katiemack's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
This is a nice mix of Emily Henry's previous books; there's melancholy and emotional depth, but the banter feels light and cheesy in a lovely way that made me want to immerse myself in that charming, cozy Maine town and the lives of those tight-knit friends. As a couple, Harriet and Wyn feel a little fated-mates to me, but I appreciate how Henry explores the flaws in their relationship and the other factors that lead to their inevitable relationship status. It was also refreshing to read about friendships growing and changing even as those involved resist such change; it feels visceral and relatable.
With everything happening in the world (and, on a personal note, impending changes happening in my life), it was nice to read a reliably good Emily Henry romance. If you've enjoyed her other books, you'll enjoy this one too.
This is a nice mix of Emily Henry's previous books; there's melancholy and emotional depth, but the banter feels light and cheesy in a lovely way that made me want to immerse myself in that charming, cozy Maine town and the lives of those tight-knit friends. As a couple, Harriet and Wyn feel a little fated-mates to me, but I appreciate how Henry explores the flaws in their relationship and the other factors that lead to their inevitable relationship status. It was also refreshing to read about friendships growing and changing even as those involved resist such change; it feels visceral and relatable.
With everything happening in the world (and, on a personal note, impending changes happening in my life), it was nice to read a reliably good Emily Henry romance. If you've enjoyed her other books, you'll enjoy this one too.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content and Death of parent
Minor: Infidelity and Mental illness
sarahyjackson's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
So much about this book felt perfect: the setting, the execution of classic romance tropes, the conceit, the character development. Read by Julia Whelan? Perfect, perfect, perfect.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Sexual content, and Drug use
Moderate: Chronic illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Death of parent, and Grief
Minor: Pregnancy
korpney's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Emily Henry has done it again! I’d love to live in the version of a cozy Maine town that Harriet and her friends love so much. This book is a new happy place for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol
Moderate: Sexual content and Drug use
purplepenning's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.75
Angst isn't my thing, but if it's your thing, you can kindly ignore my relatively mediocre rating for an Emily Henry book. If you also enjoy a strong friend group, a summer-in-Maine vacation setting (complete with a lobster fest), good-humored bit-style banter, opposites attract, forced proximity, only one bed, altruistic idiots, mental health rep, realistic life challenges, the excavation of the effects of childhood family dynamics, grown up "gifted" kids, personal emotional growth, people learning how to communicate with each other, and a slow-burn bit of steam — assume you can add another full star to my rating and dive right in for a beautiful, emotional romance read. More suited to Henry fans who preferred People We Meet on Vacation rather than those who preferred Book Lovers. And if you like this one AND Henry's more bookish books, definitely check out The Roughest Draft by Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol
Moderate: Cursing and Drug use
Minor: Sexual content, Vomit, Death of parent, Mental illness, Chronic illness, and Pregnancy
gloriazthompson's review against another edition
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
I was so irritated with this book, I basically hate-read it. So much eye-rolling. So much miscommunication. These characters are so idiotic with their decisions and ideas of love/romance. The friend group is also stupid and the way everyone treats each other is terrible. UGH. Definitely the worst rom-com I've read, and the worst Emily Henry book so far.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Minor: Death of parent
uranaishi's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Alcohol
Moderate: Death of parent, Drug use, Grief, Death, Classism, Confinement, and Chronic illness
Minor: Medical content, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Infidelity, Vomit, and Mental illness
jelavision's review against another edition
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
What a melancholic and touching book. A lot of the book is miscommunication. How not having the ability to communication your feelings can stunt your relationships with significant others and friends. How the pressures of managing expectations of yourself and others causes people create a facade to deal with the stress. How people change over time and the effort of others to adapt to those changes. I found the book to be very poignant.
As a reader, the back and forth between the present and past was challenging at times. I felt like I was thrust into it before I was fully invested in the relationship between Harriet and Wyn. And some of the past chapters felt rushed. It tended to do a lot of telling instead of showing. I did love the banter between Harriet and Wyn. The slowburn between them keeps you invested, especially as you go on the journey of them rekindling their relationship. The tension (sexual and angst-ridden) between them? *chef's kiss*. And the tension culminates in such sweet and sexy steamy scenes between them.
