This read very different from the other books I’ve read by these authors. It was much more serious, without the signature snark and quirky humor of their usual books. And while I appreciated and enjoyed the more intense feel, I missed the snark. I think there could have been room for both with this story.
I love a second-chance story, the way two people come back together. And not every second-chance has to come after angsty events, but when it does, there needs to be a deep acknowledgment of whatever those events might have been. There was acknowledgment, but it definitely didn’t feel as explored between the characters as it should have been. It felt like their reunion was just too easy.
Another aspect that bothered me was the relationship between Tate and her father. I hated the way he treated her, and I hated even more her acceptance of it. She felt like a doormat, never calling him out for his behavior, not once. No matter what he did, she justified it, excused it. It felt uncomfortable, how easily she accepted it.
But I did love the chemistry between Sam and Tate. I felt his guilt, even if Tate didn’t make him work harder for forgiveness. And I loved the intensity of the film they worked on together, the script Sam wrote. That was the story that needed to be told.
