This book ripped out my heart and put it back together. It was painful yet so beautiful. Poppy and Rune were soulmates from the very start. This book has a truly life-altering message. It's one of those remarkable books that when you pick it up, everything else fades away and you can do nothing else but read. I would recommend it to anyone!

When I say this book WRECKED me, I am not exaggerating. I purchased a physical copy just to keep on my shelves and find myself reading it often. If you want to soak pages with tears, leak from every facial orifice and wish to sell your left arm in order to read it again, this is the book for you!

This is a book I've been meaning to read forever, but I was nervous to. Everyone mentions it as the book that makes you cry. And I did. More than once. More than twice. It was a little cheesy and the high schoolers kind of don't talk like high schoolers normally would. And that ending! What was that?! Is that a happy ending? Is this a love story? Yes. But a romance? Idk, because I don't know how to feel about how it ended. But the book definitely made me feel.

Love Poppy and Runes story. You will be in tears by the end of this book.
I'm really exited for the companion novel to come out next year.

I am an absolute wreck!!! Why did no one warn me about this book. Rune and Poppy’s story is so moving and emotional and sweet and full of love.

Their journey was full of so many highs and lows. I will say that it was def a ray of light, through everything, and it was refreshing in a way to read about such a strong love.

a cute novel, i really enjoyed it!

Thank you to the author, publisher, and netgalley for this review copy.

I really wanted to love this book. I had heard about it a lot on BookTok, mostly that it was a book that would give you a good cry. And to see it get republished by Bloom Books is amazing and encouraging. This book was just not for me. From the beginning, I was put off by the writing. The younger flashback chapters tried to merge pretty writing and concepts into an 8 year old’s brain and it did not work. It honestly removed me from the story, and this was only in chapter 1. This passage specifically was very unrealistic:

“Mamaw asked, ‘Poppy, what is it that I always say was my favorite memory from my life? The thing that always made me smile?’ ‘Papaw’s kisses. His sweet boy-kisses. All the memories of all the boy-kisses you ever got from him. You told me they’re the most favorite memories you have. Not money, not things, but the kisses you got from Papaw—because they were all special and made you smile, made you feel loved, because her was your soulmate. Your forever always.”

I understand the meaning behind this but it was executed poorly. This is supposed to be the thoughts of an 8 year old?

Then we get to the meaning of the title and where the story is headed, and I am just…frustrated. Something about a dying grandmother giving her 8 year old granddaughter a jar to write down her favorite kisses is so off putting to me. So much so that I could not fully get on board with the rest of the book.

Then I get to chapter 2…

“It was why she was my everything. My forever always. Because she was unique. Unique in a town full of carbon-copy bimbos. She didn’t want to cheer, or bitch, or chase boys. She knew she had me, just as much as I had her.”

And this is when I felt the ick. Which intensified very quickly, when they share a kiss and Poppy says, “Kiss three hundred and fifty-two. With my Rune against the auditorium wall.” I don’t mean to be a hater, but I really don’t like this.

Now here is a huge spoiler warning, proceed with caution…




To my utter dismay, I realized the main plot of this book is child cancer. I had no clue I was getting into a A Walk to Remember/The Fault in Our Stars situation with this book. I do not want to read a love story about a teenager dying. Those two times mentioned were plenty, and this felt like a replica of those. The energetic, happy, make-the-most-of-every-day girl has terminal cancer. I feel so insensitive for this, but this entire book felt like it was banking on the shock factor to get it through. Most of the story, you are trying to absorb this teenage love story and knowing, waiting, for her to die. It was unoriginal and unnecessary and at times used this as a Segway to get the author’s religious views thrust onto the reader. There were quite a few times I felt like I was attending an unwanted sermon. The infamous “Footprints in the Sand” poem makes an appearance, and listen, I understand the importance, but they make the claim that this poem can be significant even if you are not religious or spiritual. “The poem is not only for the faithful.” I hear you, BUT… talking about it in this amount of detail is changing the entire tone. And it does not stop there, heaven is discussed a lot and “the Lord” is used often. The amount of times Poppy refers to dying and the afterlife as a new adventure…yeah, let’s view childhood cancer and death as a new adventure. Are you kidding me. And this line: “But more than anything, I want to return home [meaning heaven] with your kiss on my lips. I want to pass on to the next life still feeling your warm lips on mine.” I’m sorry, I seriously cannot. That is not only disturbing but so traumatic for this 17 year old boy that loves you more than anything else. Then later: “Remember, the one thousandth kiss is to be when I go home.’ Rune tensed beside me. Holding his arm tighter around me, I asked, ‘Is that still okay?’ ‘Anything,’ Rune replied. But I could tell by the hoarseness of his voice that the request had hit him hard. ‘I can’t imagine a more peaceful and beautiful send-off than your lips on mine. The end of our adventure. The adventure we’ve been on for nine years.”

