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4.2 AVERAGE
4.2 AVERAGE
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
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:
Complicated
I LOVE when a book sneaks up on me with how much I enjoy it, and especially when it’s a debut. I quite literally could not put this book down over the last twenty-four hours. This was emotional, lovely and so wonderful. I actually would have still loved it even if it was about 33% longer because I just wanted MORE of everyone’s stories. The conflict was equal parts frustratingly unbelievable (but honestly some men do just suck that much) and so honest and raw. The bits of back story/timeline jumping were perfectly placed and built the current storyline up in the best way. I love Logan so so much ahhh!! I love the build up of the time the main characters spent together and the synopses of their conversations - it makes them feel so real! The flaws, the growth, the absolute LOVE of it all was so wonderful. I can’t wait to witness the readers who will love this book discover it and fall in love with it too.
Thanks to Avon and Edelweiss for the ARC!
Thanks to Avon and Edelweiss for the ARC!
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
i loved the emotion and angst in this. the dual timeline was so intriguing and i enjoyed seeing how different and how similar Logan and Nicole were in both times. If you liked Shep from Cara Bastone's Ready Or Not, you will probably like Logan! The up and down of the romance and Nicole's life was a little too much for me at times, but i deeply felt for her throughout the story. Lauren Okie makes you feel everything with her writing - joy, despair, panic, love, laughter.
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
This was an emotional, beautifully paced read that had me hooked from start to finish. The drama felt authentic and compelling; especially as it tackled infertility with rawness and sensitivity—it added so much depth to the story without overwhelming it. As someone with firsthand experience with infertility, I definitely went through my fair share of tissues and accompanied this read with a decent glass of wine.
Nicole, the FMC, was such a complex and well-rounded character. There were so many moments when I wanted to shake her out of frustration, but just as many when I was wholeheartedly rooting for her or aching alongside her. That emotional push-and-pull made her feel incredibly real and kept me invested in her journey.
And Logan—oh, I absolutely loved Logan. I need my own Logan!!! His nerdy, golden retriever energy was so endearing; and the way he showed up for Nicole, even when things were hard, melted me into a puddle. He was gentle and steady in a way that balanced out all of Nicole’s emotional turmoils, and you could feel how much he loved her pouring off the pages like warmth from a sunbeam. Their connection was so palpable, it made the romance feel truly three-dimensional.
While I didn’t love that there were two third-act breakups—it made the ending feel a bit stretched for
me personally—the emotional payoff was still satisfying. I also found myself wishing for a bit more “show” over “tell” when it came to Nicole’s internal journey; some moments felt more explained than felt, and I would’ve loved to experience those shifts more viscerally. For a debut though, those personal preferences were minor compared to other debut releases I’ve read.
Overall, this is one of those love stories that sticks with you, messy and beautiful all at once. If you’re into emotionally rich, character-driven romances with real stakes and deep heart, this one’s absolutely worth your time.
Thank you to Avon and NetGalley for the e-ARC. Review is my honest opinion.
Nicole, the FMC, was such a complex and well-rounded character. There were so many moments when I wanted to shake her out of frustration, but just as many when I was wholeheartedly rooting for her or aching alongside her. That emotional push-and-pull made her feel incredibly real and kept me invested in her journey.
And Logan—oh, I absolutely loved Logan. I need my own Logan!!! His nerdy, golden retriever energy was so endearing; and the way he showed up for Nicole, even when things were hard, melted me into a puddle. He was gentle and steady in a way that balanced out all of Nicole’s emotional turmoils, and you could feel how much he loved her pouring off the pages like warmth from a sunbeam. Their connection was so palpable, it made the romance feel truly three-dimensional.
While I didn’t love that there were two third-act breakups—it made the ending feel a bit stretched for
me personally—the emotional payoff was still satisfying. I also found myself wishing for a bit more “show” over “tell” when it came to Nicole’s internal journey; some moments felt more explained than felt, and I would’ve loved to experience those shifts more viscerally. For a debut though, those personal preferences were minor compared to other debut releases I’ve read.
Overall, this is one of those love stories that sticks with you, messy and beautiful all at once. If you’re into emotionally rich, character-driven romances with real stakes and deep heart, this one’s absolutely worth your time.
Thank you to Avon and NetGalley for the e-ARC. Review is my honest opinion.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Infertility
This book, was in every sense of the words, the most beautiful, heartbreaking, real, raw and awe encompassing book I’ve ever read. You ever feel like you go into a book one person and finish that same book and come out as a different human being?? That’s how life changing and honest and truthfully, hilarious this book was. It dwells on the heartbreaking and real challenges of infertility and this book becomes more powerful when you read the acknowledgements and realise that parts of this story were written from real life experiences from the author herself. In all the best parts, in all the heart aching sections, it reflected her life but also the realities that many people (including my own mother) experience. It was so entertaining and funny while simultaneously dealing with very real, very heartbreaking sensitive topics! While it also manages to be a love story!!! I am in such of awe of this book, because I hate to restrict it to simply a romance novel because while romance does take a centre in the story (Logan, my man my man), it is way more than that and I’m glad for it. This is a story that needed to be told, this is a story that people need to read.
emotional
funny
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
fast-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
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I got this as an arc from NetGalley, super thankful for that, I didn't like the book at all though, it was super cringe to me. I have a more detailed review on Goodreads.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Infertility, Infidelity
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
This book is full of heavy topics (TW: infertility and infidelity) but will still make you smile and kick your feet all the way through. The characters are layered and messy and grow throughout the novels and their chemistry is palpable.
This debut novel is full of heart and character journey. I don’t usually gravitate towards books about pregnancy but I’m glad I picked this one up (thank you NetGalley for the ARC!). I can’t wait until this book comes out and I can recommend it to anyone and everyone. Expected pub date: Oct 14 2025
This debut novel is full of heart and character journey. I don’t usually gravitate towards books about pregnancy but I’m glad I picked this one up (thank you NetGalley for the ARC!). I can’t wait until this book comes out and I can recommend it to anyone and everyone. Expected pub date: Oct 14 2025
Content Warnings
Moderate: Infertility, Infidelity