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Until the End of the Line
It’s never too late to find your heart in this gentle, opposites attract lesbian romance.
Dani Morrison is at rock bottom. Her professional writing dreams have crashed and burned. Her girlfriend has broken up with her. Being in a rut is the kindest spin she can put on her life.
An upcoming wedding for her sister, 3,600 miles away in Northern Ireland, could give her both a distraction and a much-needed kick in the pants.
Then she meets Sophie Chambers, her sister’s alluring best friend from college. Sophie is thoughtful, smart, and gorgeous, but she’s also a people pleaser and completely closeted.
Between their combined emotional baggage and badly misguided set-up attempts by the bride, Dani and Sophie struggle to find a way to be together.
Under the beautiful Irish night skies, can two unlikely, lonely souls discover love?
Dani Morrison is at rock bottom. Her professional writing dreams have crashed and burned. Her girlfriend has broken up with her. Being in a rut is the kindest spin she can put on her life.
An upcoming wedding for her sister, 3,600 miles away in Northern Ireland, could give her both a distraction and a much-needed kick in the pants.
Then she meets Sophie Chambers, her sister’s alluring best friend from college. Sophie is thoughtful, smart, and gorgeous, but she’s also a people pleaser and completely closeted.
Between their combined emotional baggage and badly misguided set-up attempts by the bride, Dani and Sophie struggle to find a way to be together.
Under the beautiful Irish night skies, can two unlikely, lonely souls discover love?
- GenresRomance
191 pages, ebook
Published January 17, 2024
About the author
Hazel Yeats
3 books7 followersHazel Yeats resides in the Netherlands, the country of flat polders, green pastures, and lots of water. She knew from an early age that she wanted to write, but it wasn’t until decades later that she finally wrote a novel. Once she had, there was no going back—she was hooked.
When she’s not slaving away at her day job, she’s cycling, sipping cappuccinos, or getting her hands dirty by growing her own veggies. And she sings, in a very unambitious choir. You wouldn’t peg her for a soprano, but she is.
When she’s not slaving away at her day job, she’s cycling, sipping cappuccinos, or getting her hands dirty by growing her own veggies. And she sings, in a very unambitious choir. You wouldn’t peg her for a soprano, but she is.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
January 22, 2024
This is story about Dani who is a copywriter and living in North Carolina. Her sister Jane is getting married in Belfast Ireland. Jane best friend is Sophia , who is a very closeted wanna be lesbian . Sophia is totally inhibited by her homophobic parents. She was forced into the medical field and is a nurse. She hates working in the ER with all the patients having terrible accidents. She lives in Boston MA.
Dani and Sophia each travel to Ireland for the wedding. Dani has an instant attraction to Sophia. Sophia likes her too but the groom’s brother David wants to be with her. So she keeps going out with him. He’s a total jerk who antagonizes Dani throughout the book.
I was totally frustrated with Sophia and her inability to get out from under her parents thumb. She was way too easily manipulated by other people. I liked Dani’s character and felt bad for her.
Arc received from Net Galley for an honest and voluntary review.
Dani and Sophia each travel to Ireland for the wedding. Dani has an instant attraction to Sophia. Sophia likes her too but the groom’s brother David wants to be with her. So she keeps going out with him. He’s a total jerk who antagonizes Dani throughout the book.
I was totally frustrated with Sophia and her inability to get out from under her parents thumb. She was way too easily manipulated by other people. I liked Dani’s character and felt bad for her.
Arc received from Net Galley for an honest and voluntary review.
January 26, 2024
Having crossed the pond to Ireland for her sister's wedding, Dani is recruited to persuade Jane's best friend Sophie to fly over also. Fascinated by Sophie during a FaceTime chat with Jane, Dani is completely smitten when they actually meet. Problem is Jane is matchmaking Sophie with her brother-in-law to be, David. From the start I disliked David's character (he's a total jerk) then both Dani and Sophie annoyed me. The push pull drama with Sophie was too much and overall the pacing of the story wasn't smooth.
