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amaston95's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
4.25
averyjcmie's review
3.5
i thought i liked it but the more it pondered on me the more the book gave me the ick, like the age gap as much as i didn’t want to make it a big deal it was and the times were she would refer to him like a father complex or her as “young” just didn’t feel right to me bc it made me realise every time the gap between them, also she is so young not knowing what love really means and her idealising him just makes me reference back to her point where she doesn’t know what true love means bc she puts him on this pedestal bc he’s older and it makes me think of those typical plots where the college students gets with the young professor or something either way the older presence and inappropriateness of it feels wrong, she’s hiding behind his shadow and pining after an older grieving man the more that lingered on me felt wrong as the book progressed bc it felt like in a way he was taking advantage of her youth bc she is younger than him by a lot and there is a blatant power struggle there and a lack of love experience, she is naive in a way towards her love for him, it just doesn’t feel right as i said i have the same feeling as i do when tv shows decide to do the college student-professor storyline. also it’s clear he doesn’t love her or want to love her in the way that she wants him too and that strong love she has for him is once again down to the age difference, her desire for maturity and stability, she idealises and idolises that, she’s in love with the idea of him, he also wants her to be suzie, he compares her to suzie which is natural bc he was married to suzie but it also sometimes feels like he’s looking for a suzie replacement and a distraction as opposed to seeing Emersyn, a person he can be in love with
“And her feelings for me stem from not having a father in her life, never having a truly kind man in her life. She fell in love with the idea of me. I think she fell in love with Suzanne’s husband. And one day, she’ll wake up and realize she fell for the first guy who treated her well, not necessarily the right guy.”
and that is how i feel
the only reason it’s still 3.5 is bc some of the lines and writing is little too good like genuinely had me crying shaking throwing up feeling all emotions, some of them are embedded in me that’s how good it is and the heartbreak omg it’s a little tew good idk at times when he’s not actively being ignorant
tangochick6969's review against another edition
2.0
I’m so annoyed, I thought this would be a 5 star read and the beginning was shaping up to be amazing but after Suzanne dies it all went downhill. I find zach and emersyns chemistry hard to believe it all just felt so connected by grief, they lost their spark, they had better moments together when Zachs wife was alive. the traveling halfway through the book ruined everything, zach was rightfully dealing with his grief whilst emersyn was acting immature like I know you’re only 24 but stop forgetting to take your epilepsy meds, and stop throwing tantrums bc your fake husband doesn’t treat your marriage as a real one. grrrr
by_bella's review against another edition
4.0
I’m the biggest pessimist to books wherein you have a living, dying wife and you’re falling in love with the husband. But, because of the way it was written, I actually liked this book.
I’m hiding a star just because it’s still uncomfortable for me to actually be okay with all of it and because there were some lines with Zach that felt incredibly cheesy even though his character was supposed to be that way.
I just liked the way they developed into something romantic and never dismissing the fact that Zach was grieving his wife. There were some moments where you’d be like “okay, this is just uncomfortable” at parts where there is clear signs of Em being the replacement.
Nonetheless, the book wasn’t something I actually expected. It’s well-written, the conflict isn’t some type of miscommunication but an actual problem, and you get a good epilogue to end the book with.
I’m hiding a star just because it’s still uncomfortable for me to actually be okay with all of it and because there were some lines with Zach that felt incredibly cheesy even though his character was supposed to be that way.
I just liked the way they developed into something romantic and never dismissing the fact that Zach was grieving his wife. There were some moments where you’d be like “okay, this is just uncomfortable” at parts where there is clear signs of Em being the replacement.
Nonetheless, the book wasn’t something I actually expected. It’s well-written, the conflict isn’t some type of miscommunication but an actual problem, and you get a good epilogue to end the book with.
hannahwantstoread's review against another edition
5.0
Devastatingly beautiful
It’s not often that I read a book and come away knowing I’d be best friends with the three main characters. There’s something so real about Susie, Zach and Em. I spent most of the book wishing I could give them all big hugs.
This is a story about courage. About pride. About living. About love. As someone with extensive experience in cancer and palliative care, I can tell you the sections about Suzie’s cancer and death are written with a heart-breaking realism that only comes from lived experience.
Books don’t make me cry often. This made me sob. It was an amazing read that I devoured in a few hours.
It’s not often that I read a book and come away knowing I’d be best friends with the three main characters. There’s something so real about Susie, Zach and Em. I spent most of the book wishing I could give them all big hugs.
This is a story about courage. About pride. About living. About love. As someone with extensive experience in cancer and palliative care, I can tell you the sections about Suzie’s cancer and death are written with a heart-breaking realism that only comes from lived experience.
Books don’t make me cry often. This made me sob. It was an amazing read that I devoured in a few hours.
brittineyb's review against another edition
5.0
If I could give this book 5 billion stars I would! This story deserves all the stars in the galaxy!
“The most complicated relationship you will ever have is the one with yourself. We are our own greatest mystery, our own biggest challenge. Life isn’t a quest to find ourselves; it’s a quest to define ourselves.’”
Zach and Em’s story will live in my soul for all eternity! This magnificent second chance at love and finding your soulmate was one like I’ve never read. Jewel takes you through great love, loss, grief, healing, adventure, finding peace and sharing an eternal love! This work of art is absolutely brilliant! I’d have to say it has moved to one of my top favorite stories Jewel has ever written.
“Soulmates are not S O L E mates. Without one, we are not alone. Many souls feed our own. Humans are interchangeable puzzle pieces; we fit into more than one space.”
“The most complicated relationship you will ever have is the one with yourself. We are our own greatest mystery, our own biggest challenge. Life isn’t a quest to find ourselves; it’s a quest to define ourselves.’”
Zach and Em’s story will live in my soul for all eternity! This magnificent second chance at love and finding your soulmate was one like I’ve never read. Jewel takes you through great love, loss, grief, healing, adventure, finding peace and sharing an eternal love! This work of art is absolutely brilliant! I’d have to say it has moved to one of my top favorite stories Jewel has ever written.
“Soulmates are not S O L E mates. Without one, we are not alone. Many souls feed our own. Humans are interchangeable puzzle pieces; we fit into more than one space.”
kimmyp's review
5.0
I really liked this one. It got me hooked emotionally to the characters. It was such a sad story, but hopeful at the same time. Their relationship didn’t feel cheap or scandalous or overly dramatic. It felt more realistic with the way they struggled. If there was a downfall, the reasons they couldn’t be together and all the back and forth started to get a bit repetitive. And I don’t like pushy friends who try make the main character hook up when they’re not ready, so I was annoyed with her friend at first, but then she backed down when she found out they were married and how serious she was about him. I like an angsty romance and this one delivered.
poppy_jae's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
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