It’s a cute and cosy romance. I loved it more because it could show romance without the need to be explicit. The characters were relatable, and the story started fine and dandy.

The only missing element was some spark. The lead characters connect almost instantly, and their love story seems rushed. Too many twists, but they unfolded without an awe factor and were just thrown. Lastly, two POVs broke the flow. I enjoyed reading Jess’s narration, but Conor’s style was bland.

Overall, an excellent read for a weekend.

My favourite lines from the book.

• Pleased with my decision, I make a simple, five-step plan:
  One: I’m going to make pasta.
  Two: I’m going to knock on Jess’s door and offer her pasta.
  Three: We are going to eat pasta together.
  Four: We will have a normal, mundane, get-to-know-each-other conversation.
  And finally, by the time dinner is over, I will never think about Jessica Shaw ever again as anything other than Aiden’s little sister and a temporary roommate.
• She’s pretty… in that “super chill girl who claims to be one of the guys but is actually trying to steal your boyfriend” kinda way.
• Ever been on TikTok? It’s not for the faint of heart, let me tell you. I have lost actual days to TikTok, and most of them have involved a rollercoaster of emotions. I’ve learned how uncool the crying with laughter emoji is, why my skinny jeans are no longer in fashion, and that I should basically just dig myself a hole and bury myself in it instead of even trying to be relevant.
  In the app’s defense, however, I now know how to make great feta tomato pasta.
• Okay, so I might have asked Aiden what Jess’s favorite food was.
  And I might have skipped out on work early today so I could cook her favorite—steak fajitas—for dinner tonight.
• Mia and Pete’s little boy, Oliver, sits in a high chair next to them. He and Jess are babbling and cooing sweet nothings back and forth, already completely in love with each other.
  At two years old, Ollie already has better game than I do. Respect, little man.
• There I was, fantasizing about this being a sensual experience… and he wanted a high five. Ain’t nothing sensual about a high five.
• “I guess, sometimes, everything’s gotta get broken before you can start fresh and build what you want.”
• I open the French doors and step onto the patio. “Jess?”
  She snaps out of her statue-like state and whirls around.
  “Conor?” A delicious smile flits on her lips and I’m an absolute goner. Remind me why I was trying to stay away from her again? Jess tilts her head. “Did you forget something?”
  “Yes.” I nod. “You.”
• When I look at you, I don’t see a mess. I see a masterpiece. I see every single piece of your beautiful heart as a brush stroke on canvas, and the result is a work of art.”
• In life, seasons are inevitable, and sometimes things have to fall apart completely to yield real growth. And no matter how tough that feels in the moment, the eventual growth is worth the pain of loss. Because beyond loss lies something new. A new beginning in life.

Available on Amazon Kindle Edition and Paperback.