While there was drama at times, I really did enjoy the friendship between all the characters. There were moments with them that made me smile, made laugh and made me cry. This is a book about the found family of Harriet, Cleo, Sabrina, Parth, Wyn and Kimmy as much as it is about Harriet and Wyn's relationship.
Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC!
As a reader, the back and forth between the present and past was challenging at times. I felt like I was thrust into it before I was fully invested in the relationship between Harriet and Wyn. And some of the past chapters felt rushed. It tended to do a lot of telling instead of showing. I did love the banter between Harriet and Wyn. The slowburn between them keeps you invested, especially as you go on the journey of them rekindling their relationship. The tension (sexual and angst-ridden) between them? *chef's kiss*. And the tension culminates in such sweet and sexy steamy scenes between them.
While there was drama at times, I really did enjoy the friendship between all the characters. There were moments with them that made me smile, made laugh and made me cry. This is a book about the found family of Harriet, Cleo, Sabrina, Parth, Wyn and Kimmy as much as it is about Harriet and Wyn's relationship.
Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Mental illness, Medical content, Sexual content, and Abandonment
Minor: Death of parent
emmahe's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent, Terminal illness, and Sexual content
betsey's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
This book really kept me reading…interesting, loveable characters you really root for, cozy settings, some laughs and plenty of moments to tug at the heartstrings. I’ll definitely be recommending this to lots of customers this summer!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content, Alcohol, Death of parent, and Drug use
chronicallybookish's review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Age Rating: 18+
Special thanks to Berkley Romance and NetGalley for an eARC of this book! All thoughts and opinions reflected in this review are my own.
CW: sexual content, death of a parent, grief, break up
This is a book that I don’t know how to review. It’s one of those books that made me feel so much, and felt so personal, that I don’t know how to put those feelings into words.
Objectively, technically speaking, is this Emily Henry’s strongest work? No.
But regardless, it is my favorite of her books.
I related so heavily to Wyn (and to Harriet, but mostly Wyn), and even more heavily to aspects of Wyn and Harriet’s relationship, that I don’t think I’m capable of being objective.
I think that the characters and relationship of Wyn and Harriet were executed as perfectly as one would expect of Emily Henry. They’re dynamic, honest, real. Every word they speak, every emotion they experience, feels as if it’s more than words on a page. Emily Henry is a master of complex characters and making them feel as real as you or me, and Wyn and Harriet are just another testament to her skill.
However, the supporting cast of characters in this book are not as well developed. Parth was the worst, having no personality, no motivations, no agency. He existed solely because Sabrina needed a significant other for the story to work. Cleo is slightly more developed, but barely. She is supposed to be one of the main trio, but her partner has more personality, more of a roll in the story than she does. Sabrina has the most development of the group, but she’s obnoxious. To be fair, I think she’s kind of supposed to be, but I think she’s also supposed to be lovable, redeemable, as well… and in order for that to have fully landed the way it was supposed to, I think she, too, needed more development outside of “spoiled rich girl with mommy and daddy issues”.
Now, I don’t think any of these characters are bad or poorly written. I think they’re just…average. While reading, I was so caught up with Wyn and Harriet that I didn’t notice the ways that the rest of the crew fell flat, for the most part. On occasion, I would, but 90% of the time I didn’t. It’s more of a looking back a few weeks after reading, really thinking about this book, this story, these characters, comparing them to Emily Henry’s other books and what I know she’s capable of, that I realize that Sabrina, Cleo, Parth, and Kimmy definitely fall flat in comparison. This book was amazing—my favorite—but I think that, knowing Emily Henry, it could have been more so, if she’d had more time. This book is the most complex, in terms of themes and number of important characters, that I can’t help but wonder what it could have been if the release date had been pushed out just six months.
Now please don’t get me wrong. I freaking love this book. It is amazing. One of the best books I’ve ever read. I recommend it equally as much as any of Emily Henry’s other books, and more than like 99.99999% of all the other books I’ve read. The plot, the romance, the angst, the heartbreak—impeccable. The only thing that I wish was a little more developed is the supporting cast, but even then, they in no way took away from my love and enjoyment of this book. I just think they didn’t add quite as much as they could have.
