Thank you for allowing me to review your novel! This was a fast read. There was some plot holes in the novel and some things were kinda repetitive. The first half of the book was engaging. Not the biggest fan of the Jae character. I did appreciate that the author went with the love after loss trope I just don’t see it enough.

I idea for this book was great, but I did feel like it didn't reach its potential.

She was grieving for her lost fiancée for years. Then, as she moves out of her apartment, she sees a guy. It was almost insta love. She seemed to move on quickly after starting to talk to him.

She had mood swings. I get she was grieving, but they didn't feel like moments of grief. The moments felt forced for the character.

I also feel like if I'm grieving for a lost loved one, I would move on slower. For the first date, she said yes after like 2 sentences with the random online guy. Then she tried to beg him when she accidentally spilled her drink.

I was given this ARC for my honest review from NetGalley.

Reading this felt like going through the fan fiction of a mature teenager imagining grown up emotions - especially after grief. I saw another reviewer note this as "wattpad-style" which is also quite accurate. While the writing flows well enough, the set up and structure of the story mean that you never learn enough about your characters to empathize with them, and certain side characters (e.g. the male lead's mom) appear and disappear throughout the course as their use in the plot becomes less obvious. I can make peace with a predictable plot, but in this case there is no character study or insight to keep you interested. Even the grief seems like a plug to sell the rest of the uninspiring romance.

Three years after the agonizing death of her fiancé, artist Riley is forced by economics to move out of their beloved apartment and into a much smaller unit on a lower floor. Having a last look around while cradling the last of her boxes, she hears the distinct rattle of keys in the lock and the gorgeous but unwelcome new tenant Jae enters. Though he briefly apologizes for popping in, he spreads his himbo-like positivity and majesty unwanted suggestions about Riley despite having never met her before. Angry and overcome by grief, she loses it and storms off to her new depressing digs.

Assessing the situation after a good cry, Riley realizes that she's been stuck in complete inertia since her beloved Grant died, barely living, but for her routine of walking and feeding her dog and she resolves to take steps to change things up.
In the ensuing days and weeks, Jae coaxes Riley into painting a mural in his soon to be open restaurant in exchange for dating tips.

After some disastrous moments, Riley finds she's hopelessly drawn to Jae.

Can they move forward together? Or is their connection doomed to fail as an experiment?

What I appreciated most about this fairly short read was the messiness of it all: there are no slick, well rehearsed lines, in fact some of the dialogue is a bit of a head scratch, and the phone sex scene was inadvertently funny, but it all seems perfectly in keeping with someone who's not in a great headspace. There's also some glaring continuity issues with remodeling timelines and some other inconsistencies, but overall I really enjoyed it.

I was furnished an advance reader copy from NetGalley, and I'm sharing my honest thoughts.

It took me a little while to get into the story, but at about 25% I was much more intrigued. Overall, I found this to be a cute romance. There wasn't anything that struck out to me that would make this a 5 star book, but it was good. I had a fun time reading it.

There were a few inconsistencies throughout the book, which usually I don't pay much attention to, but I did notice them (as well as the grammatical errors). In the beginning, I felt like Jae was supposed to be the sarcastic boy that gets around (it gave me 'I wish I were Garrett Graham' vibes), but as time went out, that vibe completely vanished. Not because of character development, but because of the inconsistency. I base my ratings on vibes and overall it wasn't a HUGE deal to me, but I wish the inconsistencies were fixed.

I didn't go into this expecting a whole lot and I think the book lived up to my expectations. It was cute!

I was unable to finish this book and thus will not be posting a full review. Even though I just finished a book where the heroine was trying to find romance after the death of her spouse, this one just felt so maudlin to me. Thank you for the opportunity and consideration.

The characters were so amazing and brilliantly written that they kept me hooked to the book from the very first page to the last one. I absolutely loved it. I had a great time reading the stories of our protagonists and the plotline was well paced and written beautifully.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC!

This wasn’t a hit for me unfortunately - I felt it dragged, the writing was a bit juvenile and the dialogues were neither witty or deep, something I would have expected from this book. There were also inconsistencies in the story that marred the book a bit too.

