Emily Henry does it again <3

I go into every EmHen novel anticipating a waterfall of tears, and this one was no exception. I think it’s a good mix of “Beach Read”-meets-“Book Lovers” with a third act breakup that moved me as much as “Happy Place”.

I love a good opposites attract, but in this case they were more than that—two entirely different people from different walks of life, not quite opposites but who would neither be drawn together in any other circumstance except their own.

The themes of parental abandonment and unhealthy family dynamics, self worth and self love, and being your true self all moved me—my 40 kindle highlights are proof.

As always, I eagerly await the next one <3

Children's librarian Daphne finds herself abruptly and unceremoniously dumped by her fiance after relocating with him to his hometown. Kicked out of their house with no place to go, she moves in with the only other person she knows in town- he ex-fiance's new fiance's ex-boyfriend, a bartender named Miles.

Without her ex, Daphne realizes that very little in her life belongs to her. Her friends, interests, and hobbies were all really her ex's. She has her mom and her dream job but little else. She's stuck in town until the end of summer, and she resolves to use that time to make new friends and find out who she is on her own. Miles offers to take her on weekend adventures to show her all the beautiful places in Michigan her fiance never bothered to take her (and hopefully convince her to stay).

I liked this book a lot. I would almost categorize it as general fiction or women's fiction (shudder), rather than romance. It is really about Daphne's growth as a whole person and spends nearly as much time on her budding female friendships and relationship with her father as the central romance. That said, Miles is as charming and adorable as you would expect from Ms. Henry. Her trademark banter is in full force and the steam is steamin'. I loved all the side characters. As a librarian, I appreciate the anecdotes thrown in about library patrons. Ms. Henry must know some librarians, because even the wilder stories sound exactly like things that have witnessed in a public library, haha.

Thanks to Berkley and NetGalley for this eARC!

What a delight! Emily Henry’s setup here is kind of a love square. Daphne and miles end up living together when Daphne’s fiancé and Miles’ girlfriend (who were childhood best friends) run off together. The first half of this was fun and delightful as Daphne and Miles work through their immediate situation and get to know each other. The second half was much more emotional (and so relatable). I particularly liked the exploration of Daphne’s friendships. ALSO, Emily Henry is really convincing me that I need to move to the coast of Lake Michigan - the town here is perfection and truly shines. This book is so lovely, if you’ve liked any of Emily Henry’s past books, give yourself a treat when it releases in April!

I adored this book, as is the usual with Emily Henry! I am a die-hard fan at this point. I love how whip-smart her heroines are. I loved this one in particular, the plot more centered on Daphne's personal growth, and how that connected to her relationship with Miles. It felt like a book about Elsie, not just about her romance, and I love to see that. This book made me genuinely happy and I had a hard time putting it down to do normal chores and work! Absolutely cannot wait to see what Henry comes up with next.

Once again, Emily Henry does the damn thing! She must put drugs in her books because I love them all. This was no exception. Miles and Daphne were top tier. I loved every single part of this book. Their chemistry was electrifying, the banter was GOLD and the whole thing wrapped up like a present.

LOVE LOVE LOVE

Emily Henry’s storytelling continues to blow me away. I really liked Daphne and Miles as a couple, and all the layers of the story are weaved together perfectly.

My feelings as I read this aligned closest to the feelings I had reading “Beach Read.” I’m between this one and Happy Place for favorites. What a good problem to have.

PS For special edition lovers… I ordered a fancy signed copy with sprayed edges from Waterstones. ;-)

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for the ARC.

Henry has done it again! Having read the entire backlist by the author, I can say with absolute surety that this book ranks up to the top with some of my favorite books by her. One perfect feel good romance.