This book will be reviewed and featured on my instagram account : @emily_reads_everything. In addition, my goodreads account will have a starred rating, as well as one here. My GR account is linked in the profile of my instagram.

I really enjoyed Our Deadly Designs. While the first book had the excitement of the deadly horse races, this one leaned into political intrigue, rebellion, and a search for a missing prince. I liked the addition of Damien’s POV, which added more dimension to the story, and the pacing kept me hooked with all the twists and action.

That said, some parts felt a little rushed, especially the lost prince storyline, and I missed seeing more of Reid’s perspective. Still, the themes of connection and trust were handled really well, and I loved how the characters grew through their struggles. The audiobook narrators were fantastic, which made the experience even better. Overall, this was a great ending to the duology!

This is the sequel to This Dark Descent which I thoroughly enjoyed! Unfortunately, this fell in line with most sequels as I personally didn't feel like it lived up to the first book.

Reasons...
1. The plot was not as exciting and intriguing as the race storyline in book 1.
2. Our characters are a great ensemble but they were all split up.
3. A few characters trajectories went in directions I felt meh about.

It was good. Not great.

(imo) a bit better than the first book. adding in damien’s pov really helped round out the story and made my whole reading experience better. was this one of my top 5 reads of the year? no lmao but was it fun enough to read? oh absolutely. would it be fair of me to say that this feels like the “2nd book curse” even though it’s a duology? all the quirks about the characters’ relationships with each other felt like it vanished into thin air with “our deadly designs”. and while i’m not against political intrigue in books, i think this book kind of suffered because of it. i know i said this was a bit better than the first but between the two, i’m gonna have to go with the first one.

ty to netgalley and the publisher for the arc ♡

My Selling Pitch:
Yet another YA fantasy that abandons any of its uniqueness for another bloated sequel that could’ve been a tight 100 pages. There’s nothing for the horse girls in this one.

Pre-reading:
If this book doesn’t also have ponies, I will riot. (I think I jinxed myself with this.)

(obviously potential spoilers from here on)
Thick of it:
Did I reread the first book like a fool to prepare for the sequel? Absolutely. And you know what it did? Confirm that I wrote a banger of a summary for the first book. It’s still a bad book. I still think it fucks.

Here’s my theories going into book 2:
1. Shira obviously working her own mastermind scheme to maybe help the rebels? I think her Golem cat is very conveniently spying on everybody. (Nailed it.)
2. Reid is the missing prince and that's why he looks like Rezek. (No comment.)
3. She’s gonna pull a TOG villain cop-out and Rezek is actually still a nice boy that's just possessed and like he used his magic to turn his older brother into the beast in his dungeon. (This will be very embarrassing if I’m incorrect.) ((FUCKIN NAILED IT.))

Questions I need this book to answer or I’m going to be cranky:
1. Is girlypop Mikira’s brother really dead? Like he should be, but I’m always sus if we haven't seen a body.
2. Where did Ari go during her blackouts and what the hell did she do that got her bloody?
3. Her family better be in dire straits to be ignoring her letters and money. (I guess that’s less of a question and more just the Capricorn in me wincing at mailing money.)

Are you fucking kidding me? I did all that, and it opens with a recap.

The way Ari is not a Capricorn because there is no way I would let that man go to bed in peace, dead dad or not, if he just told my best friend to leave.

I don’t trust Shira. I don’t think she’s evil, but I don’t think she’s working for Damien‘s benefit.

OK, Celaena.

I really don’t trust her. What’s she up to while everyone’s busy at this party?

Dream was very Peaky Blinders lol.

You're trusting your evil brother to say someone else killed your mom? Sus.

Lmao fantasy csi

Enzymes? Way to ruin the fantasy immersion.

If we did a recap at the beginning, why are we also recapping within the chapters?

I don’t know which house girlypop got the whiskey deal with, but I feel like that’s gonna be relevant. (Nope.)

Head on a swivel🎶

This is a slow start.

Shira is def working as the enchanter for the rebels.

Oh, that’s fun. They’re backing opposite royals. Bring on the hijinks! (Not a jink to be seen let alone a high one.)

Camaraderie I mean cum right on me-🎶

Man, I guessed all of this. How boring.

Also, if she’s related to Rezek, doesn’t that mean she technically has royal blood too? Is she gonna Mary Sue her way into the crown?

