While the writing needs some tidying up, I found the characters likable and enjoyed the overall story.

I received an advance copy. All thoughts are my own.

lowkey the writing was just really dry and i didn't connect to any of the characters :/

i think there was a solid setup there but the prose was more descriptive than breathtaking and i just didn't vibe with the writing. might be more my problem/personal preference than the book's though

This was quite angsty and packed an emotional punch. Our heroine spends her entire life just trying to avoid planning next steps, while our hero wants nothing more than an orderly life, knowing what to expect. From the moment they first meet, they have a connection and fight their emotional baggage the entire way, always in the never right time, never right place battle. Then, when everything looks like it finally is going to align for them, tragedy strikes. If you are a fan of the emotional, hard-won romance, you will surely enjoy this one.

A book divided into 3 parts. In the first part tessa and Simon meet on a plane. They fell in love at first sight, despite not having exchanged more than a few words. . In the second part, they have got together, though there have been ups and downs aliong the way. The character of Tess has been formed by her past which has been full of loss and sorrow. In the last part, things do come together more and I enjoyed this part of the book the most.
The majority of the book has the feel of a teenage romance magazine/book.. Emotions are too black and white and there isn't a lot of adult discussion. The jetsetting around the world at the drop of a hat and the extreme wealth also gives an immature feel to the book. The good is that it is a love story and it deals with some difficult issues (sometimes perhaps in a superficial way.
Probabily a good holiday read, thanks to Net Galley for the ARC

Couldn't get past the first chapter. The jerky cadence, objectivification of men, the selfish attitude were instant turnoffs.

Tessa and Simon meet while waiting for a flight to New York City. Tessa, an acclaimed author, is heading there for a book convention, while Simon, a scientist, is heading there to speak at a scientific convention. This meeting, as unconventional as it is, leads to a romance that grows with each stop they make around the country and the world. As their feelings grow and deepen, Tessa must come to terms with her issues regarding commitment. And Simon has a secret that he needs to tell Tessa. But, as Tessa gathers the courage to believe in her own happily ever after, the unthinkable happens, and Tessa is forced to abandon her dreams of a life with Simon. But, two years after, Tessa comes to terms with the past and her feelings for Simon. But is it too late for that? Had Tessa missed her chance? Will she have her happily ever after?

When I read the blurb for My Goodbye Girl, the blurb immediately captured me. I am a sucker for friends to lovers and second-chance romances. So, I decided to read this book. I am glad that I did. This book was a great romance. But be warned; you will need Kleenex while reading this book. Some scenes made my heart hurt.

My Goodbye Girl is a medium-paced book. The pacing of this book was a good fit for the storyline. I wasn’t expecting that because of all the travel involved and how fast Simon and Tessa’s romance progressed. But, as I said, it was a good fit for the book. The pacing allowed me to take in each location and enjoy the nuances of Tessa and Simon’s romance.

My Goodbye Girl is set in various cities/states in the United States and several countries worldwide. I was a little meh about the United States locations because I have read about these cities (Chicago, San Fransisco, New York City, Las Vegas) in other books. But the other countries, I loved. Simon and Tessa traveled to England, Greece, the Philippines, China, and France.

The main storyline of My Goodbye Girl is centered around Tessa, Simon, and their relationship. It was a well-written storyline, and it kept my attention.

While I liked Tessa, I thought she was immature during the book’s first half. She did things that constantly made me shake my head. Example: She left Simon high and dry in Las Vegas. He waited for her, but she never showed, and then Simon saw her with the cover model of her book, and they were all frisky. She also didn’t care or didn’t pay attention when Simon explained his medical condition to her. But, thankfully, she did grow out of the immaturity. The end of the book more than compensates for her lack of caring (for lack of a better word) about Simon in the beginning. I am not a massive fan of explosive secrets, either.

I liked Simon a lot, but there were points in the book where I wanted to shake him and say, “She’s just not that interested, man.”But he was like a dog with a bone, and he wouldn’t let up. I don’t think he had any right to be mad about Las Vegas (Tessa and he were not dating at the time). I also got strong stalker vibes from him when he just showed up in Greece and crashed her brother’s engagement party. Who does that? But, I felt that his medical condition fueled his single-minded pursuit of Tessa. I also believe it was what caused him to get in contact with Tessa 2 years after Paris.

The romance angle was well-written. I liked seeing Tessa and Simon falling in love. Instead of doing an Instalove type of romance, Tessa and Simon were friends first. The same thing also happened before they had sex. They had built up a friendship. I loved seeing a romance portrayed that way. It is more real life to me than the usual “I’ve known him/her for four days, and I am head over heels for him/her.” I also wasn’t a massive fan of the mutual cheating. I know it happens, but still, I’m not too fond of it.

I wasn’t too sure what to think about the ending. I liked that Tessa was able to come to terms with her trauma and that she was able to reconnect with Simon. But the secret that she kept from Simon overshadowed everything, as did the secret that Simon somewhat kept from Tessa. Other than that, I loved how it ended and hoped that Tessa’s vision came true!!

I would recommend My Goodbye Girl to anyone over 21. There is violence, language, and sexual situations.