Unfortunately this romance fizzled for me but that's MHO. I will however give the author's future work another try and encourage readers to form their own opinion.
2.5 stars
Unfortunately this romance fizzled for me but that's MHO. I will however give the author's future work another try and encourage readers to form their own opinion.
2.5 stars
February 21, 2024
Very sweet!
Dani finds herself in Northern Ireland trying to get over the breakup with her girlfriend and her writing dreams having gone disastrously wrong, helping her sister plan her wedding. When her sister also brings Sophie, her shy best friend from college, to help with the planning, Dani is instantly taken by Sophie, but after they are both badly set up with other people by Dani’s sister, they find themselves growing closer.
The thing I enjoyed most about this story was how similar Dani and Sophie’s experiences were, but how they were very different and so were the situations that had happened for them to find themselves meeting. The awkward set up with partners that Dani’s sister had thought would be good matches from them both, just gave them the starting point they needed to spend some time together and bond over shared awful situations. In fact, Dani’s sister was very bright, and I have a suspicion she did it on purpose, just like she did in setting up both Dani and Sophie to help with the planning.
Dani and Sophie instantly had a lovely connection, sharing moments together brought them closer, even though they both had different ideas of what was fun. Dani was very accommodating of going along with Sophie to see sights and spend time together between planning and official duties they had, and even when they did have planning to do, they were having fun together. The family dynamic with all of Dani’s sister’s future husband’s family being woven into the story added extra quirks, lots of drama, especially where Sophie was concerned, which just made me root for Dani and Sophie getting together even more.
A really great romance, with a slow burn relationship, and a gorgeous setting.
Dani finds herself in Northern Ireland trying to get over the breakup with her girlfriend and her writing dreams having gone disastrously wrong, helping her sister plan her wedding. When her sister also brings Sophie, her shy best friend from college, to help with the planning, Dani is instantly taken by Sophie, but after they are both badly set up with other people by Dani’s sister, they find themselves growing closer.
The thing I enjoyed most about this story was how similar Dani and Sophie’s experiences were, but how they were very different and so were the situations that had happened for them to find themselves meeting. The awkward set up with partners that Dani’s sister had thought would be good matches from them both, just gave them the starting point they needed to spend some time together and bond over shared awful situations. In fact, Dani’s sister was very bright, and I have a suspicion she did it on purpose, just like she did in setting up both Dani and Sophie to help with the planning.
Dani and Sophie instantly had a lovely connection, sharing moments together brought them closer, even though they both had different ideas of what was fun. Dani was very accommodating of going along with Sophie to see sights and spend time together between planning and official duties they had, and even when they did have planning to do, they were having fun together. The family dynamic with all of Dani’s sister’s future husband’s family being woven into the story added extra quirks, lots of drama, especially where Sophie was concerned, which just made me root for Dani and Sophie getting together even more.
A really great romance, with a slow burn relationship, and a gorgeous setting.
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February 7, 2024I did not like this book. For me it isn’t well-written, the story is flimsy and the characters are very far from likeable. I would even say the characters are the worst part of this flimsy story. One is a grump who jumps to conclusions, the other is a grey mouse/ wallflower without a backbone. Until the backbone suddenly is there and the grump becomes one who trusts everyone and pretends to be likeable. I was annoyed by all of this book and I can’t, in good conscience, rate this.
February 5, 2024
Good characterisation, and a great flavour of Belfast! I liked the characters including the secondary ones, apart from the fella I wasn’t supposed to like. A wee bit of belief suspension around the amount of time everyone was able to get off but my attention was held. 3.5, up to 4 because 3 felt like under marking.
January 24, 2024
The premise of this one sounded promising, but the story ultimately fell flat for me.
