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Author: Emily Henry

Narrator: Julia Whelan

Thank you, LibroFM, for the advanced copy.

Well, this is one of the most anticipated releases of the year, so you probably know what this is about. In a nutshell, two reporters “compete” to be able to write the biography of this octogenarian lady, who was the equivalent of an internet celebrity in the 1950s. After being married to a rockstar, she disappears from the media after his passing and now she wants her story to be heard. Or not. The reporters meet and fall in love.

I knew going into an Emily Henry book that it would again be categorized as a romance when it’s really women’s fiction with a romantic subplot. To be honest, I don’t know what this is. The “vibe” and the premise of this book is uncomfortably reminiscent of a certain book about a lady with seven husbands, so it felt like historical fiction, but it doesn’t give you the feel of the times, so no. There is romance , but it’s less than 20% of the plot, so again no. Then around 80% of the book it sort of becomes a mystery, with secrets and even a cult. I was lost at that point, still waiting for the romance…

The MVP here is the phenomenal, astounding, unbelievably talented Julia Whelan. She takes us through this very long winded tale and manages to keep you interested. Her ability to to flesh out a character with just her voice is just amazing and she’s solely responsible for me wanting to see where this story would go. A thousand shiny stars for her performance! And now you know why I say a good narrator can do miracles for a book! 

I know for sure that there will be people raving about this one, it will be in the top five 5 contenders for that Goodreads Awards thingie for best romance and that hurts me because, once again, a brilliant indie author will be overlooked. 

I don’t like posting about books I don’t really care for, but Julia deserves every accolade given to her for this one. She’s that good. 

Content notes: mentions of mental health issues, toxic relationships, being in a “cult”, adoption and loss of loved ones