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emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Came for a Romcom, Stayed for what is essentially a love letter to journalism.
Above and Beyond all, this is a story about love -in all it's forms- from familial, platonic, romantic to all the complexities and nuances that comes with loving.
Grief is a central theme, handled with the thoughtfulness that is associated with Emily Henry's writing; someone who has always captured at it's most raw tender form.
The Cast is delightful, you can't help but empathize and care for and with all the flawed humanity of the characters, no one is perfect and this book serves as a remind that it's ok not to be, not when the people who love you will do in spite of everything.
Don't get it twisted though, the romance is off the charts, Alice and Hayden may have invented a new level to being down bad for each other, the chemistry and tension is truly off the charts.
Alice Scott might be my new favorite emhen FMC, a juxtaposition of hopeful whimsiness that isn't born out of naivety but rather having seen the worst and still choosing love not despite bur rather because of it.
The main question that haunts this book is that about agency and heritage, how much of our identity and what we go through is defined or impacted by those who came before us; pondering the validity of the concept of free will.
If nothing else, trust that this is a book that will heal you, leaving you with teary eyed with a fluttery heart.
The Cast is delightful, you can't help but empathize and care for and with all the flawed humanity of the characters, no one is perfect and this book serves as a remind that it's ok not to be, not when the people who love you will do in spite of everything.
Don't get it twisted though, the romance is off the charts, Alice and Hayden may have invented a new level to being down bad for each other, the chemistry and tension is truly off the charts.
Alice Scott might be my new favorite emhen FMC, a juxtaposition of hopeful whimsiness that isn't born out of naivety but rather having seen the worst and still choosing love not despite bur rather because of it.
The main question that haunts this book is that about agency and heritage, how much of our identity and what we go through is defined or impacted by those who came before us; pondering the validity of the concept of free will.
If nothing else, trust that this is a book that will heal you, leaving you with teary eyed with a fluttery heart.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content, Grief, Death of parent
Minor: Body shaming, Infidelity, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Car accident, Pregnancy, Alcohol
emotional
funny
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
If you’re expecting a typical Emily Henry romance, you will likely be disappointed. This book leans heavily toward women’s fiction. I was prepared for this thanks to other reviews, which certainly helped my mindset going in.
Speaking of the romance, though, I am surprised many seem to consider it a slow-burn. It felt very insta love to me, especially because of the dual plots and timelines. The risk with this story structure is that both storylines end up feeling rushed and underdeveloped, which I felt was the case here.
What saved this book for me, though, was Emily Henry’s writing. The stories were entertaining and I was able to get through the book quickly. I also really enjoyed how the story ended.
Speaking of the romance, though, I am surprised many seem to consider it a slow-burn. It felt very insta love to me, especially because of the dual plots and timelines. The risk with this story structure is that both storylines end up feeling rushed and underdeveloped, which I felt was the case here.
What saved this book for me, though, was Emily Henry’s writing. The stories were entertaining and I was able to get through the book quickly. I also really enjoyed how the story ended.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent
Moderate: Grief, Car accident
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
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
Upon picking this one up, and being about 10% into it, it really had me think of "the 7 husbands of Evelyn Hugo". It was similar in some ways, but also entirely different! It did take me a bit to finish it, as I had a harder time getting into it than I usually do with Emily Henry books. However, it was all worth it! It really felt like I was reading 3 books at once, with all the different side stories woven into the main one.
The romance in this book is cute, the side stories are super interesting and written in a way that can be relatable/ realistic(?)Obviously not all of them. I kept wanting to find out what would come up next between Alice and Margaret’s sessions and what all of that would lead to! Kept thinking there were loads of things "missing" in those sessions, and they felt kinda "tense". HOWEVER, in the last 20% of this book, EVERYTHING came together! I gasped loudly a few times, and at some moments had to put down the book to stare into the void. Safe to say that the plot twists were WILD, some of them more obvious than others.
