I loved it. I’m struggling a bit to isolate why…. It was clever, the characters were well drawn, it made me laugh, I loved the pacing, I loved that the writer took her time to tell her story and even tho there were bits where not much seemed to be happening, I was always learning a lot about the characters. The atmosphere was so well set, little words or asides, so well done. All of this I expect in a good book. This had something else…… 5 stars, read it for your self and see if you can isolate the elusive thing that moves a book from a 4 to a 5. For me, normally it is being made to really feel….and I did, but I feel there is more….but unlike this writer, I am not a wordsmith. Read them, not me!

This is a debut novel that reads like it came from a seasoned writer! So, there’s a caption under a poster of a duck which describes “duck syndrome.” This is when you see a duck going across a pond, the duck makes it looks effortless, but underneath, they’re paddling like hell. I don’t know whether this actually occurred in the writing process, but Byrd makes LOTY read like an effortless glide across the story pond. She brings us complex characters, addresses multiple themes, and taps into our vulnerabilities. In the beginning, I could not wrap my head around Jillian. At all. And I wanted to cover my eyes while peeking through fingers at Mattie. Then, in the way you watch a firework that’s been launched, quietly reaching up into the sky, there’s the silent pause and then *BOOM* the explosion, Jillian and Mattie’s story brings us a kaleidoscope of those firework’s cascading lights. At times, there was so much to look at it, i couldn’t quite take it all in. There were so many personal “things” that it was hard to know where to look or even identify all the feels. I couldn’t even tell you what to focus on, there was so much to absorb. It really was a firework. And then more fireworks. And then even more. Some things were expected, and some things were absolutely not. And did I mention the feels? A debut that makes me think - definitely it’s a mitvah.

What a great debut from Carrie Byrd. A well written and engaging book that I enjoyed. It made me laugh but it also made me ball my eyes out on occasion. Well worth the read.

Thank you NetGalley and Ylva for this ARC.

This book!! How can it be a debut novel 🤯
This is a well written book with engaging characters that kept me reading nonstop! My only regret is that I finished it in less than 24 hours and now have a book hangover!
Jillian is an ice queen I found easy to like., which isn’t always the case for me. It often takes time for me to warm to them. The armor she wears makes sense given her life experiences. Witnessing her resist melting with Mattie and seeing how strong the pull was to give in was exquisite. Mattie is a sweet, fun, melter that is no pushover and I appreciated this character’s knowledge of herself and awareness of the person behind Jillian’s protective persona.
I found the story so engaging, the pacing just right and tension building appropriate without being over the top. The ice queen and one bed tropes were so well done and the third act break up was believable and appropriate for the story.
If this is what Carrie’s debut novel looks like I can’t wait for what is to come from her! I would give this book 10 stars if I could!

Thank you to NetGalley and Ylva Publishing for the arc. I happily and voluntarily leave this review.

I really have no notes for this one.

A really fantastic sapphic love story that had me feeling all the emotions.

I equally loved Mattie and Jillian. Two perfectly complex characters who had a tremendous amount of growth to cover due to their past histories.

Carrie Byrd is such a clever and talented writer and I can’t wait to read what else she has in store.