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3.92 AVERAGE
3.92 AVERAGE
This was cute. I liked the dynamic between the main character and her grandpa. It was cute and it made me wish I had grandparents. Overall very cute story. I think the politics talk took me out of it. I didn’t like it and felt it was unnecessary. That and the pronouns for a person who never said they wanted pronouns. I didn’t understand that.
fast-paced
emotional
reflective
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:
No
3.5 stars!
This was cute! A sweet story about an introvert who grows out of her shell, and learns more about life & love. Overall I thought the story was cute. The plot did feel slow to me at time and I had difficulty feeling hooked in till about 50% of the way through. The romance was sweet, and Mallory’s relationship with her grandfather was so endearing. This book is great for those who love character focused stories.
Thank you to NetGalley, Forever, and the author for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!
This was cute! A sweet story about an introvert who grows out of her shell, and learns more about life & love. Overall I thought the story was cute. The plot did feel slow to me at time and I had difficulty feeling hooked in till about 50% of the way through. The romance was sweet, and Mallory’s relationship with her grandfather was so endearing. This book is great for those who love character focused stories.
Thank you to NetGalley, Forever, and the author for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Thank you to NetGalley, Lauren Appelbaum, and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
This was such a cozy and endearing read. I think many introverts can relate to Mallory's story. She would rather be at home working on her computer than go to the office where there are people every day. I can relate. After her grandma passes, she is tasked with taking care of her grandpa. She also left her a house. A house that needed a lot of work, which she gets help with from Daniel. While she is there, she realizes that her life in the big city has been cold and unwelcoming. She knows she needs to figure out what kind of life she wants to live. I loved how things worked out. I do wish we had gotten more of the town's characters to make it more memorable. Something was missing with this one, but I can't put my finger on it. Overall, I enjoyed this read. I would recommend it.
This was such a cozy and endearing read. I think many introverts can relate to Mallory's story. She would rather be at home working on her computer than go to the office where there are people every day. I can relate. After her grandma passes, she is tasked with taking care of her grandpa. She also left her a house. A house that needed a lot of work, which she gets help with from Daniel. While she is there, she realizes that her life in the big city has been cold and unwelcoming. She knows she needs to figure out what kind of life she wants to live. I loved how things worked out. I do wish we had gotten more of the town's characters to make it more memorable. Something was missing with this one, but I can't put my finger on it. Overall, I enjoyed this read. I would recommend it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
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:
Yes
It started a little slow for me, but once I got into it, it was amazing! I think Daniel has to be the blueprint for what men should aspire to be: supportive, kind, and healthily masculine. His relationship with Mallory (or, vice versa, it’s her book, after all) was so comforting to read. It was a healthy build-up, based on friendship and respect, and they were very good at communication skills, despite Mallory doubting her social ability on multiple occasions!
Mallory’s relationship with her grandfather, too, was so heartwarming. We all worry about being left alone at some point (or maybe that’s just Mallory and I), and the way they both came to depend on each other and be each other’s comforts was lovely.
Overall, I really enjoyed this read, and Mallory was an extremely relatable FMC to read!
Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for the ARC!
Mallory’s relationship with her grandfather, too, was so heartwarming. We all worry about being left alone at some point (or maybe that’s just Mallory and I), and the way they both came to depend on each other and be each other’s comforts was lovely.
Overall, I really enjoyed this read, and Mallory was an extremely relatable FMC to read!
Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for the ARC!
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
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:
Complicated
I enjoyed the MC’s journey to understand herself and what she wants for her life. But the ending left me unsatisfied. I also didn’t feel like the side characters were fleshed out enough.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Emotional abuse
Minor: Death, Death of parent, Pandemic/Epidemic
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Yes
More than a story about an introvert, I found this is really about a woman finding connection with her grandpa and also some new relationships along the way. Mallory's grandma unexpectedly leaves a cottage to her with the expectation that she also takes care of her grandpa. So she heads there to figure out what she'll need to do. Once there, she finds lots of unexpected connections and emotions. This was a light, fun read that was also about navigating grief and figuring out where you belong - A story about a connection with grandparents always pulls at my heartstrings, and I also liked the bonus layer of remote work as that's also a life I know well. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the look at this September 2025 release.
This book follows Mallory an introvert living her best life in Seattle, when she inherits her Grandmother’s house in Florida and the expectation of caring for her Grandfather. While she thinks she is going to take a quick trip to check on her Grandpa and rent out the house, her plans are quickly changed.
I enjoyed this book. I very much so connected with Mallory as an introvert myself. And also loved reading a book that took place where I grew up. I loved Mallory’s relationship with her Grandpa and watching her leave behind her small life in Seattle.
4 stars. Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for my ARC!