I kinda had a suspicion something was going on about Hayden from the start. It just seemed to "odd" that Margaret would just reach out to him without any context? Especially since Alice was the one to reach out to her originally?
Also did call it from the start that there was something "odd" about Jodi!! Never could've guessed the outcome though!
To conclude, this was not my favourite book from Emily Henry, but also definitely not my least favourite! I am not sure whether I would classify this book as a romance-book alone, as it had so much more going on.
The romance in this book is cute, the side stories are super interesting and written in a way that can be relatable/ realistic(?)
To conclude, this was not my favourite book from Emily Henry, but also definitely not my least favourite! I am not sure whether I would classify this book as a romance-book alone, as it had so much more going on.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent
Minor: Terminal illness
emotional
funny
hopeful
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
hayden is half black in my head, fight with a wall
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Grief, Death of parent
Moderate: Car accident, Pregnancy
funny
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Minor: Death of parent
emotional
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
Graphic: Death, Sexual content, Grief, Death of parent
Moderate: Confinement, Mental illness, Dementia, Car accident, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Alcohol
Minor: Murder
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I would have loved to read this in dual perspective! But I LOVED this book! Emily Henry is one of my favorite authors, she creates beautifully crafters stories with an intriguing plot. The style of book was slightly different from her usual writing, but it kept me guessing, and trying to put all the pieces together. The ending was unexpected, but tied it all together. It was fantastic! 10/10 recommend
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent
Minor: Car accident, Pregnancy, Abandonment
emotional
reflective
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:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Death of parent
emotional
hopeful
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Grief, Death of parent
Moderate: Sexual content, Car accident
Minor: Infidelity, Mental illness
emotional
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
4 stars, 3 spice, mild spoilers- Alice and Hayden are competing to write Margaret Ives celebrity memoir. Hayden is the grumpy Pulitzer Prize winning author. Alice is the sunny unknown writer specializing in short celebrity pieces. Margaret was born into a famous family and disappeared 20 years ago. As each author interviews her, The lines between truth and lies along with love and regret become intertwined. What happens when secrets are set free? Who will be the collateral damage?
I don’t really understand the hate for this book. I listened to the audiobook and enjoyed it. It might have seemed slow if I was reading the physical copy. The main plot is told from Alice’s point of view except when Margaret is telling her story during Alice’s interviews. Throughout the book, one questions how reliable a narrator Margaret really is. The backstory about her family does kind of drag on and is kind of irrelevant, except to establish Margaret may be a liar. I did not catch the twist at the end even though the clues were set out in the interviews.
The romance between Alice and Hayden is a bit Instalove, particularly on Alice’s side, but they don’t necessarily fall into bed instantly. The chemistry builds as they keep running into one another. I did ultimately like them as a pair and was satisfied with the final resolution. There is also a women’s fiction element as we see Alice’s strained relationship with her mother.
Overall, I enjoyed the book. If you like your romance with a bit of spice and a lot of plot that makes you think, this would be a good fit. Based on the reviews, I would recommend the audio version is there is a concern about the plot being slow or boring.
I don’t really understand the hate for this book. I listened to the audiobook and enjoyed it. It might have seemed slow if I was reading the physical copy. The main plot is told from Alice’s point of view except when Margaret is telling her story during Alice’s interviews. Throughout the book, one questions how reliable a narrator Margaret really is. The backstory about her family does kind of drag on and is kind of irrelevant, except to establish Margaret may be a liar. I did not catch the twist at the end even though the clues were set out in the interviews.
The romance between Alice and Hayden is a bit Instalove, particularly on Alice’s side, but they don’t necessarily fall into bed instantly. The chemistry builds as they keep running into one another. I did ultimately like them as a pair and was satisfied with the final resolution. There is also a women’s fiction element as we see Alice’s strained relationship with her mother.
Overall, I enjoyed the book. If you like your romance with a bit of spice and a lot of plot that makes you think, this would be a good fit. Based on the reviews, I would recommend the audio version is there is a concern about the plot being slow or boring.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Death, Death of parent