MishyJo

I have said many times I don’t like emotional books. I now have to revise my position. I still don’t deal well with the hurt that comes from death, pain, or traumatic loss. But the painful emotions that are unrequited love and yearning for something so close but unobtainable, I love.

And, oh, the emotions. Ben’s agony of having Rory in his life again after years of separation but not being able to be with him just killed me. It made me misty eyed over and over again. Even though the whole debacle was originally Ben’s fault, I hated Rory for holding a grudge over mistakes Ben made so long ago when they were so young. I hated, yet loved, all of the time that they wasted not being together when really that was all either of them really ever wanted. I just wanted to grab Rory by the shoulders, shake him and yell, “Can’t you see he loves you? Can’t you tell he’s sorry? Stop denying that two of you cannot be happy without each other!”

This book plays on many familiar romance themes: childhood friends to lovers, second chance romance, enemies to lovers and friends with benefits to lovers, but it never felt recycled. I loved every minute of this story. I was totally captivated and couldn't put it down.

My only complaint is that I would have liked to have seen a bit more of Rory and Ben as a couple after they reconciled. It took the whole damn book for them to finally get together. I wanted to spend a bit of happy time with them as well. But that wasn't to be