The premise really grabbed me, and the cover is gorgeous, but unfortunately this one didn't do it for me.

Addie and Toni really read like stock characters to me, mostly because the writing is so flat. This happens, then that happens, then this happens. Even the stuff I liked didn't keep me locked in, because the story is so belabored. Addie is also, like, comically stupid. Maybe she could be read as trusting and a little naive, but she has no real care for her physical safety. I didn't like how she was infantilized at first, but then I guess I got used to the fact that she can't take care of herself. Toni is mean and I didn't like a lot of what she said and did. I liked the tenderness between her and Emily, and her feelings toward her mother are very complex and interesting. But she was super shitty to Addie, who deserves better despite being a few cards short of a full deck. Toni is an interesting character, but her actions are selfish and she cannot get out of her own way. Honestly, she's a walking red flag. Addie's stupidest move is continuing to see Toni when she makes it clear she's not open to love and romance. Honestly I found them both exhausting and I wasn't even rooting for them.

I did read until the end because I wanted to know what happened, but overall this book was just so slow and dull and needed a few more drafts before it would be properly entertaining. I also noticed the (entirely American) characters in this book using Britishisms, which is just a little thing that annoys me, but I'll own I'm nitpicking here.

This is exactly the Ashley Herring Blake/ Meryl Wilsner type book that I would totally look for in book stores about a year ago. The writing style just really took me back to when sapphic contemporaries were all I was reading. Unfortunately that's just not the headspace I'm in right now so I wasn't able to enjoy it as much as I know I would have otherwise. I will be coming back to this for sure!