Asia

1/5

This definitely wasn't my favourite book. I actually didn't like it, and I had to force myself to finish it in the first place.

First, the writing. I was annoyed with some of the phrases and the overall tone and style. In the first few chapters the author was hell-bent on saying how "remote" and "rular" the village was (as if that made it worse than a city), thatt the main character "can be locked in the basement" because apparently that's what happens in every countryside, but what really annoyed me was the description "suprisingly modern bathroom". Seriously?

What, just because it's a countryside it means they don't have a bathroom, only a privy instead? Seriously that's how the writing comes across. Idk if the author has ever been in the countryside or if she only saw pictures but it smells of prejudice. It was immediatelly off-putting to me.

Then, the style. The author was all "tell, don't show," and we had several instances of this: we're told that Charlotte was hired to archive the files from the observatory, but in the whole book, we only see her do it on page once. And only at 43% of the book. She had been hired to do it off-page at the beginning of the book (the first chapter has her packing and driving to the "rural" village), and yet, for the first 40+%, we don't see her do the job she was actually hired to do. We then have this happen at the end, where the characters get back together after the third act breakup. Except they don't even talk. Instead, MMC reads the letter FMC has written him (off page), and the they suddenly start making out and dating. There was no resolution! No explanation! And we don't even get to see the damn letter once. That was too frustrating.

The characters were bland. I wan't invested in the story or the relationships and it wasn't believable to me that they were in love. The were no sparks , nothing. I was more interested in the discovery MMC's parents made decades ago than the love story between MCs. Although I hated that FMC called her ex for the advice instead of her professor tbh. And both main characters were weird.

Charlotte seems dumb and naive. We get everything spelled out and she makes connections pages later and is always so shocked when it was made so clear to everyone. She was told that the owners made a stipulation for her to do her job, and when Lorelai revealed it was her, Clarlotte still hadn't realized Lorelai was the owner until it was spelled it out to her.

Tristan is a bit of an enigma. Grumpy and bothered, very angry with Charlotte the first 2 times he met her, on the third meeting he was suddenly all smiles and humour? Wha's that guy?

Charlotte was also super indecisive. When Tristan's sister interfered, Charlotte got rightfully angry and called her out, but as soon as the sister said, "you're here now, you should talk," she suddenly changed her mind. After calling her out like that and her not only reluctance but anger when she realised she's been manipulated, she just took it? I applauded her for standing up for herself as soon as she figured out what happened. But 2 seconds later, she changed her mind and let herself be manipulated, and it was just so stupid. I didn't care about them getting back together by that point, but I would if she decided to go back home back then and try and talk things through some other time, when they were both ready for it. Instead, the author rushed the happy ending with no character arc, and it was just so badly done.

The rescue was so dramatic, I didn't like that very much. I much preferred when MMC was a damsel in distress, and to suddenly have a role reversal and FMC was the one in trouble was jarring and unnecessary. I'd rather she save him from the panic attack than him coming to himself and having to save her.

All in all, the book wasn't for me. I didn't connect with the characters, and I honestly didn't care whether they got together or not. The backstory about MMC's parents was way more interesting for me. The writing was not my cup of tea, I definitely prefer books that show me what happens instead of having it all play out off-page. Even the ex had been more interesting than the main couple!

Thak you, NetGalley and Boldwood books for providing me with the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4,25/5

This was adorable. I really enjoyed this book. It might have been slightly too long in same places but I loved it.

I'm not a fan of public love confessions or anything like that so reading about Lucie telling everyone her dreams on a radio show as weird for me, I was waiting for the to hang up. But that's what I would have done. And later when Aiden and Lucie finally talked at the very end - I wouldn't have come to the radio station in the first place, but it felt very in character for both Lucie and Aiden.

I loved them. Both characters were amazing. Maya was a little mastermind. My favourite moment was when she said she hadn't found anyone who would compare to Aragorn. Same, kiddo. Absolutely same here.

I like how observant Aiden was and THE NOTE IN HIS GLOVE COMPARTMENT! The picnic! I loved that so much!

I'm glad that Lucie found him and they both finally accepted what was happening. It took Aidan longer (I hate third act breakups, why did it have to be here too) but they got there in the end.

Thank you, NetGalley and Pan MacMillan for providing me the ARC for my honest opinion.