The epilogue????? What even was that? 10 years???

I really did want to love this book but I had no idea what I was getting into and would have skipped it had I known.

~Thank you to Sourcebooks, Bloom Books, and NetGalley for this digital arc in exchange for an honest review.

Oh my gosh I had heard to keep a box of tissues near, but I hadn’t realized just how emotional and amazing this book would be!

Huge thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Bloom Books for the chance to read and review this re-release. Let me start by saying I am NOT a crier. Ever. I read books people say make them cry just to see if I’ll cry and nothing. This book? Ripped me to shreds. I cried probably the last half of the book. Such an amazing and beautiful love story. I wish I could re-read it for the first time again. This book definitely gives you alllllllll the feels.

Thanks to NetGalley and Tillie Cole.

I had never read the OG, of this book which came out in 2016 and I wish I would of read this earlier! I LOVED IT SO MUCH!!!! THE TEARS!!! I cried and cried while I read it. It was beautifully written.. It had those fluffy and angst moments which I love in romance/drama books. It gave off Nicholas Sparks vibes but make it young adult instead.

I received an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Give it up to the book that’s never made me cry harder or longer while reading.

I don’t even know what to say about this book. From literally the first chapter, this book had me crying and I didn’t stop until I finished. Heck, I’m still crying right now. Just thinking about it. Shame on me for not reading it sooner. It has taken me quite some time to actually read this book because I have heard how emotional people got while reading it and boy did that sing true with me. My honest suggestion for anyone who hasn’t read this book yet and is considering it is to just go into it blindly and not to expect your typical HEA romance novel.

I feel like I’m cheating myself and maybe whoever reads this without writing a proper review, but I just emotionally can’t handle writing one now or maybe even ever 😭🤷🏻‍♀️

Prepare for tears and make sure you have tissues with you! You’ll need it. This is one of those books that really hit you in the freaking gut. A top read for 2023!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

So I read this a little bit ago. And I thought I should post about it because it was a really good book and today is the re-release day. This book is very emotional but it is definitely worth the read. The way the author writes this book is really powerful and beautiful. The main character in this book is determined to live life to the fullest and not waste any time thinking about the negative things that are happening in her life. When I read this, I was crying almost the whole entire time because the story is very moving. It makes you look at your life differently, and it makes you grateful for what you have. It also shows you that even if you don’t have the best situation you can rely on others to help make it better. This book is just a very beautiful love story between two very young individuals. The amount of depth and passion the author put into this is story is astounding. This book will be in my head forever! Please read this book if you haven't.

I am not sure where to even begin with this book. I did feel like I struggled half way through this book, but I’m glad I finished it.

Rune and Poppy share a deep bond that transcends time and distance. When Rune returns to their hometown after years, he's determined to understand why Poppy, once inseparable from him, suddenly cut off all contact. As he uncovers the truth, Rune realizes that their connection is still fraught with heartache.

From the beginning, I did not feel a connection of any kind to the characters. I think this is why I struggled so much to connect to the story.

This book was beautifully written and I loved the sweet aspects of it. I do believe the overall writing style might have not been for me. I felt the story was a bit repetitive and I did find the characters to be pretty cringey at some points.

The story and the details were really cute. The whole cherry blossoms, the jar from her mamaw, it was all a very cute and meaningful touch.

The ending completely baffled me and I did find myself with teary eyes towards the end of the book.

Overall, I would recommend this read and I will be reading the second book when it comes out.

Thank you to the amazing publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read this ARC!

Loved the first release and love the extended version. If you want a good cry and some self reflection this is the book for you.

Heartbroken.

That is how I felt when I finished this book.

The story follows Poppy and Rune who meet at such a young age and become best friends. But after an inseparable friendship, Rune's father gets called back to work in Norway and Rune has to move away. Poppy and Rune continued to talk and write to each other until one day Poppy suddenly ceased all contact. A couple years later, Rune moves back to town from Norway. He's now considered a bad boy, not the sweet boy he used to be after he had his heart broken when Poppy stopped responding to him. But once he moves back into town, he finds the truth of Poppy's silence. And his heart breaks even more.

