If this book were a dish, it'd be white rice with plain chicken breast. Healthy, nutritious, but profoundly bland and unexciting. No salt, no seasonings, no flavor. Food but not a meal.

The book was structed in alternating POVs between Eden and Alexander, our two main characters, and written in 3rd person in such a way that I could hear Sir David Attenborough in my mind narrating everything in his world-famous nature documentary style. Needless to say, I struggled to get into this book.

And going back to my culinary analogy, just like chicken and rice can be plain and tasteless or insanely flavorful and mouthwatering depending on how they're prepared, this book too had the ingredients for a delicious meal but failed on the execution of the dish.

First, it went too hard on the insta-love. Second, it presented serious issues that were barely explored—just exploited as plot devices and promptly swept under the rug once they'd served their purpose. Third, it was simply not properly set up to provide the emotional journey it intended to deliver. And fourth, and least important, there were some seriously outdated pop culture references (which could have been fun in the right context, but felt cringe here).

Eden had some abandonment trauma that was seriously deep seated but conspicuously ignored. Alexander had his own emotional issues that got barely acknowledged until it was needed for the plot to move forward. They both had significant baggage and needed some real help from a therapist, but their struggles came and went and never got properly addressed.

I like lighthearted books, I like angsty books, but they're distinct and separate for a reason. You can't make light of emotionally heavy experiences that leave behind deep wounds just as you can't cheapen serious experiences just to throw in a little drama into an otherwise cheery and cute story. You end up with something weird and unpleasant, like adding salt instead of sugar to a cup of coffee.

More time should have been dedicated to explore and delve into the events that'd scarred our protagonists and how it'd affected their adult lives, since their own personal struggles were the one thing that negatively affected and almost ended their relationship. I needed more insight into their psyches, so that when it finally came time for them to confront and overcome their issues, there would have been a sense of victory and accomplishment. Either that, or a lighter obstacle should have been picked for them to conquer if it wasn't going to be developed properly.

In the end, there were knives, there was love, but the seasoning was sadly missing.

**I received a free copy of this book via Netgalley and am voluntarily leaving a review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. **