Very cute :’) one twist i actually did not see coming

I was 50% into this book and felt like I had already read an entire novel. I couldn't imagine what the second half would bring, but I'm glad it continued as I wasn't ready to say goodbye to the characters yet. The second half didn't disappoint. I really enjoyed this story.

Actual rating: 3.5 stars.
Jennifer's and Boot's story was incredible and made Ellie's feel boring and unnecessary in comparison.

I will freely admit that I was interested in this book because of the upcoming adaptation - the trailer acted as a superb blurb and even though I do prefer if there's time travel involved, I do like stories that span two different time periods.

I did have some reservations going in given it's Jojo Moyes, but there's nothing too egregiously distasteful beyond the mere premise of the secondary plot line.

It did suffer from pacing issues though, something I suspect that the adaptation will reduce or eliminate.

The book starts with the affair set in the past, going back and forth between memories Jenny has forgotten and her journey forward after a defining accident that sees Jenny and her lover separated. Once those two periods are reconciled, another chance to connect is presented, ending with another lost opportunity to be together. Here, after half the book has passed, are we introduced to Ellie and her relationship issues with a married man. Ellie is a journalist who stumbles across the letters sent between Jenny and Anthony, falling in love with the passion those letters hold and attempts to find out what the end of the story looks like.
From there on it alternates a bit between Ellie's story and what happened to Jenny and Anthony after the were separated for a second time. This second half is a lot weaker than the first, something I think that could have been resolved by using Ellie's investigation and story as a frame around the 'real story' of Jenny and Anthony, with the last fifth more or less staying intact as Ellie finds Jenny and uncovers 'Boot's identity.

The jewel of this story is Jenny and 'Boot' aka Anthony, and the passion between them that is preserved via the letters Anthony sends to Jenny. As Ellie observes, there's something powerful in those words, the language Boot uses, that is so unlike the content of modern texts and emails between lovers. The way Jenny and Anthony's story halts halfway through to introduce Ellie is like a bucket of cold water on that, and if this book had better balanced those two stories, the language of romance between Jenny and Anthony alone would have made this story five stars.

New favorite author? I think so!

Slow start but gets really good at part 2 onward.

Stop romanticizing infidelity

Cheating is not romantic, it's just cowardly. A disappointing line of story about an act that has no excuse except being a shitty person.

After reading Me Before You, I thought I'd try reading more of Jojo Moyes's books - y'know, wanting to experience that heart-wrenching pain again (what can I say, I'm a masochist) - and based on my sample size of 2 books, I feel like Moyes is going to be one of my go-to writers for bittersweet, thought-provoking romance stories. I know some people are uncomfortable with affairs as a plotline, but I think Moyes did well in showing us how life and feelings are always messy and complex, because I feel like it's hard to judge our characters. You just can't help but root for them, and you can't help but keep reading so you can find out just exactly what happened to Jennifer and this mysterious "B". I suppose my only problem was that when the plot moves to the second storyline, it was an adjustment getting to know and like Ellie as a character when I was already so invested in the first one. That said, I'd definitely still recommend this book. I mean, I devoured this in 2 days.