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bahatireads 's review for:
When I Think of You
by Myah Ariel
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.