4.5 out of 5 stars

I adored this book. What makes this book stand out are the characters. Every single character in this novel sings- Ali, Ali's kids, Ali's parents, Ethan, Ethan's parents, Ethan's sister - every single one of them feels real and fully formed. None of them seem perfect. Their vulnerabilities are well drawn and it makes them incredibly lovable and relatable (except for Pete - he sucks). Sometimes that "realness" and relatability made it hard for me to read the book, and I'd have to put it down for a few minutes. It just felt like my heart was fully in the game- some angst would bubble up for me, and I'd need to take a breather.

I was so thrilled to watch Ethan and Ali fall in love. I wish there were more open door sex scenes, but that's just my preference.

There isn't much a "plot" here. The plot is largely the emotional journey of these two characters as they learn to open up to each other and overcome their fears. The absence of greater action might bore some readers. For me, the love story was so romantic that I never found myself bored.

(And, if the author were to make this into a series, I'd happily read subsequent books about the novel's secondary characters!)

These opinions are honest and my own. Thank you to the publisher for providing an advanced copy.