I must admit, there’s nothing I dislike more than the third act of books, a tired narrative trend that plI must admit, there’s nothing I dislike more than the third act of books, a tired narrative trend that plagues so many genres. I always find it annoying because It’s become quite the cliché.

This storytelling method works well in genres like mystery or thriller, where it keeps us eagerly flipping pages, waiting for a revelation or a suspenseful turn. I guess fantasy also occasionally benefits from it, depending on the subgenre.

But in genres like contemporary romance, I’ve often found that it disrupts more than it enhances. There’s an occasional exception of course, but more often than not, it leaves me feeling somewhat dissatisfied. And unfortunately, this book was no exception.

I think the story began well. The initial “meet-cute” and the secret baby element held somewhat of a promise. In the beginning, I honestly connected more with the characters in their roles as parents, as the initial chemistry they had seemed to lose its spark. But then what followed was a slow and well-executed roll back into romance, leaving me smiling, even giggling and actually really engrossed.

Then, the ending took an unexpected turn with the introduction of a stalker subplot. It just felt out of place and, frankly, a bit irritating. The story didn’t need it. Sometimes it’s best to just let a story be itself without adding all these contrived conflicts or misunderstandings.

But, of course, no story is perfect. Even though this added element was a bit disruptive, I guess I understood that storytelling isn’t always a straightforward path. I just wished it was different, especially since the book had its really enjoyable moments.