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I had just finished a delicious rom-com called “First-Time Caller�� by BK Borison with a character named Lucie that I absolutely loved. Review here: /review/show...

And, I wanted to read this one, because I loved the pre-quel, “The Light We Lost.�� Review here: /review/show...

And, as I was reading this one, I am reminded that the main character’s name is Lucy, too and she is still in the throes of grief over the loss of Gabe, almost 10-years later. So, what is happening here? To me. As I read this one.

Is reading 2 rom-coms in a row a good thing? Or not?

Well, I am grateful for short chapters as I read on. But I keep asking myself��

How am I really feeling about this one?

To be honest, I am feeling dreadful.

Lucy begged to “heal me, please.�� And, yes maybe we wanted that for her, too. But her healing journey didn’t come naturally. For me.

I wanted to connect to this novel, because I loved the first story so much. And, it seemed like it was the author’s intention to have readers feel Lucy’s life through ‘love, loss, birth, death, marriage, divorce, success, and the character’s perceived failures.��

But for me, everything felt forced. Her actions. Her reactions. Even her endless discussions with “dead�� Gabe. And, even the moment she met Dax, and what came after, didn’t feel natural and meant to be, but instead felt expected. Like, we as readers were just supposed to go along with it. And, be happy and excited and gushy for Lucy. And, that just didn’t happen for me.

I didn’t feel the chemistry. Or the heart. Everything just felt like words tumbling together, that we are supposed to swoon over. And, no matter how hard I tried to get in to those words, I couldn’t feel any of it. The “feels�� just weren’t there for me.

With this book, I found myself detached, disappointed, disinterested and anxious to leave. I know I am an outlier here, so please read other reviews.