DNF at 20% slow moving and a bit boring.

4.5

This is one of those historical fictions that is just called historical because its set in a different time, there really isn’t any history involved. These are my least favorite historical fictions and I wish we could split the genre in half so I knew going in if I was just getting a book with a few references to the time, or if a book fully immersed in the time. This book was set in a time that would have been so cool to remind the reader of, for a female friendship during this time, there was plenty the author could have pulled from and I feel that it was a huge missed opportunity.

While this looks like a beach read from the cover, I found it rather bland in that regard. Usually for my beach reads I look for something a little light, maybe a nice romance thrown in, but above all just something that is easy to pick up and put down. This book was a slog to get through and I kept wanting to put it down and not pick it back up. The pacing was slow and usually when this happens I’m looking for some sort of pay off but I never found that with this read. I also felt the friendship between the characters just didn’t work for me in a meaningful way either.

This book was a pretty big miss for me and I just kept hoping it would turn into something more.

2.5 stars.

It’s 1977 - Thea is content with her life and her beautiful family. One day, her ex-best friend, Margot, shows up at her home after disappearing on her 10 years ago, needing Thea’s help out of a bad situation. Thea thinks back to 1967, when they met, how they supported each other, and how an event happened that changed everything between them. This dual timeline story gives a glimpse into their lives 10 years ago and how they’ve changed (or remained the same) since.

This is a story about friendship and self-discovery. It was really interesting to learn more about Margot and Thea’s backgrounds, gaining more insight into their personalities. I really resonated with Thea’s journey of discovering what she wanted independently of others. I also resonated with the storyline of having a toxic, manipulative friend - which simultaneously made this a bit harder for me. It’s a slow burn, but a great story.

This book is told from the female main character’s point of view and alternates between 1967 and 1977. If you love music from the 60’s you will enjoy the musical references. There are also themes of female friendship, gender roles, financial differences, with a bit of mystery. I was able to read this quickly yet found myself frustrated with many of Thea’s choices relating to her friend.

The best part of this book were the music references from the 60s and 70s. I finished it because I wanted to know the ending but the story felt flat and unfulfilling to me.

Nothing happens. Characters are underdeveloped. Tired of authors who think they’re doing something with this trope