Pfft, well I think I just wanted to like this more than I actually did?

Part it of it stems from having an issue with one of the characters having my name. I don’t why it makes me wildly uncomfortable to read about characters that share my name, but I just can’t get out of the mind space that they are caricatures of myself and then I overanalyze and get upset with the character’s choices and actions when they defer from what I would actually do.

It’s a problem. I’m aware I have one (of many). I just haven’t grasped how to deal at this point.

On the other hand, something about the general structure of this novel just doesn’t work for me. The three person POV is a choice. It’s one I don’t think was necessary because I just don’t know how to value it; it doesn’t seem to contribute much outside of that which the other two perspectives couldn’t provide. I didn’t like Kaitlyn’s perspective; even when she became self-aware as to how problematic her behaviour was, it didn’t make me value her perspective at all. And that’s outside of how unlikable she was. I didn’t need her perspective because I didn’t need a villain because she didn’t make that great of a villain (or character, really) in the first place. 

Sasha and Ethan together, never really gelled for me either. There was a distinct lack of chemistry between them, and a lot of their relationship just felt forced.

I did like Bart and Nettie and the relationship Sasha had with them. There was genuine love in the way those relationships were portrayed and they were sweet as heck all. I also enjoyed the friendship between Celeste and Sasha - to be honest, they had the best chemistry of the lot in terms of relationship dynamics in this book.

The rest of the novel seemed unfulfilled though. Sasha’s mother and her whole mini subplot left a lot to be desired with how dismissive and jokey it all amounted to. Ethan didn’t truly exist outside of Sasha; his perspective didn’t really develop his character in any profound manner, and his interactions with others were only ever viewed through Sasha’s lens. He was friends with Charlie, but we get very minimal interaction between them. His backstory is entirely told through Sasha’s view of his employees’ words, and because his POV never really went beyond his thoughts and interactions with Sasha, certain plot points like his ex-wife’s reveal and his awkwardness with Sasha but his supposed suaveness with the ladies never seemed genuine.

And it’s a shame because there is a decent story trying to be told here, it’s just the execution I think that really doesn’t stick the take-off or the landing, let alone the whole damn journey in between.

Some people out there might enjoy this, and if you’re one of those people, kudos to you. I, however, will not be recommending this one.