After getting out of a toxic relationship, Dani makes the trip to Northern Ireland for the lead up to her sister’s wedding. After some convincing, Dani’s sister, Jane’s best friend Sophie also makes the trip. The two are tasked with planning the bachelorette party together. Despite what Jane says about Sophie being the straightest person ever there’s a spark between the two. However, they both have some issues in their past they’ll have to work through.
Despite the setup that Dani and Sophie are planning the party we never really see them do any planning. This is just one example of the action that apparently happens off the page. Instead, we get a lot of conversations with them sitting at home and awkward dinner parties with David, the man Jane is trying to set Sophie up with. The conflict largely stems from the mixed signals Sophie is giving but that means that we see the same argument repeatedly. This not only creates a flat plot but also flat characters. My favorite character was Eileen, Jane’s future mother in law who can tell there’s something between Sophie and Dani. But even Eileen could have been more fleshed out.
I also was disappointed with the timeframe that was covered in the novel. The first couple of chapters were heavy on the exposition and it could have benefited from starting a couple chapters later. Similarly, I would have added a couple of chapters at the end. The epilogue was a nice peek into the future but resolving some of the side plots in the main story would have made this better.
Overall, I would skip this one. The premise was interesting, although not always the most believable, but the writing just wasn’t very good.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC!
After getting out of a toxic relationship, Dani makes the trip to Northern Ireland for the lead up to her sister’s wedding. After some convincing, Dani’s sister, Jane’s best friend Sophie also makes the trip. The two are tasked with planning the bachelorette party together. Despite what Jane says about Sophie being the straightest person ever there’s a spark between the two. However, they both have some issues in their past they’ll have to work through.
Despite the setup that Dani and Sophie are planning the party we never really see them do any planning. This is just one example of the action that apparently happens off the page. Instead, we get a lot of conversations with them sitting at home and awkward dinner parties with David, the man Jane is trying to set Sophie up with. The conflict largely stems from the mixed signals Sophie is giving but that means that we see the same argument repeatedly. This not only creates a flat plot but also flat characters. My favorite character was Eileen, Jane’s future mother in law who can tell there’s something between Sophie and Dani. But even Eileen could have been more fleshed out.
I also was disappointed with the timeframe that was covered in the novel. The first couple of chapters were heavy on the exposition and it could have benefited from starting a couple chapters later. Similarly, I would have added a couple of chapters at the end. The epilogue was a nice peek into the future but resolving some of the side plots in the main story would have made this better.
Overall, I would skip this one. The premise was interesting, although not always the most believable, but the writing just wasn’t very good.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC!
February 4, 2024
would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this book
dani is in a slump shes been dumped by her girlfriend and her writing career is also in a slump... shes a bit of a mess emotionally but its her sisters wedding and why not go over there and try to get into the mood of it all
and its whilst there her sister askes for her help in getting her best friend sophie to her wedding and though its against all that dani believes she joins in with the idea of lying to sophie to get her there
have to say the storyline between dani and sophie was a bit long winded with many misunderstandings between them but the ending more than made up for it
a slow build up but keep going it gets there in the end
dani is in a slump shes been dumped by her girlfriend and her writing career is also in a slump... shes a bit of a mess emotionally but its her sisters wedding and why not go over there and try to get into the mood of it all
and its whilst there her sister askes for her help in getting her best friend sophie to her wedding and though its against all that dani believes she joins in with the idea of lying to sophie to get her there
have to say the storyline between dani and sophie was a bit long winded with many misunderstandings between them but the ending more than made up for it
a slow build up but keep going it gets there in the end
January 23, 2024
Really not my cup of tea
I really enjoyed the author's previous romance novel (Bunny Finds a Friend), but this one just did not resonate with me. I found many of the characters wholly unlikable, including Dani, one of the main characters. it's impossible to root for a main character pairing up with anyone new when the last thing they need at this point in their life is to pursue a new relationship; especially with the residue of the previous one still 'fresh'. Some of the dialogue read awkwardly to my ears - sounding like no real person would speak that way - and the dynamics between some of the characters was off putting. The story is set in Belfast Ireland and the city's ties to the Titanic are brought up so frequently you wonder if Belfast has no appeal or other claims to fame apart from this. I was tempted several times to stop reading and pick up another book before giving this one another try which is unfortunate given how much I liked the author's other book; I kept reading more to get thru this book than out of enjoyment. Perhaps I am not the demographic for the book and so others will like it much more than I did.