I read this book in 24 hours. I cried so hard I couldn’t see the words and my cat crawled into my lap and pawed at my face. I laughed out loud. I felt every possible emotion more intensely than I think almost any book has ever made me feel. I highlighted the shit out of my ARC, and I cannot wait for my preorder to get here so that I can re-read it and annotate it. This is a book I see myself rereading again and again. This book means so much to me. I love it. I love Emily Henry. I love Wyn and Harriet. I love Knotts Harbor. This is one of the best books I have ever read and ever will read, and I cannot wait until it is officially out in the world and everyone can read it.
--
All of the stars. Every single one.
I don’t know how to review this book. It felt so personal to me, reading this. It’s my favorite of hers, by far. I’m genuinely so upset I missed out on personalized copies
Special thanks to Berkley Romance and NetGalley for an eARC of this book! All thoughts and opinions reflected in this review are my own.
CW: sexual content, death of a parent, grief, break up
This is a book that I don’t know how to review. It’s one of those books that made me feel so much, and felt so personal, that I don’t know how to put those feelings into words.
Objectively, technically speaking, is this Emily Henry’s strongest work? No.
But regardless, it is my favorite of her books.
I related so heavily to Wyn (and to Harriet, but mostly Wyn), and even more heavily to aspects of Wyn and Harriet’s relationship, that I don’t think I’m capable of being objective.
I think that the characters and relationship of Wyn and Harriet were executed as perfectly as one would expect of Emily Henry. They’re dynamic, honest, real. Every word they speak, every emotion they experience, feels as if it’s more than words on a page. Emily Henry is a master of complex characters and making them feel as real as you or me, and Wyn and Harriet are just another testament to her skill.
However, the supporting cast of characters in this book are not as well developed. Parth was the worst, having no personality, no motivations, no agency. He existed solely because Sabrina needed a significant other for the story to work. Cleo is slightly more developed, but barely. She is supposed to be one of the main trio, but her partner has more personality, more of a roll in the story than she does. Sabrina has the most development of the group, but she’s obnoxious. To be fair, I think she’s kind of supposed to be, but I think she’s also supposed to be lovable, redeemable, as well… and in order for that to have fully landed the way it was supposed to, I think she, too, needed more development outside of “spoiled rich girl with mommy and daddy issues”.
Now, I don’t think any of these characters are bad or poorly written. I think they’re just…average. While reading, I was so caught up with Wyn and Harriet that I didn’t notice the ways that the rest of the crew fell flat, for the most part. On occasion, I would, but 90% of the time I didn’t. It’s more of a looking back a few weeks after reading, really thinking about this book, this story, these characters, comparing them to Emily Henry’s other books and what I know she’s capable of, that I realize that Sabrina, Cleo, Parth, and Kimmy definitely fall flat in comparison. This book was amazing—my favorite—but I think that, knowing Emily Henry, it could have been more so, if she’d had more time. This book is the most complex, in terms of themes and number of important characters, that I can’t help but wonder what it could have been if the release date had been pushed out just six months.
Now please don’t get me wrong. I freaking love this book. It is amazing. One of the best books I’ve ever read. I recommend it equally as much as any of Emily Henry’s other books, and more than like 99.99999% of all the other books I’ve read. The plot, the romance, the angst, the heartbreak—impeccable. The only thing that I wish was a little more developed is the supporting cast, but even then, they in no way took away from my love and enjoyment of this book. I just think they didn’t add quite as much as they could have.
I read this book in 24 hours. I cried so hard I couldn’t see the words and my cat crawled into my lap and pawed at my face. I laughed out loud. I felt every possible emotion more intensely than I think almost any book has ever made me feel. I highlighted the shit out of my ARC, and I cannot wait for my preorder to get here so that I can re-read it and annotate it. This is a book I see myself rereading again and again. This book means so much to me. I love it. I love Emily Henry. I love Wyn and Harriet. I love Knotts Harbor. This is one of the best books I have ever read and ever will read, and I cannot wait until it is officially out in the world and everyone can read it.
--
All of the stars. Every single one.
I don’t know how to review this book. It felt so personal to me, reading this. It’s my favorite of hers, by far. I’m genuinely so upset I missed out on personalized copies
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent, Sexual content, and Grief