Thanks Net Galley for this ARC in exchange for my review.

This book was CUTE! I enjoyed it.

It is an easy read had some cute banter and spice (3/5 for spice)
I really loved walking with Riley though her Greif and finding love again and the patient Jae had. I feel this was handled really well, and showed that love for someone who has passed and a now can coexist. I feel the author did a good job of portraying this.

I wish this book had a little more character development - I wanted to know the characters more deeply especially Jae, I feel I got to know Riley and who she was after her loss, but I would have liked some before. Also personally I was not a huge fan of the spice (the phone was kinda cringe for me). I would have liked some moments with Jae mom and seeing that story line come full circle and her coming to see him in action.

Otherwise this was a cute read! It was enjoyable and fun to read. I would read more from this author for sure!

Overall it was a good book. I give is a 3.25*

What a beautiful love story and what a respectful and beautiful display of what grieving is like. The writer really showed a beautiful journey of the fmc going through the first stages of grief and feeling like she could never love again, to finally allowing herself to be happy. She really had me rooting for her.
And the mmc is just a dream man. So respectful, loving, caring, understanding, patient... And hot.
I really haven't got anything bad to soy about this book.

Riley Chase, a young woman who lost her fiancé to brain cancer, is the kind of character that makes you wonder how anyone, especially Grant, could have loved her in the first place. After her loss, Riley made a series of terrible choices that led her to move into a new apartment, where she meets Jae. But grief doesn’t transform people; it only amplifies what’s already there, and for Riley, that means an unlikable, overly hostile, and hypocritical personality. Her grief doesn’t excuse her behavior; it simply sharpens her flaws, making it impossible to root for her as a leading character.

The group therapy sessions on grief in feel ham-fisted and out of place, adding little to the narrative except awkwardly shoehorned elements. Riley’s judgment of other participants, who have faced far worse hardships than her own, is particularly off-putting. Her dismissive attitude towards those who are struggling more deeply undermines the sincerity of these therapy scenes and adds to the already frustrating portrayal of her character.

Jae isn’t much better. He comes across as pushy, aggressive, and immature, like that kid on the playground who doesn’t really want a toy but doesn’t want anyone else to have it either. Instead of being upfront about his feelings, Jae resorts to juvenile antics, bullying Riley because he can’t admit that he actually likes her. His behavior doesn’t add depth to the story but instead drags it down, making their dynamic frustrating rather than compelling.

To make matters worse, the love story feels rushed at the end, with a lack of chemistry between Riley and Jae that leaves the conclusion far from fulfilling. It’s hard to believe these two could ever form a healthy relationship when they’re both toxic on their own and just as bad together. The ending doesn’t feel like a triumph of love but more like two dysfunctional people settling because they can’t do any better.

Adding to the frustration are the copious amounts of typos, lack of continuity, and glaring grammar and syntax errors that litter the book. These issues are so frequent that they pull you out of the story, making it hard to stay engaged. It’s clear that these errors should have been addressed long before the book reached readers, but instead, they distract from an already weak narrative.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

DNF [■■■□□□□□□□] 30%

Take this review with a grain of salt. My perspective is limited as I didn't delve far enough into the book to foresee its full development. However, I have read enough to know that this book isn't for me.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *. read on for a more in-depth review .* :☆ﾟ. ───

✒️ the writing
⤷ The writing comes across as very juvenile. It doesn't start this way, mind you, but the quality of writing noticeably declined as the story progressed, and I couldn't get past the lack of consistency. I struggled particularly with the portrayal of emotions later on, where instead of experiencing them alongside the characters, it often felt like it was being explained to me, weakening the impact of Riley's grief.

⤷ The strength of the narrative lies in the vivid descriptions of the character's surroundings, but the weakness lies in the poorly written dialogue, which often feels unrealistic and unnatural. The conversations come off as very thoughtless and silly, and so do the characters, which I'll get into later on.

⤷ The story is riddled with grammatical errors and missing punctuation, indicating the need for thorough editing before publication.

