I seriously regret not picking this up sooner! It's a marriage-in-crisis romance with a really interesting blend of magical realism, realistic conflicts, and warmly flawed characters, all brought together in a thought provoking way!

Set in 2013, Georgie McCool consistently puts her career first, and now she’s missing Christmas in Omaha with her husband, Neil, and their two daughters. But through a yellow rotary landline, she magically connects with Neil from 1998—a tumultuous time just before he proposed.

Through the magical phone, there's conversations with Neil, but there's also flashbacks that capture their deeply romantic highs, their lows of jealousy and resentment, and ultimately the immense love they still share. It’s not a failing marriage due to a lack of care but rather Georgie’s much needed reflection on what truly matters in her life.

It's emotional, it's funny, it's everything I love in a story. As for the magical telephone, it tied everything together with such a heartwarming, full-circle ending. I'm honestly confused why the average rating for this one isn't higher!

(heat level: closed door)