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thatswhatshanread's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
WOW, another great novel from Jessica Joyce!! I utterly ADORED her first novel, and while this one didn’t quite measure up to her debut for me, I still loved it. Her writing style is so natural and fun but full of honesty and meaning. It’s such a perfect fit for the contemporary romance genre and I hope she knows that. The dialogue, the characters, the humor, the plot—fantastic and original.
Eli and Georgia are the starring exes of this story, brought back together five years after their breakup for the wedding of their longtime mutual best friend. Georgia’s been back in the Bay Area for a while; Eli’s still in NYC where things fell apart after their many years of friendship and then love. They’re each big players in their respective jobs, but one of their jobs was part of the reason they drifted apart. They obviously still love each other, but neither wants to acknowledge it when there is so much pain there, too. Enter their duties of being Adam’s Best Man and Best Woman, back home where they all met. They must work together to make a wedding happen that seems cursed to fail.
Even all the things that go wrong for the wedding feel realistic because I myself could see all of those things happening to me or one of my friends. I love Georgia’s, Eli’s, and Adam’s reactions to each new problem, earnest and funny. But I also love the hard moments in between, the way Eli tries to hold himself together despite his constant anxiety, and the way he finally lets Georgia in like he never did before. How Georgia starts to work through saying the scary things out loud, the moment she’s feeling them. They each have their own faults, but ultimately bring out the best in each other, too.
I related to both Georgia and Eli’s insecurities and especially how each manifested within them. But I was happy to see how they grew from them as well, and how they knew what each other needed. I think I would’ve liked a little more of Eli’s side of things and maybe more in-depth scenes of years past in their relationship, but that’s okay.
Second chance romance is everything to me, not to mention friends to lovers to exes to lovers once again. It represents the idea that people can and do change, that love and trust can be rebuilt, that happiness can be renewed. And Jessica Joyce writes it so effectively here, a tender ode to “what’s meant to be, will be”.
Eli and Georgia are the starring exes of this story, brought back together five years after their breakup for the wedding of their longtime mutual best friend. Georgia’s been back in the Bay Area for a while; Eli’s still in NYC where things fell apart after their many years of friendship and then love. They’re each big players in their respective jobs, but one of their jobs was part of the reason they drifted apart. They obviously still love each other, but neither wants to acknowledge it when there is so much pain there, too. Enter their duties of being Adam’s Best Man and Best Woman, back home where they all met. They must work together to make a wedding happen that seems cursed to fail.
Even all the things that go wrong for the wedding feel realistic because I myself could see all of those things happening to me or one of my friends. I love Georgia’s, Eli’s, and Adam’s reactions to each new problem, earnest and funny. But I also love the hard moments in between, the way Eli tries to hold himself together despite his constant anxiety, and the way he finally lets Georgia in like he never did before. How Georgia starts to work through saying the scary things out loud, the moment she’s feeling them. They each have their own faults, but ultimately bring out the best in each other, too.
I related to both Georgia and Eli’s insecurities and especially how each manifested within them. But I was happy to see how they grew from them as well, and how they knew what each other needed. I think I would’ve liked a little more of Eli’s side of things and maybe more in-depth scenes of years past in their relationship, but that’s okay.
Second chance romance is everything to me, not to mention friends to lovers to exes to lovers once again. It represents the idea that people can and do change, that love and trust can be rebuilt, that happiness can be renewed. And Jessica Joyce writes it so effectively here, a tender ode to “what’s meant to be, will be”.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Sexual content
Moderate: Pregnancy, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Death, Vomit, Medical content, and Death of parent
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