Let me start by saying, this book taught me never to judge a book by its cover. What seemed like a light and fun summer read turned out to be quite different once I delved into its pages. If you're picking this up, make sure to read the synopsis first to manage your expectations.

The story unfolds through two timelines, and I found myself gravitating more towards Hannah's storyline set in 1950s Egypt. The historical fiction aspect was well-done, capturing the post-war atmosphere with its setting and characters. However, the constant flashbacks without clear signals left me scratching my head at times.

On the other hand, the contemporary storyline with Mallory and Monk was where things fell apart for me. Monk, despite being a supposed pop star, lacked any real charisma or depth beyond his love for Mallory. He felt more like a cardboard cutout than a compelling character. Mallory, while praised by everyone around her, didn't resonate with me either. Her decisions and the unresolved threads in her storyline left me frustrated rather than engaged.

One of the main issues is the introduction of subplots that don't seem to serve a clear purpose. For example, Paige's husband's infidelity is mentioned but never fully explored or given closure. The detour to Ireland feels out of place and doesn't integrate well with the rest of the narrative. Similarly, the mushroom storyline, which starts off the book, feels random and lacks relevance as the story progresses.

There's more but I'm going to stop there. All in all, I found myself getting intrigued far too late in the book and then still being disappointed at the end for all the reasons that were bothering me in the beginning.