Review #578
This is a local author’s debut and a local bookclub read! Yay!
I absolutely love the cover and title name! FYI to those who like steamy reads- this is closed door.
I gave it a 3.9/5 stars. I think I would’ve liked it better if he had a point of view too.
In the beginning the prose felt a little stiff and forced but 99% of third person narratives do that to me. So that issue isn’t just for this book. It’s a “me” problem.
So in chapter 4 it started going back and forth to a past timeline when they were teens. Their dialogue felt a bit unnatural and their voices didn’t stand out specifically unique from each other. But I was excited to learn more about their second chance.
At the halfway mark, I started having trouble fully believing the strength of their relationship as seniors in high school when they were barely together at all in the first place. So if they were together for like a week, and now they’ve spent a week together on an island… that’s not much time.
Page 198 felt quite frustrating with how quick they flip from “I love you” to “this won’t work” and back and forth and back and forth. Their hot and cold felt like whiplash.
In the end, the plot of the crash was unique, but the setting was fun, their obstacles were spot on for survival, & the prose were written well. But I had trouble with the characterization and some of their choices.
I very much intend to support this local author so pick up this romcom and try it out for yourself.