I did like secondary character Eileen as well as main character Sophie. Sophie felt more real and relatable than Dani but I never rooted for them to get together especially given Dani's juvenile and petty behavior in some of their interactions.
Despite not liking this book I would still like to read the author's future work when it's available to see what other stories she has to tell.
I really enjoyed the author's previous romance novel (Bunny Finds a Friend), but this one just did not resonate with me. I found many of the characters wholly unlikable, including Dani, one of the main characters. it's impossible to root for a main character pairing up with anyone new when the last thing they need at this point in their life is to pursue a new relationship; especially with the residue of the previous one still 'fresh'. Some of the dialogue read awkwardly to my ears - sounding like no real person would speak that way - and the dynamics between some of the characters was off putting. The story is set in Belfast Ireland and the city's ties to the Titanic are brought up so frequently you wonder if Belfast has no appeal or other claims to fame apart from this. I was tempted several times to stop reading and pick up another book before giving this one another try which is unfortunate given how much I liked the author's other book; I kept reading more to get thru this book than out of enjoyment. Perhaps I am not the demographic for the book and so others will like it much more than I did.
I did like secondary character Eileen as well as main character Sophie. Sophie felt more real and relatable than Dani but I never rooted for them to get together especially given Dani's juvenile and petty behavior in some of their interactions.
Despite not liking this book I would still like to read the author's future work when it's available to see what other stories she has to tell.
January 16, 2024
Dani Morrison comes to Belfast, Northern Ireland to be MOH and help with her sister’s wedding. The wedding party is small and includes Sophie Chambers’s her sister's best friend from college. The sister is playing matchmaker, fixing Sophie up with a future brother-in-law and Dani up with the florist. But their main interest is each other. They spend time together walking the scenic nature paths and visiting Belfast. Their interest in each other is complicated by Dani’s ex who wants her back and Sophie is closeted with parents she seldom tries to contradict.
This is the second book by the author that I have read, and I read them back to back. In both I felt like I was missing important things. In this case Dani and Sophie are here to help with the wedding, but they do very little for it and seem to be there longer than a week (I was unclear on the time frame). This is a big ask for people who live and work in the USA. I also wanted to know what caused Sophie’s sister's estrangement. And there is a big leap from the ending chapter to where they are in the epilogue leaving this reader with lots of questions. I did like they have realistic conversations and I think the author is good at conveying information through dialog. But I’m not convinced this pair are meant to be together. The day spent together in Belfast shows they have differing interests.
Thank you to NetGalley and Ylva Publishing for the ARC and I am leaving an honest review.
This is the second book by the author that I have read, and I read them back to back. In both I felt like I was missing important things. In this case Dani and Sophie are here to help with the wedding, but they do very little for it and seem to be there longer than a week (I was unclear on the time frame). This is a big ask for people who live and work in the USA. I also wanted to know what caused Sophie’s sister's estrangement. And there is a big leap from the ending chapter to where they are in the epilogue leaving this reader with lots of questions. I did like they have realistic conversations and I think the author is good at conveying information through dialog. But I’m not convinced this pair are meant to be together. The day spent together in Belfast shows they have differing interests.
Thank you to NetGalley and Ylva Publishing for the ARC and I am leaving an honest review.
February 6, 2024
I had higher hopes for this book as I love stories set in Ireland, but once again this story just didn't do it for me.
I like Dani who's sister is getting married in Northern Ireland and she's instantly attracted to Sophia who is her sister's best friend. Found it a little weird they'd never met before than. Sophia is closest and is kind of a mouse who lets everyone walk all over her and she goes along regardless of how she feels.
