After reading Now That You Mention It, I can easily understand why so many people recommend books written by Kristan Higgins, and I'll definitely be trying some others.

I assumed the book would be purely romantic fare. There is romance, but it really is only an added thread weaved through the main family drama type plot.

The plot which sounds simple enough. Our heroine, Nora, is a successful doctor living in Boston, but when she is hit by a van, she decides to return to her island home in Maine to recuperate. Living on the island again stirs up the circumstances of her departure, and the occurrences which made her to want to return.

Higgins gradually divulges all Nora's back story and life up to the accident with a deft hand. I never thought that any of the flashbacks or Nora’s narration of her past problems read like an info dump. All were emotional in one way or another. In fact, many left me with a tear in my eye.

The scenes surrounding Nora’s sister towards the end were especially poignant, I thought.

The book isn’t all sad and dramatic, however. Right from the start, Higgins writes Nora with a lot of humour and many of the comic scenes are pure gold. I especially liked the two ill-fated dinner parties.

If I had to nitpick, I would probably say I didn’t like the placement of the Big Bad Thing’s reveal. (The Big Bad Thing being a traumatic event that has made Nora reevaluate her life in Boston.) The reveal itself was great, as in it was written very well and it was as upsetting as Nora had hinted. However, I think the reveal should have been the climactic moment in the book, towards the end.

Minor grumble though. I really loved this book, read it in a couple of days because I was enjoying it that much.

Actually, I find it difficult to buy books as gifts for other people but, if I was looking for one that ticked all the boxes, this could be it.

If you were to call this a romance, you would at least call it an intelligent romance. There’s a lot of modern topical issues covered in the book, which might win over the young adult readers: bullying, fat shaming, drug/alcohol dependency, acceptance of same sex relationships, PTSD, and awareness of mental and physical disabilities. There's also a nice balance in the writing when it comes to the graphic nature of some scenes, meaning those a little older would not find offence.

4 out of 5

Oh my gosh, I loved reading Kristan Higgins’ newest novel, Now That You Mention It! It was a story that depicted so many dramatic, heartfelt moments that combined for an unmissable read. The friendships and strength of the female protagonists stood out in the story. Nora’s character pulled at the heartstrings from the get-go. How many bad scenarios can one character be put through, one asks. :( My heart bled for her character and all she endured. But the happier moments were blissful in a non-stop dramatic read. Now That You Mention It by author Kristan Higgins was outstanding reading from start to finish! :D
Review copy received from Harlequin Australia via Netgalley

Book Lovers,

I haven't read a Kristan Higgins book in so long, it was refreshing to read this one.

What I enjoyed, was the characters. I have been struggling with teen novels as of late. But I was happy that I didn't struggle as much with this one. I loved the romance, it was refreshing not to read about insta-love and it was believable.

My favourite character was the beautiful dog, Boomer.

I think everyone will love this story its a really great story.

3.5-4 stars,

arc was received for an honest review

WOW what a fabulous book. There was so much going on in this and what a wonderful array of different characters. It's the kind of story that makes you stop and think about what really matters. I laughed and I cried as it was full of emotion too.