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andiez 's review for:

4.0

 "π˜›π˜©π˜’π˜΅ 𝘸𝘒𝘴 𝘡𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘒𝘢𝘡𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘒 𝘡𝘳𝘒π˜ͺ𝘭. 𝘈𝘭𝘭 𝘺𝘰𝘢 𝘩𝘒π˜₯ 𝘡𝘰 π˜₯𝘰 𝘸𝘒𝘴 𝘸𝘒𝘭𝘬, 𝘒𝘯π˜₯ 𝘭π˜ͺ𝘬𝘦 𝘒 𝘱𝘳𝘒𝘺𝘦𝘳, π˜ͺ𝘡 𝘩𝘦𝘒𝘭𝘦π˜₯ 𝘺𝘰𝘢."

This is the softest, sweetest romance, even in the midst of some seriously heavy stuff, and it was such a joy to read. Alexei and Ben are both just so tender with one another, learning about themselves and each other as they slowly fall in love on the trail.

I adored both boys: their energies, their struggles, the way they related to the world. I loved that they both came from mixed cultural backgrounds and were bilingual. The inclusion of the heavier themes was handled with such care and realism, and never threatened to overwhelm the story. There's also an epistolary section toward the end that was just so so lovely.

The highlight for me was definitely the Pacific Coast Trail setting; it made me long to get out there and go backpacking! There was also SO much Tamora Pierce appreciation in this book, which was the happiest surprise because I was obsessed with her growing up.

Be sure to look at content warnings, but if you're looking for a beautiful and emotional soul-searching romance set in nature, don't miss this one!


Thank you so much Forever and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.