3 stars. Oh dear. I so often wish that romance novels have higher stakes, and this one delivered. A blend of lit-fic and romance, Emezi's foray into romance is admirable. With their trademark gift for narrating, the story itself is brilliantly paced and the tension is palpable. However...

While I appreciated the complexity of the premise itself - a woman, Feyi, is five years into grieving the unexpected loss of her husband, Jonah, when she encounters love in an equally unexpected way - I found the execution lacking. We are consistently reminded of how beautiful Feyi is, how talented, although she felt incredibly shallow. We barely engage with her as an artist or a human outside of her trauma, which happens to be the main bond between her and her love interest.

Without spoiling much, the novel addresses complex issues: how to navigate love after loss, the extent to which families sacrifice for one another. I found the last fourth of the book to be lacking in genuine thought or character development. The vehicle through which the MCs felt vindicated in their actions was a cop-out. I didn't genuinely feel as though I wanted the characters, with their lack of self-awareness, to succeed in their romance.

The phrase of being "alive" is used quite liberally throughout the book. Though Emezi seeks to embody the value of living life to its fullest while we have it, I found the constant repetition droning and almost an excuse for the behavior of the characters at times.