I didn't like David, the groom's brother and yet Sophia kept seeing him even though he wasn't nice to Dani who she liked, but refused to do anything about it. I preferred Dani's character over Sophia's and didn't like the romance between. Not a bad book, but unfortunately not for me.
I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I like Dani who's sister is getting married in Northern Ireland and she's instantly attracted to Sophia who is her sister's best friend. Found it a little weird they'd never met before than. Sophia is closest and is kind of a mouse who lets everyone walk all over her and she goes along regardless of how she feels.
I didn't like David, the groom's brother and yet Sophia kept seeing him even though he wasn't nice to Dani who she liked, but refused to do anything about it. I preferred Dani's character over Sophia's and didn't like the romance between. Not a bad book, but unfortunately not for me.
I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
February 2, 2024
Was interested in the book until Dani became Sophie-obsessed
I understand that Sophie is the kove interest but one thing I find hard to understand is why Claire was treating so badly?
David was a creep so I understand why he was put in a bad light but Claire? All she ever did was try to make Dani a corsage, She never did anything wrong.
Jane was annoying, Mike was okay, I liked Mike's mother but we didn't get enough time to really get to know her.
In summary, the book was okay, but it definitely isn't my favorite in this trope
I understand that Sophie is the kove interest but one thing I find hard to understand is why Claire was treating so badly?
David was a creep so I understand why he was put in a bad light but Claire? All she ever did was try to make Dani a corsage, She never did anything wrong.
Jane was annoying, Mike was okay, I liked Mike's mother but we didn't get enough time to really get to know her.
In summary, the book was okay, but it definitely isn't my favorite in this trope
August 27, 2026
I struggle with this one. To start,I did not find Dani very likable. I get she was going through some rough patches but she was so rudely negative towards those she cared about. I was hard to root for her. Secondly, so much of the story happened off the page. For example, we barely see any planning of the MOH/ bridesmaid’s tasks that were so important Sophie had to come help or why Sophie’s family was estranged from her sister. It leaves the reader a bit lost at certain points. Overall, I liked the premise, but the writing fell flat.
January 23, 2024
After reading and reviewing the author's previous book, Bunny Finds a Friend, this book was a let down. At times, it dragged and was a struggle to finish. I think for me, the biggest issue was that I could not relate (nor did I like) any of the main characters. It is so hard to be invested in something when you aren't into at least one character. I'd still give this author a shot for a third book.
Thanks Netgalley for the ARC.
Thanks Netgalley for the ARC.
February 6, 2024
I enjoy reading this book. The author set the stage in another country. And it was nice to the main characters visit the sites whenever they had the chance. I think both Dani and Sophie fell in love at first but different things kept blocking them. They did manager to figure things out and got together. The story was from Dani's POV but I the author would have shown Sophie's POV. Because Sophie was also finding a true self. It is a great read.
January 25, 2024
I hate to leave a bad review but after reading this book twice, I could not figure out where I lost the trail. SO I did, and started over again but it’s just not working for me.
Now that doesn’t mean someone else won’t leave a nice review. You might enjoy it.
ARC via NetGalley/Bold Stroke Books
Now that doesn’t mean someone else won’t leave a nice review. You might enjoy it.
ARC via NetGalley/Bold Stroke Books
January 27, 2024
This was my first book from the author. The story is solid, but i couldn´t quite connect with the characters.
The story line is sometimes very slow and little bit unrealistic, but than there were good parts. The story about Dani and Sophie and finding her happy end on the other side of the world is a fun tu read, but some parts were littel forced.
The story line is sometimes very slow and little bit unrealistic, but than there were good parts. The story about Dani and Sophie and finding her happy end on the other side of the world is a fun tu read, but some parts were littel forced.
January 29, 2024
The author is new to me. So, I started with nothing specific in mind. I wanted to explore different styles of writing other than my usual choices. So okay, here is the review of the book: Unit the End of the Line by Hazel Yeats.
