Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for this ARC.

The main character of this story is Lily, artist and teacher who is still battling scars from an initially undisclosed childhood drama involving her neglectful alcoholic single mother and eight years younger sister Violet who has grown up as damaged as her but uses drugs as crutches while Lily pours all her anguish into painting.

Her best friend is half-Danish Inga who she met at art college. Lily has learned to keep her feelings and her needs to herself and to avoid conflict at all costs. Therefore, when she and Inga one night meet friends Alex and Matt in a bar, she defers to Inga's preference for Matt and doesn't listen to her own feelings. The four of them become two very close couples.

The book chronicles the relationships between these four people in a very engaging way, making us care about them all. Lily has always known that she doesn't want children and it leads to friction between her and Alex. Will Lily and Inga's friendship survive Inga's treatment of Max and refusal to take responsibility for her  actions and Lily's refusal to share her demons with her friends?

Then her sister Violet turns up unannounced, and Lily is forced to confront her childhood trauma and mental health once and for all, especially when Violet finds their mother, living in a commune in Scotland. Will she be able to put the past to rest and deal with her growing feelings for Matt?

NetGalley has already given me Prickly Company by the same author which was a five star read for me. This isn't much different. The book is about relatable, complex and flawed characters that don't always act in a mature way, and teaches us not to get ruled by our childhood, stand up to people and ask fearlessly for what we want.

It's a compelling and emotional novel about love, friendship and forging your own way. It is fantastically written and explores the issues of (not) having children with sensitivity, and how important it is to give new mothers the support they need. Highly recommended for anyone who wants to read an intelligent story that's not predictable or fluffy but gives us great characters. I was rooting for Lily and Max all the way through to get the ending they deserve. The cover is lovely but somehow  doesn't do the story justice!

"Fire that's closest kept burns most of all."