someone said this book felt like seeing god and they’re completely right. it felt like i was in heaven and hell at the same time too. aldo and regan are so made for each other. their conversations, their humour, their minds fit perfectly together like a puzzle piece. I will not understand how this book is classified as a romance when it felt like a horror story in my eyes. Following two vulnerable and flawed characters who come together to form a deeply unhealthy, sex-addicted, codependent relationship, this book left me baffled that people can romanticize and idealize the relationship between Aldo and Regan when I was actively rooting for them to separate and seek help. I could study you for a lifetime, carrying all your peculiarities and discretions in the webs of my spidery palms, and still feel empty-handed The premise is rather cute with Aldo and Regan agreeing to have six conversations to see what they learn about each other, something right in Aldo’s wheelhouse as ‘ for Aldo, to love something was to study it; to devote every spare thought to understanding it.’ Yet there is a darkness lurking just beneath, something that might not be immediately evident in the blinding glare of meet-cutes and warm infatuation but still casts shadows they choose to find intriguing instead of alarming. Though Blake does capture the way in the falling-hard stage you tend to feel everything reminds you of that person, akin to learning a new word and seeing it everywhere:

Another trippy element: I've lived in Chicago for work. My Mom lives here now, and I'm actually visiting her while I was reading this book--all elements that elevated the story. When you read a book and have stood in the same places as the character it feels surreal. I understand this is the point of it all, but that doesn’t mean I have to enjoy the ride, nor does it negate how often I see people praising this as one of the most romantic books they’ve read.

I also really liked Marianne! I didn’t expect to care this much about this old woman, but her dynamic with Eloise was also super enjoyable! I loved that they were so similar, but their dynamic ended up being kind of similar to Eloise and Austin’s: they pushed each other’s buttons, but always in a joking, friendly way. I also really liked seeing Marianne, Austin and Eloise hanging out all together. What I really liked about this book compared to the first one in the series was the depth of the characters. You could feel the excitement when Claire discovered a new artifact you lived her discovery with her. With Jake you felt how grounded the farm made him you felt his to the animals and the pleasure and joy he felt in this slower paced world. i don't know. i cried like three times. but that's not really a great way to measure a book, ya know. i did like it though. i don't know know WHY i was crying. this is a me problem. --- To all the other reviewers of this book....did we...did we read the same thing? I've missed something major here. The prose is pretty but tangential, half the time it feels like it leaves off in the middle of a thought and while I'm mentally trying to fill in the blanks, I've lost all feeling for the story and characters. Its outer shell was pretty but otherwise it was empty on the inside.

Where do I even start?? The mental health representation and genuineness and realistic nature of this book is top tier. This book felt like a hug and fresh air to me. I really enjoyed how Amelia Diane Coombs portrayed the main characters, in particular Eloise, her mental health battle and her coping mechanisms. I felt Eloise in my bones. I relate to the struggle so much and just seeing her growth throughout the book was amazing. Coombs portrayed the story in such a way that it felt as if I was talking to Eloise and hearing the story from her myself. It was beautifully written. i know it says a love story on the front, but this book is very much about mental health + choosing to not be medicated for mental health conditions. it was a hard read for me, but a very impactful one. and olivie blake just is just such a talented author and the sentences she is able to string together, about really dark and hard to talk about things, really resonated with me in a way other words just never have before. There is also the issue in which medication and therapy are painted as obstacles to true love or feeling anything at all. She says so at some point - that if she was on medication still, she couldn't/wouldn't have loved Aldo. I find this deeply troubling but look, books are not real life, we can't extrapolate...but I can't help but dislike this theme of the book. As desperation sets in, she finds herself with no real choice but to take him up on his offer. The tension between the two is palpable and only manages to grow more intense by the second. But their past is too painful for Naomi to ignore, no matter how longing his looks are or how heated his words make her feel. The prose is quite engaging and this is a much faster paced novel than I tend to read so I was gripped the whole way through. Blake aims for grand phrasing of emotions that land quite impactfully and, sure, it may be overwrought at times but that's exactly how obsessive love feels. I love the way it spirals through the stratosphere or seems to be tumbling out of control or even trails off mid-thought because it so lucidly captures untethered emotions (and intrusive thoughts, which are constantly present in this book). There is a musicality to it, but it is like every instrument in a band trying to all take a solo at once in the cacophony of feeling so much you aren’t sure if you can contain it. It is art, pure and simple.

Beyond the Book

I particularly enjoyed Eloise’s character arc throughout this book. She has anxiety, and she’s virtually been friendless since her two best friends abandoned her during a period of severe depression. Hanging out with Austin is the last thing she wants to do, especially since he has such a sunny personality compared to her grumpy one, but she grows to learn that isolating yourself for so long has more adverse effects and spending time with other people can, actually, lift your spirits. This isn’t a second chance romance but it is a second chance of sorts as Naomi confessed her feelings for him 10 years ago and he rebuffed her. She’s been embarrassed ever since. The pandemic provided the perfect forced proximity situation for Naomi and Ira. If not that, I imagine Naomi would have tried to interact with him as little as possible, since she’s staying in his guest house out of parental guilt and low funds. What’s supposed to be a short trip becomes an extended stay of unknown duration. I really like how this grappled with their privilege, as Naomi is laid off and has to figure out what to do with her apartment, the way the house being so isolated is in their favor during a situation like this, and so on.