Een mooi boek maar te weinig romance

“Love is the brightest color in a gray world.”

3.75 stars rounded up

I love Abby’s books and I was so curious about this one! I definitely enjoyed it, but there were also a few things that didn’t work for me.

As always, Abby’s writing is amazing, you’ll fly through the book. But compared to her previous books, there was a noticeable shift. There was a lot of ‘modern’ (TikTok) language woven into the story, and it didn’t always land for me. The “would you still love me if I was a worm” thing? Just no. And while I loved the first Rhysand reference, the repeated mentions became a bit too much.

One thing I appreciated was how real the struggles felt. Nobody’s life is perfect, and it was refreshing to see the characters go through genuine challenges. The family drama was emotional, but it overshadowed the romance. I was hoping for a love story to be at the center, but most of the book revolved around their family issues.

Speaking of the romance: it was too heavy on the insta-love for me. Yes, they had a magical night together, but they acted like they’d been in love for ten years. They literally uproot their entire lives for each other after one night, and I just wanted more build-up, more longing, more tension.

The characters were a mixed bag for me. I loved Xavier. He was sweet, handsome, a doctor, but maybe a little too perfect. He was willing to give up everything just to visit Samantha, working seven days a week to pay for flights (spending $1500 for a 1.5-day visit..)

Some of their choices also felt questionable. There were moments where I was like why???? So many scenes that were not believable, but maybe that’s also a culture difference.

So why still 3.75 stars? Because despite all of this, it was still a beautiful, moving story. Just go into it knowing that this is more of a family drama with a touch of romance, not the other way around.

“They say that you won’t remember what someone said, but you’ll always remember how they made you feel. I don’t think this moment would be the same if it wasn’t for how it felt. Ocean or no.”