This is slow, but I have a feeling it’s gonna kick off. (I had such faith.)

The cat is the spy. Like for sure.

Clout feels out of place in a fantasy novel.

This is really slow. I feel like we’ve had maybe three chapters worth of content bloated into the I don’t know hundred some pages I’ve read already.

I’m assuming the bartender is the guy.

I don’t have time for this man to be an emo boy. What are we doing? He was such a good character in book one.

Dude, they’re gay as hell for each other.

Dude, stop punching walls, ya Kyle.

This book is badddd.

This is all fantasy and no ponies and politics, and that’s frustrating.

No one thinks they should verify this with one of the truth animals?

Girlypop is going through a lot of horses.

Oh look, they’re inventing democracy.

I’m actually so bored.

I’m so checked out from this book.

Book one Damien was too smart for this shit.

OK, I didn’t see that coming because you know when you told me a prince, I said dude not a lesbian. This feels like a cheap trick.

This book is so lame, and I don’t even wanna finish it.

Also hold on, plot hole. If it was actually a princess who was lost, shouldn’t the truth alarm animals have gone off every time they said that sentence? There was no prince to find.

Hey, we’re really worried about the lost princess’s safety. We’re gonna send her to a military academy and then let her join the rebel army. Explain that to me.

What do you mean platonic poly relationship? What is happening in this book? I’m so displeased.

Actually, I think it’s very important to still always do things alone. You’re still a person. You can’t be that codependent.

Am I done yet? This is garbage.

This whole book is just I should be in charge. No, I should be in charge. Here’s my evil plan. Oh wait, you don’t know my evil plan? Let me catch you up. Oh wait, they’re doing another evil plan. Oh wait, you don’t know their evil plan? Let me catch you up.

I know technically things are happening, but because it’s so repetitive, it feels like nothing’s happening. And like it’s plot holey and abusive to the reader because you’re not given fair play rules and like I’m so done with this. (Benjamin Stevenson would NEVER do this to me.)

Like I don’t care. I don’t care if they save the world. I don’t care who’s gonna be king. It’s not a horse book anymore. This is just Sword Catcher, and I hated Sword Catcher. And this is a worse Sword Catcher.

Well, I got the brother. There was no chance I was going to get the Prince. (Clearly, I have never gotten over anything in my life ever.)

I keep forgetting that these characters don’t have an ounce of common sense, and I’m like oh, we already know that. And then I find out chapters and chapters later that they are like also finally coming to that conclusion, and I’m like what do you mean? Pull your heads out of the sand. What are we doing?

I love when a book explicitly tells you it’s trying to do parallelism. 🫠

He turned himself into a furry.

This book is giving way too many people redemption arcs that don’t deserve redemption arcs. This is like forgive all your abusers rhetoric.

Dude, this is gay as shit.

Honestly, good death for Rezek.
But hoo boy that was gay as hell!

I take it back. I hate a fake out death. I hate it every time.

Now, why does it only tie him to Rezek and not also the heretic guy? I know they tried to explain it by being like they survived the magical atom bomb because they were linked to the books, but like how would they ever unlink from the books? Also, shouldn’t any person who’s ever been tied to the books like all their ancestors also be in their heads then? This makes no sense.

OK, but Ari and Rezek being the angel and devil on his shoulder, and he wants to fuck both of them would be hilarious. That would be a FUN rom-com. Where’s Olivie Blake?

Also, you know they fucked when they got back and forgave each other, but like Rezek was there for the ride.

I know the Scooby gang had to win, but it feels super cheap that none of them actually die.

Wow, how fucking lame. A bad Six of Crows and Sword Catcher. None of the first book’s balls.

Post-reading:
Look, I didn't expect it to be good per se, but I am dictionarily defined insane because I do keep expecting the sequels to already mid books to either hold fast or improve. And they never, never do.

I loved the first book despite my better judgment because, at my core, I am still a horse girl. This book ditches the ponies. It abandons the competition trope. It thinks it maintains its political scheming, but it's a piss poor imitation of the first book’s. Instead, it's another shitty, vaguely Jewish fantasy.

