Ali Rosen

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an eARC of this book in exchange for my objective review. So, bear with me as I try to tread lightly here so I don't give away spoilers. Nora, a couples therapist, writes an advice column but struggles within her IRL interpersonal relationships. She feels a romantic emotional connection with her copy editor, "J," with whom she's only ever had a virtual relationship. Then Eli, a former client's ex-boyfriend, moves in downstairs and blames Nora for the breakup so is antagonistic towards her. Nora finds herself dealing with a reluctant attraction to Eli while she simultaneously becomes closer to J. Nora has a problematic relationship with her family: she was a parentified child for a long time and her family continues to expect her to take charge. (I feel for her in that respect, I *really* do.) As a result of her off-kilter family dynamic she tends to avoid putting her needs first in her other relationships. And because of a focus on those dynamics, the book initially reads more as women's fiction than a romance, especially as Nora works to stand up for herself more. That said, the romantic aspect does pick up pace in the last half of the book. The romantic outcomes are fairly predictable early on, which is a tad distracting as you wait for certain events to unfold. I'm giving this 3 stars for that predictability, but also because I really struggled with the professional and ethical conundrum Nora grapples with regarding her relationship with Eli. I absolutely should have paid closer attention to the description before picking up this book as Eli is former client-adjacent, and their relationship is a gray area when it comes to complying with APA relationship standards for therapists and former clients. I don't think I would have picked up this book if I'd fully realized their former professional relationship, which ended only a few months before the start of the story. Pondering whether or not Nora should pursue a relationship with Eli yanked me out of the story for quite a while, although I will say that thankfully this is addressed a bit in the story as Nora ponders the same thing. The book is written as a single 1st-person POV from Nora's perspective; I would have liked more from Eli's perspective although I get why it wasn't presented. The two of them together didn't really grab me that much, although there were some sweet moments and the supporting cast was fantastic (plus cute pets!) So, ultimately not quite the book for me but I think those looking for a light read will enjoy it. Publishes March 1, 2025.… (more)

It has taken me nearly a month to finish this book and I was determined to get it finished before the new year. I wish there were half stars. It's rocking between a 3 and a 4, so I decided on a 3. It's an okay book. I wanted to finish it but it was a force at times.
The book goes from the present to 9 years prior. Author does a good job going back and forth.
Stella and her 3 friends are in Italy for a wedding. Samuel is also at the wedding. She and Samuel met 9 years earlier. Neither one of them forgot the other. This is their second chance.… (more)