I just loved this heartfelt and angsty romance from Katherine Turner. Nina and Myles. Nina is passive and indecisive, settling in a relationship and a job that bring her security, but no joy. Then she reconnects with Myles, who she'd fallen for in college. Myles is a musician and music weaves all the way through this novel. I had to look up the bands and the tunes and as a non-musical person this brought so much more depth to my experience.

There's a lot going on as the tragic events in Nina's history unfold and and she struggles to make sense of them and make a meaningful connection with Myles. This is a struggle for the reader to witness as she seems so passive, but it really demonstrates Nina's situation - she is completely alone, with few friends, no family at all and unresolved trauma. Myles is a honey, soooooo patient, and his family are so wonderful, all we want is for her to do the work to find herself some happiness. It's a slow burn, with a little steam and a HEA.

There are a few loose ends and missed opportunities in the writing but overall this is an ambitious but beautiful novel that highlights the aftermath and repercussions of trauma, while still giving Nina the chance of love, redemption and found family. Trigger warnings are important.

Thanks so very much to NetGalley and Katherine Turner for the ARC. This is an honest review.

I absolutely loved this book! It's so incredible, there're no words. The story grabbed my attention from the first chapter and I had to finish it as soon as possible.
The FL was so strong; her struggles and development were portrayed very well.

This book has two beautifully written main characters that reunite after a college friendship and begin again as adults. I loved how their story developed and the ups and downs of their relationship as it turns to romance. Four out of five stars. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

First off, many thanks to Katherine Turner and Josha Publishing for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

This is the toughest review I've had to write so far. I was instantly drawn to the cover and the prospect of music being intertwined with the story. I was even more excited when I read the songs in the recommended playlist, so the low rating might be due, in part, to high expectations from my part. Therefore, I won't publish it on GoodReads.

The End of Interludes should come with trigger warnings, I wasn't expecting the violent rape scene in Nina's past or her tendency to self harm instead of seeking help. Nina's response to her violent and the way she built a life for herself out of denial and pure survival instinct is perfectly described. As painful as it is to heal from trauma, it looks easier to pretend it never happened or to live around it, but it's only temporary.
When Myles comes back into her world, he is lovingly devoted and forces Nina out of hiding from her past. He helps her realize that her present is nowhere close to the "close-enough" fairytale she made it out to be and he respects her decision to pull away when she needs it.

The emotional scenes were raw and heart-breaking and they are the highlight of this novel for me. However, I was completely caught off guard by the abuse, mainly because of the overall writing style which, in my opinion, wasn't in line with the seriousness of the topics it tackled. It made for an excruciatingly slow read for me (I normally go through 350 pages in 2-3 days, it took me 6 to go through this one).
For me, the first thing to improve is the dialogue. It was unrealistic, at times preachy, often strained - however, I rolled my eyes so many times when the main characters CONSTANTLY addressed each other by name at the end of almost every line of dialogue, even after their conversation was in full swing...
Nina's journey was heart warming, but some of the conflict in her relationship with Myles didn't have enough weight to it. Myles's instant love connection with her also felt a bit off.

Thank you again for the ARC and keep up the good work.