🎥 the plot
⤷ I dove into this because I love stories about grief and the journey characters embark on to overcome it. Initially, we get a good portrayal of Riley's grief over her deceased fiance, Grant. As she navigated through memories in their shared apartment, clinging to remnants of his presence, I became invested in her story and found myself rooting for her. The opening scene was promising, but things went downhill after that, and my enthusiasm waned as the story progressed.

⤷ I found the setup of the romance disappointing. The idea of a nice landlord who chooses his next tenant based on how handsome he is, to facilitate a romantic setup and help Riley move on feels not only unrealistic but outright cheesy. Or perhaps cringe would be the better word, considering landlords should not be meddling in tenants' personal lives or sharing their personal details with strangers, which brings me to my next concern.

💗 the romance
⤷ I had hoped that Jae and Riley would get to know each other gradually and authentically, rather than having Riley's landlord spill her life story to Jae before they even met. What struck me as even more weird was Jae's initial pushiness, the kind of behavior only handsome guys can get away with, but which could easily be seen as "harassment" from someone less conventionally attractive.

To illustrate, picture a complete stranger who just moved into your apartment being overly familiar with you, bluntly telling you, "you're lonely," and detailing your habits like how you order food delivery five days a week and rarely leave your home except to walk your dog (all this information he'd gathered from the landlord, might I add), as if it's any of his damn business. They met briefly yesterday—wouldn't that be unsettling for anyone? It certainly would be for me. But I guess some things work in fiction, but not real life. This storyline just didn't appeal to me.

🧸 the characters
⤷ Jae's actions struck me as strange in the beginning—he seemed so intent on helping Riley despite being a stranger. I wonder if there's a plot twist ahead that might justify his insistence on getting close to her, but I haven't read far enough to know. Just two days after they meet, he tells her, "I know you've been burned before, okay? But I won't do that to you," trying to persuade Riley to let him teach her how to date. It all felt too familiar—like, chill bro, you've barely spoken to her for a total of five minutes.

⤷ As for Riley, I understand grief can be unpredictable, hitting hard one moment and fading the next. However, I found it hard to grasp her character. She spends a night in tears after downloading a dating app, feeling like she just "fucked another man" (her words, not mine) and was betraying her deceased fiancé, only to spend the next morning ogling at Jae's tattooed arms and "nice ass." When Jae steps away briefly to cook, she muses, "I haven't seen him in awhile. I miss his presence." Girl, I get it's been three years since you got laid, but he's just in the kitchen—and it's been a few days since you met.

⤷ That said, it felt very insta-lust. It lacked the expected buildup that would have made it more meaningful had she found herself falling for him gradually—if that love or attraction slowly crept up on her despite her grief, taking her by surprise. The internal conflict—the guilt of moving on—and the eventual acceptance as she learns to let it go and let love in, could have been a beautiful narrative arc. Unfortunately, her fixation on his good looks and her excessive swearing grated on me.

⤷ The landlord. Yes, yes, some of you might find him endearing. But as an adult fiction, I expected more realistic characterization, not characters who feel more like caricatures.


"So, you picked out a new tenant just for me?"

"Give him a chance. He takes lots of girls on dates. Could you be next?


I find the dialogue in this book often comes across as silly and unnatural, not just in this instance but in many conversations throughout. To keep this review concise, I'll leave it at that.

-ˋˏ✄┈┈┈┈
bottom line: juvenile writing, unrealistic characterization, unnatural dialogue. i have more qualms, but I don't want to turn anyone away from giving this a shot. it didn't work for me, but it doesn't mean others won't enjoy it. if the premise is interesting to you, don't let this review deter you from reading this book. you might find yourself enjoying it.

-ˋˏ✄┈┈┈┈
Thanks to Cate Summers, Xpresso Book Tours, and Netgalley for the free ARC in exchange for my honest review!

I really liked this book. The grief depicted in this book felt very raw and real. Riley's struggle with grief and letting go of the past was portrayed really beautifully.
"'How did you move on?'
'I didn't move on. I just moved forward.'"
I loved reading about Riley navigating through her guilt of trying to go on with her life while still wanting to hang on to what she lost. Her progress in her grief felt relatable and freeing.

