I ummed and aaaahed over how to rate this one. It basically takes one of my least favourite tropes, miscommunication, and bases the whole book on it.

However, this feels different to normal miscommunication. This is based in trauma, and a lifetime of seeing your beliefs come true.

My heart truly broke for both characters in this story, for different reasons. I honestly think Jake is an absolute Saint for sticking by Nash through how poorly Nash treated him. But I also understand how friendship and codependency can impact that desire to stay away.

This story had me in tears in multiple points. Especially the scene which gives the book its name. But ultimately, despite my frustrations with the characters, this is a love story that will stick with me for a long time.

It's not a conventional one, and it's not your usual friends to lovers trope, but it definitely packed an emotional punch that I have come to expect with Emmy's books.