Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I could not give this book a rating other than the one it deserves, and it deserves a full five stars.
I was captivated by this book before I even read it and I was so mad at myself, come the end of December, when I hadn't read it. I thought I had missed my chance and would have to wait until next year. It seems so fitting, that I felt like I missed my chance and this book is about that exact thing; missed opportunities. But I thought well who cares, I want to read this book so I'm going to.
And let me tell you, THIS BOOK WAS SO GOOD wHAt the heck! I honestly was expecting this to be a four star rating AT BEST. No past me, no. The brief "meeting" is what started it all and from there I knew it had to be meant, written in the stars. I'm a hopeless romantic, can you tell? I've also lacked decent love for... like 3 years? So reading about this tragic scenario where Laurie and Jack can't be together because of a million and one obstacles and distractions keeping them apart? UGH it pulled at my heart strings the whole way through, because *SPOILERS I really thought near the end that Laurie was going to get pregnant with Oscar's baby and that Jack was going to propose to Amanda and that would be the tragic ending, BUT NO, it all happened as it needed to and in the end, Rhona succeeded #JackandRhona. *
One thing that surprised me about this book, is that I really felt attached to the characters. Which, in my stereotypical adult romance, doesn't happen or it isn't to the extent that it was in this book. I felt like I wanted the best for Laurie and for Jack but also for Sarah, *Mini Spoiler and I was even invested in her romance with Luke.* Plus, I even enjoyed Oscar as a character, I felt like their romance for the most part was wholesome and real. And romances do have their strains, but I wasn't like "Let's get this Oscar guy out of here so Jack and Laurie can be together" no. I thought it was necessary, it was another obstacle that was meant to be enjoyed by the reader. Speaking of obstacles meant to be enjoyed by the reader, Sarah and Jack. I actually did enjoy them together, even though Jack was not the best fit for Sarah *Mini Spoiler because our girl deserves Aussie Luke *
I just ended up enjoying this a lot more than I originally thought I was going to and I'm so happy by that because I haven't enjoyed a book this much in a while. So much so, that it made me read 3/4 of the book practically in one sitting. I would recommend to anyone needing a romance that steeps in the tea for bit, makes you wait for it. And despite what I think people believe (because I in fact believed it) this incredible romance novel does NOT need to be read in December. I feel like I would have enjoyed this as much if I read it in July.