Emily Henry never fails to deliver when I want to feel better about the world. Her humorous writing, sarcastic banter and engaging characters always hit the spot.
This book isn’t my favourite of hers, but it definitely provides the right mixture of warm, syrupy goodness. It’s about Daphne, who finds herself in her early thirties, unceremoniously dumped by her fiancé Peter who runs off with his childhood friend Petra. In a strange town with nowhere to live, Daphne ends up moving in with her ex-fiancé’s new girlfriend’s ex-boyfriend – got that? He’s called Miles, and to save some face, the two thrown-together flatmates decide to tell their respective ex-partners that they’re happily dating.
I liked the premise, but this book isn’t really about fake-dating. The two develop real feelings for each other quite quickly, and overall they’re actually really respectful of each other’s boundaries and problems. There’s a lot of talk of weddings, but I was disappointed that a wedding never really materialised – I would have loved an Emily Henry wedding, with the fake-date trope on top!
But, ultimately, this book does raise itself above dating tropes. It’s actually quite an emotive story of a woman at a crossroads in her life. Getting dumped after her fiancé’s bachelor party isn’t a great start, but throughout the story she discovers a new place, friendships, and love in equal measure. The Lake Michigan location is brought to life beautifully, with the characters kayaking on the lake, watching the sunsets, visiting farm shops and drinking at bars in barns.
For me, it did feel at times that things fell a little too perfectly – but that’s romance. This was ultimately a heartwarming, uplifting story which is guaranteed to melt hearts.
I received this book in exchange for an honest review. 4/5.
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