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Don't let the cover and blurb fool you...

This ain't stereotypical chick-lit.

And before anyone gets their feathers all ruffled at my use of the term "chick-lit"....calm down. I actually picked this out as one of my Book of the Month picks this April because I thought it was chick-lit. And, if you have read my reviews or followed me for any length of time, this would surprise you as I have traditionally NEVER been drawn to those kinds of books.

Nothing against them, they just never interested me. But alas, as I have mentioned in some reviews over the last couple years, my tastes have changed a lot lately and I am reading all kinds of genres I never used to be interested in.

Personal growth? Maybe.
The fact that I am quickly approaching "middle-aged?" Perhaps.

But I digress.

The blurb on this really interested me. I thought it was going to be light and exactly what I needed to forget the world for a few hours. And it was.

But it was also so much more than that.

The two main characters here (January and Gus) were both going through some shit that felt real and nuanced. There was a depth to them that was tangible. And the setting - while seemingly plucked straight out of a Nicholas Sparks book - never felt contrived or cliche.

The romance (and so many other elements in the book usually considered trope-y in chick-lit or women's fiction) was written with a tongue-in-cheek hilarity that on one hand called itself out, and on the other, served to undercut any sense of the cliche.

I was really impressed with Emily Henry's writing and style. I enjoyed her ability to flirt with the fourth wall and turn certain things on their head in a manner that made you laugh at it, but also seriously consider it at the same time.

I also really enjoyed all the discussions on writing and the literary/popular culture jokes and references sprinkled throughout the story.

In short, I loved every moment of this book and will definitely be reading more from this author in the future.