Aside from the random bout of explicit spice toward the end that felt completely out of left field, I absolutely loved this! It's one of those books where my brain wants to nitpick, but my heart is shouting five stars. Over the years, I’ve realized I’m an absolute sucker for storylines that balance grief and humour, and this one has solidified its place on my list of books that left me positively aching.

A stipulation in her brother's will sends Maddie on a journey to scatter his ashes across eight states, joined by his best friend, Dom—the very man who abandoned her after one of her most vulnerable moments. The travels are as much about adventure and reminiscing as they are about unraveling years of family trauma (Maddie's mother is truly wretched) and addressing a deeply layered, genuine miscommunication between Maddie and Dom.

Dom had such a steady, calm, and protective presence. He tends to care for others to a fault, often forgetting to care for himself in the process. And this ties into why I really loved the single POV here, with the story told solely through Maddie's perspective. While it’s very much Maddie’s experience with loss, it’s also about her learning to share her grief and realizing the profound impact her brother had on others too. It was such a beautifully unexpected, bittersweet ending. You bet I cried.

(heat level: a few open-door scenes, explicit details)