At first I didn't know if I would like this book because it is very much tailored to a young adult audience. However, as the story unfolded I was deeply invested. Too invested. This story does not end in a happy ending, no matter how much you would wish it to. Once Rune came back into town and found out the truth, I don't think I stopped crying until I finished the book.

This book is beautiful and devastating. I warn anyone who plans on reading it to do so in a comfortable environment, because you will be heartbroken.

Thanks to Netgalley and Sourcebooks Bloom Books for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review

I’ve had this book on my TBR for a while, but I keep postponing the reading because I knew I would end up sobbing and I was right 😭

The story is about Poppy and Rune. They met when he moved in next door and since then they have become inseparable. Until Rune’s dad had to return to Norway due to his job, Is it then that Rune can’t get in contact with Poppy. Two years later, Rune’s family went back to Oslo and everything was different.

I can’t put into words how the story made me feel, just that I went from smiling to crying. Also, I really liked how, despite their young age, they loved each other so intensely 🥺 Despite the fact that I liked and enjoyed the book, I found that both were quite dependent on each other. And because of his stubbornness, Rune occasionally acted in an immature way.

In general, I enjoyed the book and the love story between Poppy and Rune, but I felt like something was missing or maybe it was because the book was fast-paced 🤔 Yet I ended up sobbing while reading the final chapters 😭

This was an amazing love story!!! The author, Tillie Cole, took you on an amazing journey with Poppy and Rune and their love story that began when they were young and only deepened as they grew older. I cried, laughed, and cried some more. This is the type of story that you develop such a connection to the characters that you feel their joy, pain, and love as they make their way through the many twists and turns of life and their relationship. I strongly recommend this book to anyone and everyone. I had a strong relationship with my grandmother growing up and Poppy and her grandmother’s relationship was so familiar to me. This story will definitely stick with me. Thanks to the author, Tillie Cole, for this wonderful look at life and its many adventures and obstacles.

Thanks to Net Galley and Bloom Books for the reader's galley in return for an honest review of this book.

This book – it's a rollercoaster of emotions that left me both amazed and slightly conflicted. Kudos to Tillie Cole for crafting a story that had me in tears, truly "ugly crying." Poppy and Rune's love story is unforgettable; it seared right into my soul.

But here's the twist (pun intended): there were aspects that prevented me from giving this a full five-star rating. When I uncovered the storyline's unexpected turn, I almost threw in the towel. I usually read to escape reality and feel good, not to bawl my eyes out. However, I persevered and found some profound moments and beautifully crafted words that I'd have missed otherwise.

Now, let's talk about the ending. At some point, it felt like things were dragging on, and then they got excessively mushy. I even considered closing the book. The last few "situations" seemed unnecessary, especially after my emotions had already been through the wringer.

One more bone to pick: some parts felt a bit too reminiscent of other books or movies, but I'll keep it vague to avoid spoilers.

In the grand scheme, Tillie Cole did a commendable job. Young Adult fiction suits her well, and I see a promising future in it for her. However, if you're not a fan of super emotional, love-drenched narratives, you might want to steer clear – especially because it gets syrupy towards the end. As for me, it was an emotional journey, and it turns out I do have a heart because this book finally wrung some tears out of me!

This book has emotionally DESTROYED me and I'll never be the same. As I sit here processing the incredible love between Poppy and Rune, my eyes are burning from all the tears I've shed. To witness all that they go through as they live side by side from early childhood right until the end... it's enough to bring anyone to their knees. But more than anything, I'm hopeful that we all get to experience a love as all encompassing as theirs was. To find the beauty in the every day moments whilst we're here. Because we never know when it's our time to go.

I have had this book on my TBR for awhile and was lucky enough to receive an ARC through Netgalley as part of its re-release with Bloom books. My anticipation was high but it met every single one of my expectations. What a perfect ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ read: I laughed, I cried, I swooned and I cursed the universe at the tricks fate can play. I highly recommend this book but suggest you have the tissue box ready and ensure you can give yourself the space to be emotionally invested as it's intense in the best way!

3.5/5 stars! I have heard so much about this story on TikTok, so I decided to check it out myself. Did I enjoy this story? Yes. Do I think it lived up to all the hype? No. It felt like it was trying to elicit the same reaction as books like "Five Feet Apart," "They Both Die at the End," or "The Fault in Our Stars." The story was sad and it made me feels things, but not at that level. For me it was a purely average read.

I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review