A review by clairebartholomew549
A Forty Year Kiss by Nickolas Butler

emotional reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for an advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review!

This book has a really sweet premise - two people who were married for four years in their 20s reunite four decades later - but I found it a bit trite and cheesy. It wasn't that there was no conflict - there certainly was - but it bothered me that the characters seemed to breeze past the conflict much faster and with much less conversation and reconciliation than I would expect. I found both Vivian and Charlie a little flat, and the relationships didn't feel particularly fleshed out. I really wanted to find this book special and endearing, but it was meh to me. It was definitely well-written, but it just wasn't for me.

Expand filter menu Content Warnings