I mainly picked this one up after seeing it on the "Read With Jenna" book of the month list and thought the premise sounded interesting. I wasn't quite sure where this story would go, but at its core, this was a story of growth, longing, self-discovery, and connection. We learn through this story who Nick's father was, how his mother came to be a single mother, and the background of their family and how they came to be who and where they are.

The fantasy/magical elements that were introduced as we weaved our way through the past and present did seem slightly out of place, and ultimately (I think) add enough to the story to really need to be added, but it was a nice little "something" to help keep the story and intrigue moving along.

The ending of this novel (without trying to give away any spoilers) was not really where I thought the story would go based off of the synopsis, but it was ultimately satisfying to see those events play out.

Overall, this family drama wasn't my favorite read of 2024, but it was still an enjoyable one.