Liked it! Mostly an intriguing and heartwarming story. 

 

Energy: Sentimental. Delicate. Capricious. 

The wedding family dynamics and twists was a little confusing/boring, but it wasn’t poorly done, I think I just wasn’t feeling rich people drama at the time. 

Mysterious intriguing storyline. Invested in the mystery and the characters. Stayed away from cartoony Big Bads or villain monologues. Nini’s quips. Using fake outs to drive the plot without it feeling like just trying to trick the reader. Knowing more than any one character and still trying to piece together what happened. 

 

Scene: 🇺🇸 Set in a small Ohio town and a resort on a Florida island.

Perspectives (2): Two best friends working at a truck stop in a small town nearing 30 and still no closer to achieving their dreams. One wants to see the world and experience life but has an ailing grandmother to care for. The other is mourning an unrequited love but as a soon-to-be-parent they need to stay in the town to provide for their child. 

Timeline: October 2016. March 2024. 

🔥 Fuel: Emotional investment in characters. Character journey. Intriguing mystery. What happened to the friend that took a stranger up on their offer to travel together? Will the friend left behind ever find out? 

📖 Cred: Plausible

 

BMW convertible. Fluorescent lights. CCTV. Target. Mop water. Post-its. Gas station coffee. Elegant white string lights. Ocean waves. 

·       Fake dating-ish

·       Tagging along, reader knows more than the characters narratives

·       Books to read on a road trip

·       Character circumstances study

·       Money can’t buy happiness

·       Complicated characters you can root for

·       Immersive settings and vibes

·       The Struggle is Real and Can Money Buy Happiness social commentary

·       Are-you-still-the-one romantic tension

·       Dysfunctional rich family drama

·       Light-hearted contemporary fiction friendship study beginnings

·       Popcorn thriller-esque endings with fast paced twists and turns

 

Content Heads-Up: Mild cognitive impairment, dementia. Pregnancy (single parent). Infidelity (brief). Loss of parent (as adult). Natural disaster (forest fire; off page). Opioid addiction (off page). Pills, alcoholism. Violence (physical fighting). Drunk driving (very brief; off page). Parental rejection, abandonment. Missing parent. Financial insecurity. Suicide (implied). Murder. Blackmail, threats. Victim blaming/dismissal by authorities. Classism. 

 

Rep: American. Cis. Hetero. Ambiguous skin tones.

 

📚 Format: Advance Reader’s Copy from Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley