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3.61 AVERAGE
3.61 AVERAGE
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
4.25 stars⭐️! This was the first book I’ve read by Erin La Rosa and I really enjoyed this book! I grew up listening to Fall Out Boy, MCR, and P!ATD so all reading it made me feel super nostalgic! I thought Sam and Damon were fun together! I really enjoyed the magical realism of the book and seeing their lives in the alternate timeline! I thought showing different stages of their lives with a different song was so creative and fun! I tried to listen to each song during these “flashback” and it added so much to my reading experience! I loved the beach setting of Tybee Island, it creates such a fun summer atmosphere, making it the perfect summer read! If you enjoy tropes such as second chance romance, friends to lovers, small beach town, and magical realism, this is the perfect book for you!
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!
adventurous
emotional
funny
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:
No
I was excited about this book, because I love alternate storylines but man was this not good. Well, deeply mediocre, I guess.
Neither of the main characters are well developed, or fleshed out; they feel surface level and vague. The nostalgia got really old after a while, it was like hitting the reader over the head with specifics that didn't effect the story at all, and felt forced.
Actually, the whole story felt forced; i was not convinced Damon was right for her at all, their chemistry was seriously lacking and i just didn't believe them.
A lot of other minor quibbles, but essentially it boils down to I didn't believe in these people's love story. Which is a bummer because this is a cute premise.
Neither of the main characters are well developed, or fleshed out; they feel surface level and vague. The nostalgia got really old after a while, it was like hitting the reader over the head with specifics that didn't effect the story at all, and felt forced.
Actually, the whole story felt forced; i was not convinced Damon was right for her at all, their chemistry was seriously lacking and i just didn't believe them.
A lot of other minor quibbles, but essentially it boils down to I didn't believe in these people's love story. Which is a bummer because this is a cute premise.
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This was okay. I feel like none of the characters were truly fleshed out and the story relied heavily on nostalgia. Grandma Pearl was probably my favorite character. Even after finishing this, I don’t feel like I really know Sam or Damon or Sam’s mom. I would have enjoyed more of Sam’s relationship with her mom.
It feels like Sam and Damon just ended up together because that’s what the story wanted, but I don’t feel like there was ever any depth developed in their relationship. All in all, this was just okay—if not for the nostalgic factor, I probably would have DNF’d it.
It feels like Sam and Damon just ended up together because that’s what the story wanted, but I don’t feel like there was ever any depth developed in their relationship. All in all, this was just okay—if not for the nostalgic factor, I probably would have DNF’d it.
This is my 2nd alternate universe magical scenario read of 2024, and I greatly enjoyed this one.
***SPOILERS BELOW***
Sam rejected her best friend Damon's advances back in high school in fear of ruining their bond, and now the universe is intervening to force her to address the 'what if' she's pondered ever since. Yes, it's a magic Lisa Frank CD player set to play the mix tape Damon made her back in high school filled with your favorite 00s punk/emo songs.
I love my little weirdos and their dark eyeliner and dyed tips, and now they've grown up. Sam left Tybee Island and jet sets internationally with her home in France. Damon stayed back and opened up a brewery with his sister. Now she's back to help her Grandma clean up and sell her home.
Every song gives Sam a new glimpse into how she and Damon would've progressed if they had kissed, and it proves that sometimes life is all about timing.
The alternate universe scenes hooked me as it is rare to see things not be perfect in these scenarios. I could've done without the full list of songs and scene descriptors every couple of pages but that's easy to skip over. I also appreciate the chillness of Marissa, Damon's current fling, who easily steps away from him without resentment towards him or Sam. I was worried we might have some cheating or almost cheating moments.
Overall, this felt very different from Erin's past books, and I liked that. It's great to see an author can do other things, and I loved the twist of Sam realizing that when her mother told her not to get stuck, she wasn't talking about location at all, but mental health. Such a - click - moment helped Sam finally move on from the fears holding her back all these years.
I hope everyone enjoys this as much as I did!
***SPOILERS BELOW***
Sam rejected her best friend Damon's advances back in high school in fear of ruining their bond, and now the universe is intervening to force her to address the 'what if' she's pondered ever since. Yes, it's a magic Lisa Frank CD player set to play the mix tape Damon made her back in high school filled with your favorite 00s punk/emo songs.
I love my little weirdos and their dark eyeliner and dyed tips, and now they've grown up. Sam left Tybee Island and jet sets internationally with her home in France. Damon stayed back and opened up a brewery with his sister. Now she's back to help her Grandma clean up and sell her home.
Every song gives Sam a new glimpse into how she and Damon would've progressed if they had kissed, and it proves that sometimes life is all about timing.
The alternate universe scenes hooked me as it is rare to see things not be perfect in these scenarios. I could've done without the full list of songs and scene descriptors every couple of pages but that's easy to skip over. I also appreciate the chillness of Marissa, Damon's current fling, who easily steps away from him without resentment towards him or Sam. I was worried we might have some cheating or almost cheating moments.
Overall, this felt very different from Erin's past books, and I liked that. It's great to see an author can do other things, and I loved the twist of Sam realizing that when her mother told her not to get stuck, she wasn't talking about location at all, but mental health. Such a - click - moment helped Sam finally move on from the fears holding her back all these years.
I hope everyone enjoys this as much as I did!
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
The nostalgia and characters of this book are amazing. Such a fun plot! Highly recommend.
emotional
lighthearted
relaxing
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
Cute take on a little time travel-esque romance, but also got heavier than I expected
funny
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes