when she literally spent the whole book explicitly telling him otherwise??
Content Warnings
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Dementia, Grief, Death of parent
Minor: Miscarriage, Car accident
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
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
I think this is my favorite Emily Henry book to date! The story is so sweet and I love the dual timelines. It’s equal parts romance and historical fiction/mystery. It didn’t feel predictable or boring at all and I probably could’ve finished it in a sitting haha. Definitely want to reread this one again in the future!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Grief, Death of parent
Moderate: Sexual content, Car accident, Pregnancy
Minor: Domestic abuse, Miscarriage, Terminal illness, Blood, Dementia, Injury/Injury detail
Normally I don’t like the pregnancy trope at the end of the book but I think it works here given the overall theme of the book.
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
no one talk to me for 3-5 work days I'm processing (also recovering from crying) (a lot)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Grief, Stalking, Death of parent
Moderate: Bullying, Child abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Dementia, Car accident, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol
Minor: Confinement, Infertility, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Forced institutionalization