The sequel suffers from pacing issues again but where the first book was cramming plotlines in, this one bloats them out for chapters upon chapters and then abuses its audience when it recaps absent characters on the events of prior chapters that the audience just finished reading about. It's gratingly repetitive and it grinds the story to a halt.

The characters feel dumber this time around. Book one had to worry about making characters appealing, so they were all wildly capable. This book decided to nuke their character development and turn them into melodramatic, angsty teenagers. I hate when books tentatively break a couple up over miscommunication in a cheap bid to create tension. It never works. It just annoys your audience. We all know they're getting back together. I know this book was going for diversity rep with its demiromantic comments in the first book and asexual poly relationship in this one. It felt forced. It didn't work for me.

This book had me volcanic midway through when it decided to reveal its pseudo-mystery and didn't play fair. The solution’s a gaping plothole and done solely for shock value. If a character’s secret identity and safety matters so much, you don't send them to a military academy in the heart of the war. In a world that canonically has canaries in the coal mines for lies, those suckers should've been going off every time this character was in a room or the mystery was touched upon. It was unbelievably frustrating, and I’m still sour about it.

I warned this book at the beginning that I had some questions that needed answers or I was gonna bitch. Well, bark bark. While the book may have attempted to answer where one of the characters was going during her blackouts, it never answers for the blood. (Granted, I may have missed it because at this point in the book I was beyond checked out, but I really don't think we ever get an answer.) The money and letters sent in book one? May as well not exist. They're never addressed. Why you or your lover would want to go back to a family that abused and abandoned you is beyond me. It truly read like the author thought her family’s behavior was justified.

As always, fake out deaths bug the shit out of me especially when you do it multiple times. It ruins a book’s stakes. Not every character needs a redemption arc. Not everything should be forgiven. This book really has a gross undercurrent that religion will save you and teach you that everything can and will be forgiven. Get so fucked with that.

Damien and Rezek are gay as HELL for each other and this book refused to acknowledge that. That’s a sin. Look me in my eyes and tell me a single one of those interactions was platonic and then go back to basic chemistry 101.

While the religious commentary took a backseat in the first book, it was at the forefront of this one but lacked any depth. The solution to a corrupt system is not simply democracy. You can't up and cancel a war on a whim. The stolen land situation is never solved and seems like it was swept under the rug to make this more palatable to publish in the current political climate. And for a book that purportedly rails against cowardice, that reeks of it.

Basically, if you liked the first book for the plot points that made it unique, you won't find them in the sequel. You're going to get another generic, barely political fantasy that you've already read a better version of. And it’s a shame because the first book was bad, but at least it had balls.

Who should read this:
Completionists
Fantasy Jewish fans (I still can’t believe that this is a genre)

Ideal reading time:
Anytime

Do I want to reread this:
Nope.

Would I buy this:
No, but incomplete series on my shelves make me itchy so 🤡

Similar books:
* Sword Catcher by Cassandra Clare-this is the same book, fantasy Jewish, political fantasy, ensemble cast, queer
* Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo-YA heist urban fantasy, ensemble cast, queer
* The Jasad Heir by Sara Hashem-NA fantasy competition, political scheming, enemies to lovers
* Garden of the Cursed by Katy Rose Pool-YA fantasy whodunnit, political scheming
* Dance of Thieves by Mary E. Pearson-tropey YA fantasy romance, political scheming
* The Curse of Saints by Kate Dramis-generic YA The Jasad Heir by Sara Hashem-NA fantasy competition, political scheming, enemies to lovers
* Garden of the Cursed by Katy Rose Pool-YA fantasy whodunnit, political scheming
* Dance of Thieves by Mary E. Pearson-tropey YA fantasy romance, political scheming
* The Curse of Saints by Kate Dramis-generic YA fantasy romance, political scheming
* The Longest Autumn by Amy Avery-YA fantasy romance, political scheming, queer
* The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo-historical fantasy romance, fantasy Jewish
* A Tempest of Tea by Hafsah Faizal-YA fantasy romance, ensemble cast

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The sequel and final book in the duology, the story picks up where the first one left off with Ari realizing that there is a Heretic possessing her, Damien reeling from the betrayal of Kira and taking over the throne, Kira being exiled and on the hunt for her father and sister while running into rebels, and Reid searching for Kira while also dealing with Damien's change. Possession, war, and alliances all come to a head in this final book as the characters all hide secrets from one another but must find a way to overcome their betrayals and lies if they want to stop the upcoming war and the gods that seek to destroy them all. The story feels pretty different from the first one and the pacing was a bit wonky in this one, the overall ending was fine to me and I liked it enough. The romance between Ari and Damien was nice while Reid and Kira's friendship was sweet in this. I do think this book could have been shaved down a bit as some parts of it felt slower and could have been taken out completely. Overall if you are looking for an easy fantasy read I would recommend this series.