First, the writing is good. I like those kinds of writing which help me visualize the book while I am reading along with scenes, characters, expressions, etc. The writing of this book helped me do that. It was flowing.
However, it may be my difficulties to keep the pace but I felt the scenes and character developments were too abrupt. Even the dialogues. Dani Morrison's flailing in her career as a writer was neither discussed in detail nor her actual job in which it showed why Dani thinks her professional life is in the trenches. The scene with Cynthia did have some explanation about her writing process, struggles, and obvious writer's block. But, the point is what led Dani to this stage of understanding that everything in her professional life is falling apart. It wasn't very clear. The plot was thin in the beginning and it did require some more explanation to grab attention. It is a great read but it seems that the story starts somewhere in the middle of an already full-blown story.
Sophie's character has depth. I really liked her. She wasn't complex in nature but her surroundings, her parents, her friends, her choices in life, etc showed complexity that she herself struggled to grasp. For example, her relationship with her elder sister (Susan). The animosity between them. What happened in the past that made both of them drift apart. The challenges she was facing with her niece, Hope. This made her more human and complex.
The story did cover a bunch of different topics like friendship, the nature of open-minded parenting, toxic relationships, homophobic parents, the process of understanding one's own sexuality, a slight nudge towards patriarchy in family (in the form of David's reaction, Sophie's father's opinions, etc).
Overall, the book is easy, light-read, not heavy and can be used to initiate discussions about above topics in Focus Group Discussions among students, young adults, educators, etc.
I have received an ARC from NetGalley. Thank you to NetGalley and Ylva publication.
First, the writing is good. I like those kinds of writing which help me visualize the book while I am reading along with scenes, characters, expressions, etc. The writing of this book helped me do that. It was flowing.
However, it may be my difficulties to keep the pace but I felt the scenes and character developments were too abrupt. Even the dialogues. Dani Morrison's flailing in her career as a writer was neither discussed in detail nor her actual job in which it showed why Dani thinks her professional life is in the trenches. The scene with Cynthia did have some explanation about her writing process, struggles, and obvious writer's block. But, the point is what led Dani to this stage of understanding that everything in her professional life is falling apart. It wasn't very clear. The plot was thin in the beginning and it did require some more explanation to grab attention. It is a great read but it seems that the story starts somewhere in the middle of an already full-blown story.
Sophie's character has depth. I really liked her. She wasn't complex in nature but her surroundings, her parents, her friends, her choices in life, etc showed complexity that she herself struggled to grasp. For example, her relationship with her elder sister (Susan). The animosity between them. What happened in the past that made both of them drift apart. The challenges she was facing with her niece, Hope. This made her more human and complex.
The story did cover a bunch of different topics like friendship, the nature of open-minded parenting, toxic relationships, homophobic parents, the process of understanding one's own sexuality, a slight nudge towards patriarchy in family (in the form of David's reaction, Sophie's father's opinions, etc).
Overall, the book is easy, light-read, not heavy and can be used to initiate discussions about above topics in Focus Group Discussions among students, young adults, educators, etc.
I have received an ARC from NetGalley. Thank you to NetGalley and Ylva publication.
February 3, 2024
I don’t know…. I really struggled with this and I don’t know why. It just didn’t capture my attention.
March 22, 2024
Very cute and cozy Coming out in late twenties. Well written setting in Northern Ireland
January 21, 2024
Strengths: This is set in Belfast, and the city and its history became a main character.
If you do not need explicit sex scenes this story will appeal.
The characters are not boiler plate they are complex and nuanced. They are also flawed and insecure.
The romance is a real push-pull two steps forward, three steps back, so if that appeals, you will love this story.
If you do not need explicit sex scenes this story will appeal.
The characters are not boiler plate they are complex and nuanced. They are also flawed and insecure.
The romance is a real push-pull two steps forward, three steps back, so if that appeals, you will love this story.
