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3.83 AVERAGE
3.83 AVERAGE
Perfectly low-stakes and mindless enough that I actually found myself liking the characters and the “plot twist” revealed at the very end.
emotional
funny
hopeful
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:
Complicated
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
sad
tense
fast-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
Alison Mullally is trying to take hold of the second chance at life she seized after her BRCA1 carrier diagnosis, double mastectomy, and reconstruction. Her guilt at cheating cancer (and possibly death) is only exceeded by her guilt at not enjoying the adventurous hobbies she picked up to feel like she has earned this second chance at life. Suppressing her homebody tendencies - and passion for 🚃model trains 🚋 - to pursue hiking is her way of attempting to overcome the heaviness of survivor’s guilt. Dating Sam, the thrill-seeking travel influencer, had her thinking he “would make me adventurous in a hurry, but it just made me tired.” When he suddenly dies several months after their breakup, Ali reluctantly agrees to play the part of his girlfriend (at his sister’s bequest) for his family at the funeral. Little did she know that he never told them about the breakup and that quickly spirals into her agreeing to pack up and fix up Sam’s condo with his best friend, Adam, for his grieving parents. Over the course of four weekends, tensions soften as Ali and Adam form an unexpected friendship that grows to a simmering attraction beneath the shadow of Sam’s memory. Will those sparks catch into a flame, or will their fear and guilt stop this train in its tracks before it can leave the station?
Spoilers ahead…
Alison and Adam were such a sweet slow-burn, but the emotional development is what I’ll really remember about this story. Ali’s complicated feelings about her health journey, hobbies, and career were so central to her growth as a character, friend, and partner. Feeling sad for what she’s already sacrificed to stay healthy and then feeling guilty about not being more grateful to have had that option at all make it so easy to empathize with her situation (regarding her double mastectomy/reconstruction and the future decisions about potentially removing her fallopian tubes, ovaries, and uterus), even if her experience is unlike our own. It was great to be along for the ride as Alison learned she is enough exactly as she is - such an important lesson for everyone to learn and one that tastes so sweet when paired with a charming romance.
I loved the inclusion of Ali’s friends, Mara and Chelsea. They made for quite the trio and I loved how supportive they were of each other! I’d read a book about each of them in a heartbeat 😍 The moments with Ali and Adam’s families also added to the story. The finale at the New Year’s Day trivia match with public declarations of love and Sam posthumously playing wingman for his best friend and his ex made for a very memorable ending.
Another review wrote that “If Emily Henry’s Beach Read + Funny Story had a baby, it would be this book” and I can see that!
P.S. Gotta love a frozen thin mint 👏🏼
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cancer, Death
emotional
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
funny
hopeful
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
funny
hopeful
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
lighthearted
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
Overall great, but it unfortunately contained some tropes I really don’t like in romance novels (or any novels tbh) aka a Christmas setting (couldn’t we communicate this through the cover or something?) and a public love confession (my absolute nightmare)
I have a confession to make, I added this book to my Goodreads TBR solely because of the title. I didn’t even read the blurb to see what it was about. And I’m pleased to say I ended up enjoying it anyway.
Alison was a complex FMC, but a well-explored one. The experiences she had, as they do with most people, shaped who she was (more on that in a bit), and it made her all the more sympathetic.
I wasn’t sure if I’d like Adam at first. He seemed like a self-important jerk. But after some time, I remembered why I love the grumpy x sunshine trope. When the grump starts to soften and show signs of humanity, it’s too precious for words. Additionally, there’s something about the way a grumpy MMC grows to feel (protective) toward a sunshiny FMC that’s very romantic, more so than a non-grumpy MMC.
There’s also representation for something I don’t see much of: Alison is a carrier of the BRCA1 gene mutation and has had both of her breasts removed, resulting in some survivor guilt and insecurities. I thought this was tastefully and thoughtfully handled, and I appreciated getting a chance to see what that experience might be like.
Also, Sam may just be my favorite character-who’s-not-actually-a-character-because-he’s-dead. What brought me to that conclusion? The reveal that he was planning to introduce Alison and Adam, even though they found each other anyway.
TW: history of breast cancer and mastectomy, brief mention of a fatal car accident
Alison was a complex FMC, but a well-explored one. The experiences she had, as they do with most people, shaped who she was (more on that in a bit), and it made her all the more sympathetic.
I wasn’t sure if I’d like Adam at first. He seemed like a self-important jerk. But after some time, I remembered why I love the grumpy x sunshine trope. When the grump starts to soften and show signs of humanity, it’s too precious for words. Additionally, there’s something about the way a grumpy MMC grows to feel (protective) toward a sunshiny FMC that’s very romantic, more so than a non-grumpy MMC.
There’s also representation for something I don’t see much of: Alison is a carrier of the BRCA1 gene mutation and has had both of her breasts removed, resulting in some survivor guilt and insecurities. I thought this was tastefully and thoughtfully handled, and I appreciated getting a chance to see what that experience might be like.
Also, Sam may just be my favorite character-who’s-not-actually-a-character-because-he’s-dead. What brought me to that conclusion? The reveal that he was planning to introduce Alison and Adam, even though they found each other anyway.
TW: history of breast cancer and mastectomy, brief mention of a fatal car accident