In this final book of the This Dark Descent duology, the stake are much higher with all the betrayals and magic discoveries in book 1 now coming to the forefront. Having read a few revenge books lately, I appreciated that this book focused more on the forgiveness side, showing quickly that revenge is not the best option - especially when faced with greater threats. There was less romance in this book as well, again because the focus is on the repairing of relationships. I do like how everything was resolved, it wasn't too easy and everything that could go wrong did, but the ending chapters really did bring it to a satisfying conclusion.

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan for providing an eARC for my honest opinion.

Can we normalize authors recapping the previous books in the series when a sequel or next installment in the series comes out? It saves so much time and is such a boon to someone like me who has memory issues.

Our Deadly Designs picks up not very long after the events at the end of This Dark Descent, though not immediately after. Despite ODD containing a recap of TDD, I did go back and re-familiarize myself with the first book in this duology and have come to realize I liked it better than my posted review makes it sound like (maybe I was just in a bad mood that day, who knows). At the beginning of this book our quartet is physically fractured, with Mikira living back on her family’s ranch and the others living together at Damien’s estate. If you look closer, you can see there are smaller fractures between Damien, Arielle, and Reid too. Concerns left unspoken are breeding resentment and fomenting distrust.

I liked ODD a little more than I did TDD because of the increase in political intrigue, the creative and effective magic system, the compelling and highly-developed characters, and the much-needed introduction of Damien’s POV (TDD only had Arielle and Mikira’s POVs and I thought the book kind of suffered for it).

TDD’s plot depended more on action and adventure for the story line, with the horse races forming the structure of the plot, but the themes of the book were more about pride, loss, friendship, found family, and power. ODD trades the action and adventure for magic and politics but keeps the same themes. Our quartet has to lose before they can truly win, and it makes for an entertaining read. A great duology all around.

I was provided a copy of this title by the publisher and author via Netgalley. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.

File Under: Book Duology/Book Series/Fantasy/Romantasy/Fantasy Series/Fantasy Duology/Found Family/LGBTQ Fantasy/Political Fantasy/YA Book Series/YA Duology/YA Fantasy/YA Romantasy/YA Fiction

I really enjoyed the first book so was eager to see what happened next. Not as much action but lots of problems. Our favorite gang is torn apart and one just keeps hoping they will find a way back. The rebels take center stage. Satisfying ending but not without heartbreak.

Our Deadly Designs starts right where the first book left off, it's a story with more political intrigue. It has multiple POVs, this time 3 people, Damien, Arielle, and Mikira, which is great because it gives more context, I love how this book shows that your actions have consequences, the event and plots of the first book, here we see their resolution and there is a lot of drama and plot twists.

The characters are multidimensional, they can be a little morally grey, especially Damien, you can understand his actions but not always justify them; with Arielle, you suffer with her and understand fear of using her magic, and with Mikira, the fact that she and Damien are on opposite sides makes me feel anxious and worried. They feel like real persons, who make mistakes and get into trouble, who have fears and want a better life, they will frustrate you but you also care about them.

The first book was more about characters and their relationships, this one is more about the consequences of their actions and there is a certain distance between them, there are secrets and fears that they do not want to reveal or admit, but they will have to do so to reconcile them.

The world-building is so interesting and unique. The author mixes classic fantasy with Jewish folklore, with themes like political corruption, a society hungry for power, personal growth, friendship, family, and forgiveness. It's slower than the first book, and there's less action. Something that I loved in the first book was the race and the magic, something that is not so present here.

There's not much I can say without giving away the plot. You have to read it if you enjoy the first book. However, if you like stories like Six of Crows, stories with political intrigue, quests, plots, morally grey characters, and a diverse and fun gang, this is for you. It's a great duology that falls between YA and NA; it feels mature and unique.

