Whilst the story was written well I just don't think this was the book for me. In parts it felt repetitive and I wasn't drawn to picking it up.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for giving me free access to the advanced copy of this book to read.

Beautifully written with a lot of heart and soul. It took me a while to get into and I was pleasantly surprised by the book in how much it packed into this romance. I loved the exploration of deep abiding love and grief and well fleshed out characters and sweeping romance. Highly recommend.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I found this book very thought provoking.
I loved the two side by side stories.

This book was good! The chemistry between the characters was great, I loved the dual timelines, really had a positive impact on my reading experience.

I did not absolutely hate this book, nor was I absolutely enchanted with the book! And that's a good thing, I guess.

The premise was sweet and I could see the author trying to bring this sapphic romance to life, and I would say it's a great love story, however I found myself skimming through paragraphs at one point and losing track of what I've read. As much as I loved the characters, nothing tugged at my heartstrings and I was left a little underwhelmed, because it seriously is a good love story.

I understand why the author wanted to connect the stories in this book but I wish more focus was on Sage and Alex while Lizzy and Claud's story would make a great prequel. The narratives, albeit in two different timelines seemed to blend for me and I had to consciously recall which timeline the chapter was from.

All in all, a good effort :) I wish this author success in everything she does from here onwards!

The concept was sound: following a pair of soulmates in two different time periods with the POV alternating between the past and present versions of one of them. The characters, also, were interesting and vivid, and I found myself invested in their respective plights. Lizzy and Claudia's story reached out to me.

However, I feel the book should've been left in a room with an editor and a machete. There were entire passages that felt like they were repeated across multiple chapters describing the intensity of Sage's and Lizzy's feelings for their partners, and more than once I had to set the book aside and pause, to allow my attention to reset. I read the last quarter or so in one sitting, so it was much more apparent then.

Technically, it was competent. The story was affecting. The characters were well-rounded and believable in their mannerisms and actions. The dialogue occasionally felt a little stiff, but overall was good, as well. The one thing dragging it down was that it needed more refinement. There's a great story here, it just takes a little work to tease it out.

***Special thanks to NetGalley for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.***

This was a very interesting book, I really enjoyed reading about the two main characters and their very different lives. My main criticism is that I found myself becoming kind of bored as the story went on and sometimes I felt that the writing told more than showed. Criticism aside, I would recommend this book. The characters were very compelling and if you like multiple POV stories then this might be for you.

An ARC of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

It's rare that characters get under my skin as fast as these characters did. Despite the fact that the book is about 2 different times and 2 different couples (Lizzy/Claudia and Sage/Alex), I felt drawn to both stories. I could not wait to finish one chapter so find out more about the other couple while also wanting to know about the one I was reading about.

At some point the details did became too much. I felt myself losing interest in both stories, but this was most pronounced in the Sage/Alex story. However, it turned back around and I got drawn back into it.

One of the stories even managed to make me cry while reading the last chapters. They were tears of mixed feelings and it was a very powerful conclusion of the story despite going a route I wasn't really into. It speaks volumes that the writer managed to make me root for something I wasn't really into. I think this also shows the duality of the characters. Not only do they have so much duality in them, but it makes you re-think your own ideas and that's exactly what the writer set out to do.

I can only recommend this book because I really did enjoy reading it despite being a few chapters too long. It will take you on an emotional journey that's for sure.

For a long time I wondered why the author chose to add these two stories in one book. They could have easily been two stand alone novels. I'm still not entirely sure why she went this route, but I do understand that they invoke feelings that compliment both stories.

Great book. A heartwarming story with nice chemistry between the main characters.
Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I loved Lizzy and Claudia’s chapters! Their relationship didn’t feel forced, had the slow burn aspect, was mutual, had barriers that I wanted to see be overcome, and more! I really rooted for these two girls and if the book was just them I would probably finish it (yes… I DNF).

And then there’s Sage and Alex. I just didn’t like Sage… at all. She’s not the type of person I enjoy being around in real life: hippie SJW type, likes debating people on their philosophies but has a closed-mind, surrounds herself with one type of person and stays in this close-off bubble, and hates the rest of the world. It’s just the type of person I can’t stand being around.

“Sage felt humbled -- reminded, once again, that her way of viewing the world wasn’t the only “right” way.”

Yeah… Sage had to be constantly reminded of this because she acts like she’s a perfect person who can do no wrong. I just can’t stand open-minded people wh opre-judge someone before understanding where they come from. Bless Alex for being so patient with Sage whenever she got offended by Alex’s personality.

Alex also confused me as much as she confused Sage. She kept telling Sage all she wanted was friendship but then would very clearly flirt with her, put her hand on Sage’s thigh, tell Sage she wanted to kiss her… like!!! I vibed with Alex’s personality way more than Sage’s, but Alex’s actions caused me to dislike her, too. And when you don’t like either person in a romance story their tale sort of dies in my heart.

On the writing level, there was so much that could be cut out. A lot of unimportant moments were lingered on for whatever reason. Being that this book is so long, a lot of these moments could’ve been chopped for better flow and a more enjoyable reading experience. I just felt bored reading. For example, Chapter 33 begins with Sage cleaning out some clutter in her home... a third of a chapter dedicated to decluttering paper. We learn that Sage has a lot of chores to do that day, about the different piles Sage creates to sort through her papers, the types of papers she likes to keep for memories (including a parking receipt for a concert… why not save the concert ticket?), and are you as bored as I am?

The book borderlined preachy and I typically read to escape reality, unless I’m purposely choosing a book for its message. I knew from the summary that religion would be a barrier between Sage and Alex, but 80% of their conversations are philosophical preachy debates - and 100% of the time Alex admits she isn’t into these forms of conversations. I do appreciate learning new perspectives in reading, but this book almost felt like it set itself up as something different to trick the reader (IDK about you, but the summary does not prepare me for this type of reading experience. I even had some friends read the summary and then try to guess what the book is about… they couldn’t guess it right either). I’m not sure if this dynamic changes since I stopped reading. And just to clarify it wasn’t just preachy in regards to sexuality, but with everything:

“That got her thinking about the subtle messages that wove themselves into the subconscious mind… Advertising made clever use of that. She could only imagine the impact it would have to fall asleep with the television on every night.”

Like why is this even in the book? It doesn’t add any value to either relationship. There’s too much of the author’s opinion here.

To wrap up my thoughts (and thanks to anyone who read them all) I’m giving this book a 3 star rating despite me not enjoying it and not finishing it. To me, a 3 star rating means I think this is a great book for the right audience, and I am not the right audience. I think other people would enjoy this book if they go into it knowing you aren’t getting a heart-warming romance tale, but rather a book exploring being gay in a political and spiritual way through the observation of two lesbian relationships. It’s more for learning than it is for enjoyment, and I was too bored and uninvested by the halfway point - meaning I didn’t see the sense in investing more of my time when I have other books I want to read more.

- This review is also shared on GoodReads indefinitely