I really liked Jae's patience with Riley and him understanding that she's still grieving. His love and feelings expressed through his cooking really highlighted his connection with cooking and how he felt attached to his family through it. They worked well together. They fit together like puzzle pieces.

I liked the author's writting style. It was easy to digest and went by quickly but was still beautiful.

I did want to like this. The book starts off so well. And then you're hit with inconsistent writing quality, inconsistent characters(!), and inconsistent pacing. Nothing made me want to continue reading, not even curiosity.

I couldn't get past all the awkward/ hostile and unrealistic dialogue. see:

"So, you picked out a new tenant just for me?"
"Give him a chance. He takes lots of girls on dates. Could you be next?

That's not something you tell to someone (especially your tenant) who has lost their fiancé! It doesn't matter that it's been three years - another thing I felt was odd - Riley could live on donations for three whole years in NYC?

Jae's entrance felt out of place too. For a story about managing grief, it would've made more sense for the characters to tell each other about their loss. Instead, Jae already knows about Riley losing her fiancé because the landlord told him everything 😭 what?

"I know you've been burned before, okay? But I won't do that to you"

burned??? man what are you talking about? Her fiancé died! that's not 'burned', she's grieving!

There's about a month before this releases so it's probably impossible. Still, I hope it goes through another round of editing - to fix the grammatical errors, improve Jae's character (he's way too pushy), remove inconsistencies, and improve the plot.

4.5 stars. Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to receive an advanced e-copy in exchange for a review.
Content warning for grief!
This book follows Riley who is dealing with the loss of her fiancée. She moves out of her old apartment only to find another man is moving in the exact same day. They get off on the wrong foot but when she agrees to paint a mural at the man (Jae)’s restaurant they form a deep connection and a great friendship. She eventually decides she’s ready to love again after losing her fiancée to brain cancer so she installs a dating app. She’s so out of practice Jae offers to take her on practice dates. She accepts. The only problem is the undeniable spark between them. On one particular date Jae gets very jealous and admits he doesn’t want to see Riley going on dates with anyone but him. Their love is gentle, slow and has healing elements. Watch as Riley learns it’s okay to remember the fast and still move forward.
Thank you Netgalley

Ich habe mich über das Buch sehr gefreut. Es ist nicht nur fließend zum lesen sondern auch sehr spannend.

First off, thank you NetGalley for this arc!

Going into this I had a GOOD feeling about it (I love crying), and I most definitely had a couple tears. I love the relationship that Riley and Jae grew together. It shows that through facing your grief, you can let people in to help you through it, and maybe that’s actually what you need. In this book I felt the growth that Riley achieved, and it was just so heartwarming to see her transform into her happy self.

Loved this so much & would recommend to anyone going through grief, especially ones that have a harder time facing it.

This book is an emotional story about a woman finding love in the midst of grief. Riley has spent three years hiding from life while working through grief over the passing of her fiancé. But when she has to move out of the apartment they shared, she struggles to move on.

Enter Jae, the new tenant. When he hires Riley to paint a mural in his new restaurant, the two end up getting more than just a mural or a paycheck.

In this emotional romance, you get to go along with these two as Riley learns that moving forward and moving on aren’t the same while Jae supports her. A touching mix of love, grief, and connection, this book will have you feeling deeply for both of the characters.

I rated this 3 stars because while I thought it was cute, I found both characters to be relatively one dimensional and slightly annoying. I also didn’t like that the landlord “hand picked” Jae for Riley. It seemed like a gross overstep in any landlord tenant relationship and so creepy to me. Riley stating that she had basically stopped living was extremely sad to me and I loved seeing her come back from that when interacting with Jae. Jae, at times, seemed so arrogant and pushy and not at all what Riley needed. But I guess that’s the beauty of a story.

I like how the grief of a romantic partner is explored. Riley and Jae are good characters, but a little bit one-dimensional. It felt like all they would talk about was her grief and painting as well as his cooking and mother. I also didn’t feel a spark between the two of them. The pacing felt off to me. It was pretty fast, yet it felt slow at the same time because many scenes were repetitive. Spice was added to the book near the end and it didn’t match the tone of the book in my opinion.

This review won't be posted.