Up until the very end, Will refuses to commit to Leo, and hurts Leo multiple times. And I really can’t blame Will, because while his actions were often callous, he was always honest with Leo about what to expect.

So right about now I'm sure anyone who's still reading is wondering 'but you gave it 3 stars' you must have liked it...well, yes and no. There were some moments that I liked even a couple that I really enjoyed but mostly those three stars are because I read this book from start to finish over the course of a couple of days. I wouldn't have even taken that long but you know real life and all that. As much as I was for want of a better word disappointed in this one. I was also pretty impressed by an author whose writing skills kept me reading in spite of the fact that the story just didn't draw me in. I loved the writing, I liked how they grew and how their relationship changed BUT I still would have wanted more. More scenes with the two, much more time spent together, more promises made to each other. So it felt really weak to me. As River tries to navigate her final year of high school and prepare for college, she finds herself constantly crossing paths with Tate. Despite her best efforts to keep her distance, she discovers that the truth about her past may not be what it seems. Secrets unravel, emotions run high, and River is faced with a difficult decision – whether to believe in her memories or trust her gut. In that moment, winter sun streaming through the window, the bed warm and smelling of sex and us, the possibility stretched before me, luminous and full of hope, that maybe we’d wake up that way a thousand times more.And I think that’s the heart of the problem - this isn’t a romance between equals. This is a relationship between a man who’s too set in his ways and beliefs to change, and a boy who’s so desperate to hold on to his first love that he would agree to anything. Most of the story was really all about Leo and him settling into college life and learning how to adult. It was about him making friends and learning that sex doesn't actually have to mean a relationship. It was about learning what could be measured and maybe what couldn't be. It was about stripping away what you want the truth to be so you can see what's really there. It was about letting go of expectations and just learning to be. Where We Left Off felt more like a coming of age novel to me than a romance, Leo is dropped in a new environment and he doesn't know anyone and he must navigate this new world on his own. I really enjoyed his personal story, seeing the young boyish person he was at the beginning and then going through all of his experiences and epiphanies that made him into a young man by the end of the book. Essentially he needed to learn that he cannot mold himself to please everyone and at some point he has to let things go and let them be. The side characters were brilliant, I loved all of Leo's college friends and coworkers, but then again Roan is amazing at setting a scene and creating characters that are so vivid and real to the reader.

I really wanted to begin this review with a gif. I wanted to convey to you all how upset I am by this...this...literary abortion. This war crime of a book. I want.... I'm not discouraging anyone from reading this book. I admit I hated one of the MCs from the get go, and that colored my perception of the story. I wished the author would have found another way for them to meet again. Maybe a big gesture from Will after realizing what a moron he has been. I didn't like how Leo went flying to him... Of course they both needed reconnecting, but Leo felt too weak, not able to stay away. The author did a great job in showing their emotions and even in a crisis Leo was sarcastic, remember the cake foot print? Anyway, I couldn't quite get past my anger and shattered hopes about Will falling in love with Leo and NOT wanting other men. That’s what romanticizing something is, kiddo. Having the notion that it’ll be a certain, perfect way based on something fictional. Something idealized.”In addition to the romance, I especially like Leo’s new friends Gretchen and Milton, and the glimpses we get of Daniel and Rex. I think I need to reread the first book because Daniel is so cute and I just can’t get enough of him and Rex. Gretchen is like an anchor. She’s rooted and calm and projects this outward, so you feel like yourself and good about it, too. And Milton is like bathing in the spring sun. He makes you happy and relaxed and warm and like you never want to leave. Before bedtime: Many people find that reading before bedtime helps them unwind and relax, which can promote better sleep.