Thanks for the copy tbrandbeyondtours  and Macmillan Children's

Read it if you like:
• Duologies
• Political fantasy drama
• Morally gray characters

I would like to thank TBR and Beyond Book Tours and Netgalley for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Our Deadly Designs is the second book in the This Dark Descent Duology by Kalyn Josephson. This was an exciting YA Romantasy novel steeped in Jewish Mythology. The race was over, but the stakes were higher: the future of Enderlain. The primary conspirators in the first novel were torn apart by differing need or sense of betrayal, but the four would need to find their way back to each other or everything would be lost. Read above for book synopsis. This spellbinding sequel was as amazing as the Their Dark Descent! I was already invested before reading the first word due to the initial novel, and it didn’t disappoint me. It was filled with excitement, suspense, and political intrigue as well as unexpected twists and turns. So many characters had hidden agendas or secrets from each other that it was unsurprising how much trust broke down in a very unstable political and economic climate. I was glued to the page. At times it was hard to figure out who the good guys were. I still found it easiest identify with both Mikira and Arielle, each of who were doing the best they could to stay safe and do the right things in a dangerous world which was stacked against them. If you are a reader who enjoys YA Fantasy Romance, I feel confident that you will love this new novel by Kalyn Josephson. It is worth more than five stars and I recommend it without hesitation.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan for the eARC of this book!

This was one of my more anticipated sequels of the year, and it has gone above and beyond my expectations!

The characters of the first book return, and they are just as lovable as the first book! As an ace person, I felt so happy to see a further look into Mikira's asexuality (and aromanticism!). She was a great representation of my community, and I loved seeing how she grew throughout the book. Ari was everything, and I loved that she wasn't pushed into a villainous role because of what had happened in the last book. And while I did get slightly annoyed with Damian at times (sometimes there can be too much brooding, lol!), the path his character went down was believable and I could see why he was so broody throughout the story. And the further depth of some of the side characters (Rezek, Talyanna, Eshin, and Shira) was great. I felt so much more endeared to all of them, despite their actions of the previous book.

The magic and worldbuilding within this books just made the world seem so much more complete, and I loved the additions we had. I would have loved a little more about the Harbingers (but maybe there's room for another book there....), and maybe a little more about those godstones. I loved the increase of information about the Heretics, and the stuff about the books!!

The plot was so high-stakes, and I needed to know what happened next at every moment. The twists were so twist-y, and there were things I never even predicted that occurred! I did, however, predict one thing around the 50% mark, but the characters only put the puzzle pieces together close to the 85% mark, and that was painful at times to read because it was so obvious. But other than that, I loved every aspect of the story.

"Trust your instincts, little lion."
This is an awaited second book. I love the cover a lot. A dark fantasy with a complex plot, more than one POV with intrigue and plot twists. I love a well-done world-building story. The book has a beautiful family tree double page that helps us keep track of characters. It is also a great audiobook read. My favorite character is Arielle.

This book has numerous representations that I adored: Jewish, bisexual, and asexual rep.

This is a masterful conclusion to a stellar duology that gives everything you want from a finale. Josephson not only raises the stakes from the first book but manages to keep the plot moving at a breakneck speed while pulling her characters through increasingly complex, darker layers of their world due to their own choices and fears. The first book laid down intricate world-building and a unique magic system, and this one takes it further, filling in every shadowy corner with history, danger, and intrigue.

Josephson’s characters are deeply flawed, incredibly relatable, and sometimes downright exasperating—but that’s what makes them so compelling. Each of them is dealing with personal ambitions, old loyalties, fears, and tangled secrets that have a way of pulling them apart even as they’re trying to find their way back to one another. The theme of unity in the face of chaos feels so genuine here, even if it takes quite a while; you can sense the real stakes of the decisions they’re making, and how crucial their bonds are for holding back the forces threatening to tear their city apart. This is a story about strength through unity, especially in a world that tests it at every turn.

On top of the well-developed characters, I loved the infusion of Jewish mythology—it’s refreshing and lends a distinctiveness to the series that enhances the magic and lore. The diverse representation is authentic and weaves seamlessly into the story, adding to the world’s complexity. It’s rare for a duology to feel this complete and satisfying, and this doesn’t miss a beat. This book wraps up the story with such an intense mix of heartbreak, hope, and triumph that it solidified its place as one of my all-time favorite YA duologies.

