e-ALC, 13:29:27
Narrated by: Matt Haynes, Adenrele Ojo, & Ashley Jordan
Release Date: August 5, 2025
Published by: Books on Tape (Berkley)
Read from: August 19-21, 2025
Stand-Alone
Source: PRH Audio App (I received a free e-ALC from the publisher and their app. I also received a hardcover copy from the publisher. This did nothing to influence my review.)
Content Warning: Infertility, Miscarriage, Sexual Content, Grief, Panic Attacks/Disorders, Child Death, Infidelity
For Readers Interested In: Adult, Audio, Contemporary Romance, Disability-Mental, Mental Health, Neurodiverse, Own, Racial/Ethnic Diversity (IR Romance), Realistic Fiction, Romance, Single DadA playwright must grapple with her difficult year and writer’s block while falling for the single dad living next door in this emotional debut novel from Ashley Jordan.
Eve Ambroise may be a rising star playwright, but her personal life is falling part. Desperate for a fresh start, she breaks up with her fiancé, cuts off her parents, and heads to the Tennessee mountains. But keeping up the lie that she’s just on a writing retreat becomes near impossible when faced with the well-meaning townspeople and a neighbor who has just as much baggage as she has.
Coming off a contentious custody battle, Jamie Gallagher is restructuring what his life looks like as a single dad, and spending more days at his cabin makes his new “free time” a little less empty. Especially when he meets the beautiful—and prickly—woman next door. The last thing he needs is a new romance to shake up his family dynamics even more, but there’s something about Eve.
What starts out as a fling quickly becomes more serious, and it’s not long before Eve is running scared once again. She’s loved and lost in every possible way, and risking it one more time could finally break her. But like the fireflies that fill the mountains around them, Jamie’s and Eve’s lives keep falling into sync. A fairy-tale ending could be in the cards, but only if the new couple can get out of their heads and put their hearts first.
*MY THOUGHTS*
OK so I have been DREADING writing this review because I knew I wouldn’t be able to do it justice. There were a few flaws, but for the most part, this was a master class on writing the emotion and anxiety that comes with it. This book was so good and I was not prepared for the emotions and the way I was going to be stuck while reading this. It was definitely an unexpected read.
Ok so me saying all that is not to say that it doesn’t have its faults. I thought it was a bit too long. I thought it could have been edited down some. Maybe shave some time off in the incidents? Idk, but it moved so slow and it was already 13 hours! I had the ARC and it felt like a brick. Idk I’m not trying to be THAT person, but it just could have shorter.
The writing style was good. It was simple and easy to follow. The third act break up stressed me out tho. I thought they weren’t going to make it. Why was it so late in the game? But it ended up being fine and so was the kiddo. I did want to know if this was own voices, but I know it would have been invasive. I just was really impressed with the way she wrote the emotion in this. I have anxiety and I have experienced a MC and I could absolutely see all the things that I go through and have been through in this book. I felt for her so much I was crying in some parts. And I just didn’t know if anyone could replicate that without having felt it. Ugh I just wanted to hug Eve. But I will say, there were times I thought she was a b!tch lol Like lady, YOU were the one who made this arrangement? I just didn’t understand why she was acting like that lol It was frustrating and annoying.
I really believed their love story tho. She only wanted a fling and the way she acted at the beginning by saying she didn’t want it but still did and it really sold it. It annoyed me, but it felt weird. And the way he kept throwing himself at her was also so charming. He loved her immediately and it was so evident. I think this is why I was so mad at her. He also had some really bad ideas too tho. Like the baby momma. Likeeee I get it, she’s important because of who she is. But you cannot be the one person to continue to save her. She has got to save herself sometime. I was super proud at what happened at the end. He needed that just like he did.
Her parents?! Lordt I was so effing mad at them. They put her through so much trauma! And for what? They had no idea how things would turn out and they made her miserable for no reason because of it. I was in tears when we found out what happened and all the things that happened after that. I remember not even knowing why I was crying lol Was it because I was sad? Because I was mad at her parents? I felt all of these emotions, and that was my first sign that I was reading a good book. Once I start feeling all the things, I just KNOW I’m going to love it.
This was a surprise. I knew I was going to like it, but I wasn’t sure how much. I knew it was going to be emotional, but I didn’t know how much. But this really felt like a hug and like someone seen me and all my mental health struggles, and it was about a fictional character. I still can’t believe this was a debut.
Overall, I give this
