This book is everything I look for in a rom-com. A realistic, strong main female character who is trying to find happiness. Respectful men. Three-dimensional LGBTQ+ characters in happy relationships. A fantastic non-binary character. A will they or won’t they storyline. From beginning to end, it was absolutely perfect. I wish I could read it again for the first time.

Penny Bridges hasn't had a real relationship since her ex boyfriend left her when she was diagnosed with breast cancer in her young twenties. She owns a successful small restaurant in London and has friends and family that support her. One day a new love interest literally walks in her door. When her uncle's medical emergency causes her to leave London to help run his village pub she feels she must leave her new relationship behind. If you read the cover blurb you know that two more men are on the horizon.

I thought the history with cancer was interesting and added complications to establishing a long term relationship. It is dealt with honestly and not with some magic quick fix. It also made Penny's character very realistic and relatable. I breezed through the first half of the book. The second half slowed down for me. This novel is promoted as a rom-com but there isn't much humor. I felt it was more of a woman's fiction than a romance even though a lot of time is spent on the relationships. Penny isn't dating all three men at once but there is overlapping that makes sense in the book. It is pretty obvious who she will end up with which weakens the tension in the story.

Overall I liked the book. I enjoyed being in London and the restaurant and pub world. The author makes the kitchen work of a chef very real with details like basic cleaning between service times. But the story fell short to me in the relationships. I didn't like or care about a couple of the men. I loved Penny's choice for happiness for herself and even teared up at her relationship with her sister but that isn't the point of a romance. Content warning for mild cursing and a lot of frank talk about sex but without explicit descriptions. There is also positive representation with family and friends that are gay, lesbian, bi, and non-binary.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper 360 for the ARC ebook in exchange for a honest review.