I should have been a Kit with this book and savored it over several days, but I was a Theo and finished it within 48 hours - it was too good to stop! But I only got wine drunk once while reading it, so I'll call it a win.

This was my most-anticipated book of the year, and it was worth it. The first half is told through Theo's perspective, and the second half from Kit's. First you get to fall in love with Theo and all their quirks and frenetic energy while falling in love with how they see Kit, who does not seem like a real person and more of the embodiment of Western European flavor and romanticization. Then the flip where you fall in love with how much a tragic artiste Kit is in life and love for Theo, and through him you get to see Theo's California sunshine magnetism and fall in love with that version of them, too.

Casey McQuiston is so stupid good at creating characters whose personalities and diction are so unique and interesting in a way you don't expect in romance novels (or in a lot of novels told through different points-of-view, tbh). It's unfair, honestly. I laughed so much during this book while simultaneously feeling heartbroken for Kit and Theo. Oh, and all the research that went into the food and sights and art history and then finding all of the old novels to serve as soundtracks/roadmaps to the story? Seriously, Casey McQuiston???

As promised, this book is indulgent and decadent in all the ways I expected: food, wine, romance, love, sex, travel, art, beauty, friendship, feelings. It's like every single Françoise Hardy song in one novel. I wish I could read this book again for the first time. One of my top 10 books of the year for sure.