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3.9 AVERAGE
3.9 AVERAGE
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
I couldn’t put this down - I loved the different media used to tell the story and loved the characters and how they came together. The 3rd act breakup was maybe a little iffy for me, in terms of how it went and how they came out of it, but overall a great read and I’ve already recommended it.
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
A fine story, and I'm glad I read it because I got to meet Myah Ariel at the LA Times Festival of Books. She was on a panel about debut romance authors and now I only have one left to read from that group, [b:The Kiss Countdown|186872423|The Kiss Countdown|Etta Easton|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1696193358l/186872423._SY75_.jpg|188367713] coming soon!
Here's an example of one spot where I was like you've got to be kidding me: "'Clearly I'm a deeply troubled individual who runs at the first sign of abandonm—' I cut myself off with a gasp. Just like that, I've discovered my fatal flaw." Seriously? Just like that? I know we've got to have growth to resolve the conflict but I'd appreciate it if the audience wasn't slapped in the face with it.
Here's an example of one spot where I was like you've got to be kidding me: "'Clearly I'm a deeply troubled individual who runs at the first sign of abandonm—' I cut myself off with a gasp. Just like that, I've discovered my fatal flaw." Seriously? Just like that? I know we've got to have growth to resolve the conflict but I'd appreciate it if the audience wasn't slapped in the face with it.
I did not enjoy this book. I struggled with both the heroine and the hero, and the "romance" between them left a lot to be desired.
Let’s start with Kaliya. As the main character, she became increasingly hard to root for. I have no issue with characters who are insecure or self-loathing as long as their journey shows meaningful growth. Unfortunately, this book didn’t deliver. I spent chapters waiting for Kaliya to stand up for herself, realize her worth, or even start working toward healing, but that moment never really came. By the end, she’s supposedly “better,” but we only hear about her improvement rather than see it. A new job isn’t enough to magically fix everything, and the lack of visible transformation made it hard to connect with her or care about her arc. So many times, I just wanted to scream, “STAND UP!”—but she never did.
Then there’s Danny. I don’t even know where to start with him. He disappointed Kaliya so many times that I genuinely couldn’t root for their relationship. With every letdown, my frustration grew, and it became impossible to believe in them as a couple. He was unreliable and lacked any redemptive qualities to make me want them together.
As for their romance? The flashbacks were clearly meant to showcase their chemistry and history, but they didn’t work for me. There was no spark, no tension, and no real sense of why they were drawn to each other—past or present. Again, a lot of showing and not telling. The flashbacks themselves also felt clunky and were hard to follow stylistically, as there wasn’t much differentiation from the main narrative.
Even the time they spent apart, which could’ve been a period of healing and self-discovery, felt hollow. We don’t see what that supposed growth entails or how it impacts their eventual reunion. Honestly, they’d be better off apart—not even as friends. If I had a friend who treated me the way Danny treated Kaliya, they wouldn’t be my friend.
On the positive side, I liked the subplot of Danny’s movie. Those chapters had a charm that the rest of the book lacked. Neha was another highlight—a fun, vibrant character who brought some much-needed energy to the story.
Let’s start with Kaliya. As the main character, she became increasingly hard to root for. I have no issue with characters who are insecure or self-loathing as long as their journey shows meaningful growth. Unfortunately, this book didn’t deliver. I spent chapters waiting for Kaliya to stand up for herself, realize her worth, or even start working toward healing, but that moment never really came. By the end, she’s supposedly “better,” but we only hear about her improvement rather than see it. A new job isn’t enough to magically fix everything, and the lack of visible transformation made it hard to connect with her or care about her arc. So many times, I just wanted to scream, “STAND UP!”—but she never did.
Then there’s Danny. I don’t even know where to start with him. He disappointed Kaliya so many times that I genuinely couldn’t root for their relationship. With every letdown, my frustration grew, and it became impossible to believe in them as a couple. He was unreliable and lacked any redemptive qualities to make me want them together.
As for their romance? The flashbacks were clearly meant to showcase their chemistry and history, but they didn’t work for me. There was no spark, no tension, and no real sense of why they were drawn to each other—past or present. Again, a lot of showing and not telling. The flashbacks themselves also felt clunky and were hard to follow stylistically, as there wasn’t much differentiation from the main narrative.
Even the time they spent apart, which could’ve been a period of healing and self-discovery, felt hollow. We don’t see what that supposed growth entails or how it impacts their eventual reunion. Honestly, they’d be better off apart—not even as friends. If I had a friend who treated me the way Danny treated Kaliya, they wouldn’t be my friend.
On the positive side, I liked the subplot of Danny’s movie. Those chapters had a charm that the rest of the book lacked. Neha was another highlight—a fun, vibrant character who brought some much-needed energy to the story.
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
I enjoyed the writing however I wished it was dual POV. I wasn’t a big fan of our fmc and some of the story fell a bit flat for me. The author acknowledged the flaws of the fmc but in my opinion didn’t grow from it. Still a cute read tho. 3.5⭐️
challenging
emotional
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
lighthearted
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
📖 Book Review📖
When I Think of You | by Myah Ariel
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Okay, so we loved the second-chance romance vibe, plus the love story between Danny’s parents was such a sweet touch. 🤎We also appreciated how the author didn’t shy away from talking about race, privilege, and some Nepotism. And can we talk about how supportive Neha and Bella were? We love to see it. 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾
That said, the constant back and forth between Kailya and Danny got a little exhausting. 😮💨😮💨😮💨 Like, Kailya broke up with this man three times and each time was more confusing than the last to us. Also, we would’ve loved to see more about how Danny finally got his film produced and what happened to Celine? 🤔
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I honestly don't even know where to begin. I knew from the very beginning this book would be one of my favs of the year! Thank you Myah Ariel for this beautiful love story.
Myah does such an incredible job capturing the raw emotions of both Kaliya and Danny. Their chemistry was like a smoldering fire; burning slow but still hot. I tend to not love second chance romances but this one blew me away. Also, can we please get a story about Neha?! If you love a slow burn, second chance romance with a touch of nostalgia, pick this one up. You won't regret it!
5/5⭐ 1.5/5🌶️
Tropes to Expect:
Slow Burn
Second Chance Romance
Work Place Romance
Single POV
TW:
Grief
Dysfunctional family
Myah does such an incredible job capturing the raw emotions of both Kaliya and Danny. Their chemistry was like a smoldering fire; burning slow but still hot. I tend to not love second chance romances but this one blew me away. Also, can we please get a story about Neha?! If you love a slow burn, second chance romance with a touch of nostalgia, pick this one up. You won't regret it!
5/5⭐ 1.5/5🌶️
Tropes to Expect:
Slow Burn
Second Chance Romance
Work Place Romance
Single POV
TW:
Grief
Dysfunctional family