I picked this up with high hopes for the perfect Halloween read, but unfortunately, it didn’t quite hit the mark for me. The blurb is a bit misleading—the first 35% (about 11 chapters) leans heavily into themes of grief, past trauma, and a lot of heart-to-heart moments. It’s a very slow burn, with little momentum to push the story forward. I found myself thinking, “If they don’t kiss in this chapter, I’m giving up” because it just dragged on that much. And when Isla and Andry finally did get together, it was more of a “we need to wait” situation, to the point I audibly sighed. This book could have benefitted from tighter editing; instead of stretching to 347 pages, it would’ve worked better at a lean 270. By chapter 20, I felt done, but my stubbornness (and the money I’d spent on the book) got me through all 40 chapters.

On a brighter note, the cover is stunning, and though it took its time getting there, the ending was satisfying, tying up all the familial and romantic relationship issues well. I appreciated how Isla and Andry’s relationship wasn’t sugar-coated—there were real intimacy and trust issues that were portrayed honestly. Their journey was a long one, but that length allowed all the complexities of their relationship to be worked through in a way that felt authentic. The pacing gave each hurdle more than enough space to breathe, so by the end, it really felt like nothing was left unresolved and you believed in their HEA.