Incredible twists and turns. Characters felt real in their love for each other. Advika easy to cheer for the whole way through. Deft representation of love bombing and its toxicity. Truly a delight to read.

I was able to obtain a copy of this book from my local library. I was beyond excited when I was notified that the book was available because I absolutely loved Ramisetti's first book. I promptly devoured this book in a single day.

Synopsis: Advika is a woman who has lost herself in grief. However, one faithful night while she is working her bartending job, which was only meant to pay the bills until she made it big as a screenwriter, she meets a mysterious man who might change everything. As Advika falls in love the burden of her grief starts to lift and she finally sees a way for herself to be happy again, but the man she's fallen for might have other things in store for her. 

Thoughts: This book had everything. A love story, mystery, grief, friendship dynamics, and even Hollywood drama. I loved the way that Ramisetti articulated Advika's grief. It felt raw and encapsulated the very real experience of grief where it washes over you in waves. Also, the way that Ramisetti managed to draw the reader through Advika's grief by integrating flashbacks was just a beautiful way to weave the narrative. 

I also really enjoyed the relationship between Advika and Olive. The way that they strengthen their friendship throughout the book is beautiful and Olive is so funny sometimes. The narrator of this book did a great job capturing her voice. 

If you were a fan of Ramisetti's first book or books that explore female friendships or books that explore grief I highly recommend this book.  

Killer premise, clunky prose. The narrative voice doesn't trust the reader's ability to make connections or inferences, which is one of my biggest pet peeves. This needed one or two more editorial passes to cut overly explanatory narration and raise the stakes.

I really liked the message behind this book, and I wanted to like it so bad because the premise is just so interesting, but I was not drawn in. The first 100 pages felt like they stretched on for eternity, and honestly the rest of the book was not worth it after that. I will say that the author did a fantastic job of creating a villain character who you absolutely despised. The other characters fell pretty flat to me. Overall, I wish this book had better execution because there were great themes about grief and empowerment that were somewhat lost.

When I think of books about Hollywood, I think of glitz, glamor, and stardom. While this book had that, it was such an interesting concept to have the book centered around the relationship between Advika, an aspiring screenwriter and Julian, someone 41 years her senior and a very famous, very powerful Hollywood film producer. With it's blend of feminism, mystery, and drama, interspersed with a character driven plot, I cannot say enough good things about this book. 

The triumph of this book truly is how the author gets the reader to understand how Advika ended up married to Julian in the first place and the power dynamics that created this relationship. What struck me is the author's ability to make me understand Advika's choices, even if I didn't agree with them. This ability to create that connection, that understanding, was what made this book so compelling and engaging. 

This book also speaks to the author's ability to tell a story, especially when it came to her female characters. 
Each woman was strong in their own ways, dealing with the power, control, and manipulation of their relationship and carving out a way to gain their identity, in healthy and unhealthy ways. To understand these women, to have their stories told, even fictionally, when so many of these similar stories are dismissed, was another amazing part of this story and another reason why I loved the book so much. 

Overall, this was a great story filled with Hollywood intrigue, fantastic writing and storytelling, female empowerment, diversity, and mystery. This book is a must read.