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3.83 AVERAGE
3.83 AVERAGE
I was looking forward to this as the FMC was very different from the usual cute and healthy types and is dealing with breast cancer. The MMC was ehhhh. I put the book down and didn't care to resume it. Libby returned it for me. I forgot I had been reading it.
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
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
emotional
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
emotional
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-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:
Yes
Jesus christ. I put this book on my list based on someone on TikTok who had read an ARC and said it was incredible, and it was. I didn't look into it at all before putting it on hold at my library. I'm not a hater of romance like many, though I do often read it because I need something lighter, especially after reading nonfiction. This book wasn't heavy (for me), but I became much more invested in the characters than in many other romances I've read because the character development was written so well and the storyline (though slightly bizarre) did not allow me to anticipate exactly what was going to happen. There are some assumptions you can go into any romance with and be right about, but I enjoyed that this one didn't give away all the details too early. The representation of the BRCA gene and a preventative double mastectomy I thought really added to the story, and of course can maybe make this experience less scary for someone who may be going through something similar. It's especially nice to have a potentially heavier topic in a book while also being genuinely funny. Here are some of my favorite quotes (funny and not):
- "You could never daydream with Sam. Everything was achievable. Everything was within reach. Money, time, and prior commitments were never an excuse for not living your best life. He never understood why I didn't like the messages. To him, each message from the future was a statement of potential. To me, there were a reminder of how I was falling short."
- "I like him even less than Mara's most recent ex-girlfriend, who shoplifted 'for political reasons' and once brought a whole rotisserie chicken to a movie theater."
- (On romance novels) "Heroines had an awareness of their nipples I didn't understand at the time. I inhaled passages of women taking note of the specific state of nipple arousal--purpled, pinched, plumped, pebbled, and perky. These nipples all seemed to have a life of their own."
- (On replying to a casual text) "I hold my boobs in my hands as I consider my reply."
- "...what's your comfort food then?" - "Personal pan pizza. But I have to earn it through reading chapter books or no dice."
- "Part of what I like about trains is that they're literally tethered to the ground, part of its landscape. Planes make the world feel smaller, but trains remind me that the world has always been big. The connect you to people all over the continent while still granting you permission to pick your favorite corner of it and build a small, simple life there--only to roam exactly when you want or need to."
- "I gag on a tot."
- "I imagine your every detail. Constantly. God, imagine the things I could accomplish if I could think about anything other than you: my favorite person."
- "She's checking her phone obsessively. She gave Kyle the last sparkling water at the team meeting. She even changed her email sign-off to 'Cheers' with an exclamation point. There's only one explanation--aside from a lobotomy."
- "I make a sound I've never heard come out of my mouth before. I think I guffaw."
- "Denise hears it too, but her face remains placid. 'And what are you feeling guilty for in this instance?' she asks. - My eyes find the pilling fabric on my sweater sleeve. 'Same as always, I guess. For being me. For being a homebody when I should want excitement and spontaneity.'"
- "But you know what was so much more terrifying than owing a debt to the universe? Realizing it's all random. And that's the truth, there's nothing to pay or prove. We're all just living." - "You don't need to prove yourself to me or anyone. You deserve it, because everyone does. When they die or get sick or have to get a mastectomy, it's not because they deserve it. It's not fair, and it's random. There's nothing we can do other than live how we want to live."
- "How am I supposed to know if any time is a good time for anything? Does anyone? You just have to make the choices that feel true to the live you want and hope like hell it will all workout."
- "I don't hear from Adam again after our late night Christmas call. I considered reaching out at midnight on New Year's Eve, hoping this would be our new thing--emotional late-night phone calls on bank holidays, and by Memorial Day we'd be making declarations of love--but I fell asleep at nine p.m."
- "I like him even less than Mara's most recent ex-girlfriend, who shoplifted 'for political reasons' and once brought a whole rotisserie chicken to a movie theater."
- (On romance novels) "Heroines had an awareness of their nipples I didn't understand at the time. I inhaled passages of women taking note of the specific state of nipple arousal--purpled, pinched, plumped, pebbled, and perky. These nipples all seemed to have a life of their own."
- (On replying to a casual text) "I hold my boobs in my hands as I consider my reply."
- "...what's your comfort food then?" - "Personal pan pizza. But I have to earn it through reading chapter books or no dice."
- "Part of what I like about trains is that they're literally tethered to the ground, part of its landscape. Planes make the world feel smaller, but trains remind me that the world has always been big. The connect you to people all over the continent while still granting you permission to pick your favorite corner of it and build a small, simple life there--only to roam exactly when you want or need to."
- "I gag on a tot."
- "I imagine your every detail. Constantly. God, imagine the things I could accomplish if I could think about anything other than you: my favorite person."
- "She's checking her phone obsessively. She gave Kyle the last sparkling water at the team meeting. She even changed her email sign-off to 'Cheers' with an exclamation point. There's only one explanation--aside from a lobotomy."
- "I make a sound I've never heard come out of my mouth before. I think I guffaw."
- "Denise hears it too, but her face remains placid. 'And what are you feeling guilty for in this instance?' she asks. - My eyes find the pilling fabric on my sweater sleeve. 'Same as always, I guess. For being me. For being a homebody when I should want excitement and spontaneity.'"
- "But you know what was so much more terrifying than owing a debt to the universe? Realizing it's all random. And that's the truth, there's nothing to pay or prove. We're all just living." - "You don't need to prove yourself to me or anyone. You deserve it, because everyone does. When they die or get sick or have to get a mastectomy, it's not because they deserve it. It's not fair, and it's random. There's nothing we can do other than live how we want to live."
- "How am I supposed to know if any time is a good time for anything? Does anyone? You just have to make the choices that feel true to the live you want and hope like hell it will all workout."
- "I don't hear from Adam again after our late night Christmas call. I considered reaching out at midnight on New Year's Eve, hoping this would be our new thing--emotional late-night phone calls on bank holidays, and by Memorial Day we'd be making declarations of love--but I fell asleep at nine p.m."
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:
No
The middle was a bit slow, but the ending was so good!
funny
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer
Moderate: Death
medium-paced
Okay, who knew a romance novel that starts off at a funeral would leave me so happy? This book, the first 75% was a cute little romcom, that last 25% had me jumping on my couch, telling Oprah how much I love them.
I'm so happy for the happy ending...for everyone...but Sam? Ooopfh poor guy, can I still be sad for you and your family if you're fictional?
I'm so happy for the happy ending...for everyone...but Sam? Ooopfh poor guy, can I still be sad for you and your family if you're fictional?