I feel like I can’t avoid my honest opinion about this one without a few minor spoilers so watch out ahead y’all 🛑✋🏼

after being the only person in the world who enjoyed THE LAST THING HE TOLD ME, I was super invested in this story from the first chapter. it started out more of the same concept, marketed as a mystery but involved more family drama and lit fic elements more than anything. 

after the death of their father (#1 trigger for us in the dead dad club heyyy), liam’s children are out to discover the truth behind who their dad was and what happened to him the night of his death. and while I loved the mystery air surrounding it, it was truly the bonding moments between nora and sam that made the story as raw and real as it was!! 

what didn’t work for me were the flashbacks of liam growing up and his unique friendship with cory. it gave all of the emotional cheating vibes, and even a little bit of unrequited love, and that’s not the move for me 😅 I just didn’t understand the reasoning why these two, if they were so truly in love with one another, couldn’t be together? like genuinely besties I have no clue 

and I’m also a firm believer that choosing to replace someone or something in your heart when you’re not ready to move on is never the solution and only hurts everyone in the process (and that’s the tea 🍵)

I really do love laura dave’s writing style, and I flew through this one in a day to find out how the conflict resolved! thank you to netgalley and simon & schuster for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

rating: 3.5 stars
wine pairing: napa valley cabernet sauvignon