February 1, 2024
Dani is having a rough time following a bad breakup and stagnation at work when the invite arrives to travel across the ocean to attend her sisters wedding in Ireland. Thankful for the escape and a change of pace, she goes weeks early and turns the event into a vacation. There, she meets her sister’s gorgeous best friend Sophie and the two hit it off. Unfortunately, not only is Sophie closeted but Dani’s sister is actively trying to set them both up…..with other people.
This was a difficult novel for me to rate and review. Overall, I enjoyed reading it. There were a lot of great moments and little parts that I enjoyed throughout. I plan on reading any other novels by this author as well, if that is any indication. At the same time, there were elements that did not work for me too. I don’t know that I would recommend this novel to others, but I also certainly wouldn’t tell anyone not to read it.
If this makes sense; I think this was a good novel with some elements that fell short and dragged it down. This is opposed to a bad novel with some good parts that redeem it (this novel is the better option). There were some excellent and memorable characters, and some great interactions between them. The main characters demonstrated great character growth/arc’s with regards to their personal struggles.
The main thing that didn’t work for me was that so much of the action seemed to take place off the page. The timeline flew by with a lot of scenes taking place out of the readers sight and it hurt the story overall. This was true of both the relationship as well as the overall plot. The relationship was framed as significant to both characters and something unlike anything they experienced before, however I didn’t feel like what we saw was sufficient to support the magnitude the author wanted. They simply didn’t talk enough or have enough experiences for the “I love you” moments to have very much impact for me. This was also the case with the background plot; we were told that there was wedding planning, and that Dani spent time with her sister, and that Sophie spent time with her set-up, but we didn’t see any of it. I realize that these moments were not essential to the central romance however their absence made the novel feel flat and two-dimensional. I also would have liked a little more of what happened between the last chapter and the epilogue as it was quite the jump, and a lot must have happened but we don’t know what.
To nitpick, there were a few choices that simply seemed unrealistic to me. For example, how had Jane’s sister (who she is close to) and long-time best friend never met each other before in any capacity (even seeing photos!)? I also thought it was strange that Sophie spent so much time with her set-up and continued to lead him on even though she actively disliked doing it; I can come up with explanations that work but they were not cannon in the story.
This was a difficult novel for me to rate and review. Overall, I enjoyed reading it. There were a lot of great moments and little parts that I enjoyed throughout. I plan on reading any other novels by this author as well, if that is any indication. At the same time, there were elements that did not work for me too. I don’t know that I would recommend this novel to others, but I also certainly wouldn’t tell anyone not to read it.
If this makes sense; I think this was a good novel with some elements that fell short and dragged it down. This is opposed to a bad novel with some good parts that redeem it (this novel is the better option). There were some excellent and memorable characters, and some great interactions between them. The main characters demonstrated great character growth/arc’s with regards to their personal struggles.
The main thing that didn’t work for me was that so much of the action seemed to take place off the page. The timeline flew by with a lot of scenes taking place out of the readers sight and it hurt the story overall. This was true of both the relationship as well as the overall plot. The relationship was framed as significant to both characters and something unlike anything they experienced before, however I didn’t feel like what we saw was sufficient to support the magnitude the author wanted. They simply didn’t talk enough or have enough experiences for the “I love you” moments to have very much impact for me. This was also the case with the background plot; we were told that there was wedding planning, and that Dani spent time with her sister, and that Sophie spent time with her set-up, but we didn’t see any of it. I realize that these moments were not essential to the central romance however their absence made the novel feel flat and two-dimensional. I also would have liked a little more of what happened between the last chapter and the epilogue as it was quite the jump, and a lot must have happened but we don’t know what.
To nitpick, there were a few choices that simply seemed unrealistic to me. For example, how had Jane’s sister (who she is close to) and long-time best friend never met each other before in any capacity (even seeing photos!)? I also thought it was strange that Sophie spent so much time with her set-up and continued to lead him on even though she actively disliked doing it; I can come up with explanations that work but they were not cannon in the story.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews