I just want to start by saying I enjoy @HeyJasonJune as an author - he gives me more peppy Adam Silvera vibes. He has no problem making his characters struggle, but he's funny about it. Also, the endings of his books don't always turn out the way I expect which I can appreciate.

From the first book I loved our grumpy sunshine soulmates Nigel and Ori - Ori being my favorite character in the series. His sarcasm and attitude just make his character so enjoyable to read. I didn't read this book as soon as I finished the previous or as soon as it came out, so I had forgotten a few things that happened in the first book. Thankfully it didn't take me long to remember who everyone was and what was going on. Maybe I blocked out some of the trauma at the end of the first book... I liked the first book, I liked this one. I loved the journey our characters took, and it was quite the journey. A lot happened to these boys over a short period of time, but they made it through.

I appreciate the way Laurel's redemption goes at the end of the book. Unlike many redemption stories or arcs it's not enough to compensate for the damage that was done. In so many books no matter what the character has done they are redeemed and all is forgiven. That seems so unrealistic, so I really appreciate that that doesn't happen here. It's OK for a character to try to fix a mistake that they have made, but sometimes it's not enough. There is true emotion and relatability here that not all is instantly forgiven like nothing happened.

I also loved the comment at the end about self love being just as, if not more, important that being loved by someone else. We need more emphasis on self love and self care.

Thanks to #NetGalley for e-copy of #TheMagicYouMake to read and review.