My only complaint is that we didn't get enough of Reid.

Thanks so much to the author, the publisher, and TBR and Beyond Tours for the complimentary copy and the opportunity to read and review. This review is voluntary and all opinions are my own.

3.5 stars
I struggled to get invested in this book. While book one had the excitement of the Illinir Races and Ari’s discoveries with her magic, this book seemed to drag on and on until the last quarter of the story. Then everything came together for a riveting and worthwhile ending.

I pushed through mainly to find out what was happening with Ari and her magic and her connection to the Heretic. I was bored with Damian’s political chess game maneuverings and Mikira’s work with the rebellion. All of it was important, of course, but this book felt like it had pushed aside the best aspects of book one (high stakes horse race and character interactions and banter) to further a bigger, albeit unnecessary plotline. I almost wish This Dark Descent had been a standalone.

This would have been a 3-star read for me, but the ending plus the world building bumped my opinion a half star higher. I still think fans of Six of Crows will enjoy this duology and Damian really reminds me so much of Kaz Brekker if Kaz had ambitions beyond being king of the Barrel.

Our Deadly Designs is book two in the This Dark Descent series by Kalyn Josephson.
An intriguing high-stakes novel that moved quick and kept me engaged throughout the whole story, a page-turner that will keep you hooked from start to finish.
I loved the characters and how they grew through all of their adventures.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan for an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

4.5/5 stars

First off, more sequels need small recaps of the previous book(s) at the beginning, because the quick summary of the previous book in this one was soooooooo helpful.

That being said, I enjoyed this book much better than its predecessor. I think a big part of this was the pacing was so intense. Once you get past the 35%-ish mark, it’s like go, go, go, and I couldn’t stop reading.

I loved Ari’s character journey and her allowing herself to forgive herself and confront her fears. Her friendships with Mikira and Reid also just fill my heart with joy, it’s so wholesome.

I honestly think I like the platonic relationships in this story more than the romantic ones. Which brings me to…

This might be a hot take, but I honestly love Mikira and Damien’s complex relationship. It’s by no means romantic, but they are so similar but handle that in a different way, I actually wish they had way more time on the page together. I just think they could be grudgingly best friends if they had enough time.

Very much like how the ending sequence played out, again, the plot felt very cinematic. Also enjoyed the resolve of Mikira’s “love triangle” with Reid and Talyanna, I was shocked about how it turned out, but not mad about it in the slightest.

Overall, really enjoyed this book, recommend this duology!!!

This was a fantastic conclusion to the duology. It was fun to see the story from more than just the girls points of view. Although there was an introduction with a reminder of what has happened so far, I would not recommend skipping book 1.

Our Deadly Designs was a magnificent read. As the sequel and final book in the duology it did a great job with the limited space it had. I really wish it had been a trilogy so that it had the room to breath that it deserved. Despite that it was a great read. Fast paced, action packed, and packed with plenty of twists. What I loved the most was the overall message of not letting fear guide your life. That those that live with a collective generational trauma should not let their actions be informed by it or risk inflicting the same horror on others.

Once a fearsome team strong enough to defeat all the odds, Mikira, Ari, Damien, and Reid are crumbling under the pressure. With Damien's fight for the power to make sweeping changes in Enderlain coming before anything else, Mikira resolves to join up with the rebels while Ari seeks to free herself from the dark magic controlling her. Reid, desperate to keep things together as much as possible, finds himself caught in the crosshairs.

However, the Heretics are rising once more. And it's going to take all four of them working together to save the kingdom from another Cataclysm.

I cannot express how much I love this duology. Jewish fantasy in YA is practically unheard of, and the only time I cried during this book was a tender moment centered on Jewish mourning customs. Seeing my culture reflected in the pages of these books is beyond words. And it's not just the Jewishness! Kira's asexuality and her loved ones' acceptance of who she is was beautiful and comforting; a representation hard to come by in any kind of novel right now.

These characters are lovingly crafted. You can't help but root for them even as they make glaring mistakes and failures in communication, because they are so real. I'm a sucker for imperfect characters slowly developing into their best selves and Josephson does an incredible job with her characterization. All in all: This is a beautifully crafted story with a satisfying ending. I dock a star because even I can only take so much of the miscommunication trope...