Firstly, I don't know about this being a romantic comedy, which is mentioned in the blurb. Both characters are dealing with trauma, as were the kids who were reeling from the recent loss in their lives, and they were all just trying to find their footing again.

I wish Jay and Gabrielle had just tried and established some sort of friendship first rather than the forced attraction. For Gabrielle, she was attracted from the first moment, and she made it very clear, which seemed too insta-lusty for me. She kept trying to push him to act on his feelings even if he was reluctant. I didn't like that. She could've just accepted and respected that he's got baggage and doesn't want to act on it even if he's attracted to her.

Everything between Gabrielle and Jay felt surface level till the 50% mark. They'd barely had any conversation. And any conversation they do have ends with Jay running away. I understood why he was that way once he opened up about his past and what he experienced was truly terrible. I did like their relationship after they actually acted on their feelings and got together. The late-night conversations, banter, dates, and thoughtful gestures were all so very cute, and I absolutely loved it. This is when we got to see a different side of Jay. One that was happier and sweeter, who started opening up more and started being more vulnerable.

Jay was someone I liked even if his actions gave me a whiplash. But once I learned the reason for his reluctance, it made sense. He was drawn to Gabrielle and her kids from the start, but he did his best to keep his distance. But watching her and her kids struggle after such a loss and trying again made him want to reach out and help, which he does. He was really sweet, considerate, understanding, and careful. Although his love for her kids wasn't exactly clear on-page. It was more tell than show. He didn't even interact with her kids all that much for him to want them too.

Gabrielle was an okay character for me. She kept going on and on about how she'd been feeling stuck and like she'd stopped living her own life after her ex passed away and how she wants to feel like herself and have fun and live again. But she doesn't even really work on it. She just has girls nights with her friends who are across the street, goes to the bar once, anddddd..... that's it.

I wish Gabrielle had focused more time and energy on her kids (who actually needed her) and what they were dealing with than on her lust-fueled feelings for Jay. Especially with the move to the small town where they knew no one and were sort of struggling to settle in while also grieving the loss of their father. I feel like that topic needed more focus, which it wasn't given, and it felt more like an afterthought.

Dylan was clearly struggling the most, and I wish his struggles were focused on more and there were more conversations had to understand what he was going through and address them instead of letting him get away with his behavior. She should've put him in therapy knowing it'd help even if he didn't want it. You're the parent; you know better how effective therapy would be for him to let go of all the built-up emotions in the right way. I wish Gabrielle had actually made her kids mental health a priority on-page like she kept saying it was.

Carter wasn't even bothered with the loss of his father. He didn't even mention him or his relationship with his father, and he was just happy with his basketball and baseball, gaming, and chatting with Jay, so we don't know any of his thoughts regarding his grief. I get that he was seven, but to be that unaffected just didn't seem believable.

I wish there was a gradual shift in Jay's relationship with both kids, and we got to see how he bonded with each kid in their own way. I wanted Dylan to lean on Jay to slowly talk about the things bothering him if he couldn't open up to his mom. I did like the conversation that eventually happened between Jay and Dylan and how Jay handled it. It was such a sweet and raw moment for both of them. I just wish it had happened much sooner in the book so the ending didn't feel so rushed and we got a chance to see more of this change in their relationship.

I also wanted a little more insight into her relationship with her ex-husband. I didn't know much, and I needed more answers since they apparently fell out of love and amicably split and still remained best friends and co-parented. There was just nothing more to understand about her life before returning to Alden; she seems to have no connections to people from the city—friends, her ex's family, work, or anything.

Also, I'm all for fierce, capable, independent women. Hell, I've been raised to be one. So the way Gabrielle tried to act all independent, trying to fix shit in her house but only ending up causing more mess, was embarrassing. I mean, it's okay to try, but if every trial is a failure and you don't even bother researching how things need to be done, it's plain stupid. It's not quirky or cute in any way. And you're 38; act your age. She could've hired someone to do it after how many times everyone around her said how bad she was at the projects she took up and ended up botching the job or getting hurt, so watching her randomly trying to fix shit around her home and screwing up every single time was so fucking annoying. It doesn't scream capable or independent; it screams irresponsible and idiotic.

The book felt like it was stagnant towards the middle, and it was just random back and forth that didn't keep me hooked, and I found myself spacing out multiple times.

I liked the girl gang, especially Della. They were the highlight of the book, and I enjoyed how different they all were from each other but just fit.

Thank you to Adriana Locke, NetGalley, and Valentine PR for providing me with the ARC in exchange for an honest review.