Many thanks to Meryl Moss Media Group, Rosewind Books, NetGalley, and Anna Gomez for allowing me to read and review My Goodbye Girl. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

2.5★s
My Goodbye Girl by award-winning Philippines-born author, Anna Gomez is a book in the From Kona With Love series. Chicago writer Tessa Talman and British R&D scientist Simon Fremont first encounter each other on a plane to New York. Tessa is on a book-signing tour for her debut novel; Simon is speaking at a conference. In a bold (for him) move, he drops his card in her bag. Turns out that, besides both their events being at the same hotel, they have nothing at all in common except attraction.

Attraction only takes them so far, though. Simon likes to live a predictable existence, and wants to know when he can see Tessa again; Tessa might be attracted to this uber nerd who loved chemistry and physics, but she enjoys the freedom of casual hook-ups and has no intention of settling down. She tells him “I delve into feelings and emotions, while you live among the tangible and tactical”

Simon has many goals to accomplish, but he can’t get Tessa, always noncommittal, sometimes self-absorbed, beautiful, enticing, smart, free-spirited, out of his head. A novice at social media, he gets online just so he’ll know where he can meet up with her again.

Quirkiness in characters doesn’t guarantee they will appeal to all readers, and these two are not easy to connect with. The main protagonists keep huge secrets from those with whom they profess to be in love, and the support characters are much more endearing than these two.

The narrative switches between Tessa and Simon but is a little choppy, disjointed, rather slow and a bit repetitive: Tess is on promo tour somewhere Simon turns up, they argue, have make-up sex, rinse and repeat; until a dark turn at the two-thirds mark, after which the melodrama takes over and any patience the reader might have had is lost. May appeal to some…
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Rosewind Books.

Quick read that had surprising depth. I particularly liked the buildup of the relationship. It was an appropriate length as well, which made it an easy read.

what a precious and fun read!! i am always so thankful to netgalley for giving me access to books before they come out. this was such an enjoying read! you should definitely check it out when it comes out!!!

Thanks net galley for my copy. I was excited to read this but it was just not my cup of tea. I found the relationship went on too long in the book and then the ending was blah. Sorry I don’t like giving bad reviews but it didn’t live up to its description

A tale that is both heartwarming and heart-wrenching, My Goodbye Girl tell the story of Simon and Tessa. A chance encounter at an airport leads them both on a new path and journey of discovering love with a stranger. The characters were likeable and the story has a few twists. I wish there was an epilogue at the end.

When you open up an Anna Gomez book, you do so with a box of tissues sitting nearby. You know, going in, that she is going to wring every feeling you have from you, and you know that when you turn the last page, you will doff your wig to her in admiration.

Tessa doesn't make it easy, that's for sure. If you don't believe me, ask Simon because she puts him through all manner of love, lightness, and abject misery. I spent at least two-thirds of this book not liking her at ALL. I understood her, though, and that's one of the things I appreciated in how Anna Gomez writes this book. You may be occasionally (almost entirely) frustrated with Tessa, but Gomez shows you why Tessa behaves as she does--why she disappoints and disheartens Simon (and you) and why, despite all of this, you can't help but root for her.

Simon, on the other hand, is joy. Not that he isn't plagued by afflictions, which brings me to another thing I laud Anna Gomez for doing: she has her two characters each beset with agonies, only one suffers from the physical and the other from the emotional. I like that sort of yin and yang.

You can't say "goodbye" until you've said "hello," and that sense of optimism--that there is another "hello" to say--will keep you turning the pages. Even when you are desperate to shout at Tessa to JUST STOP, you will feel compelled to keep reading, to find out what happens after the eighth goodbye.

Of course, there is a final goodbye, the one after which none of us will be able to say "hello" ever again. Keep saying hello, Anna Gomez tells you here. Keep welcoming all of the ups and downs, heart fulfillment and heartbreak, all of the closeness and distance that come with those hellos.

Rest assured that you dearly want to say hello to Simon. He is one of those literary heroes who is indelible.

This was an interesting meet-cute premise for a book. Simon and Tessa are seated in the same row on a flight and make eyes at each other but go their separate ways. After a second encounter, Simon finds ways to meet up with her around the globe and they begin a relationship of sorts.

Unfortunately for me the book dragged on because most of the relationship is on Tessa's terms.
So it's hard to love a book if you only like half of the couple. Tessa was a one-dimensional self-centered character, even in the pivotal third act. Things happen TO her not BY her.

I also didn't understand how Simon and Tessa communicated through social media. Why use Twitter when texting or email is direct to the other person instead of the whole world? Finally, there was a lot of cringey dialogue, especially in the love scenes.

*Thank you for the advance reader copy of this book from Rosewind Books and Netgalley. I am required to disclose that in my review in compliance with federal law.

I very rarely read a book’s synopsis before diving in and so I went into this one with very little idea what it was about. It started out as a cutesy romance that just barely held my interest and I wasn’t sure how I felt about it until the MAJOR plot point over halfway through the story.

I found the characters to be very surface-level in this book and it felt like I had a hard time getting to know them both individually and as a couple with the small snippets that were given of them together. I also felt like these little pieces of them together on different travels started to get so redundant and I wasn’t getting anything new as I continued to read.

The big plot point was absolutely shocking and heartbreaking. It was definitely unexpected but after reading the author’s note to understand why it was included in there, I felt like it really accomplished what she had set out to do with the story. I felt like after this point in the book, the characters became much more developed and I felt like I got to know them better.

This book started out as a fluffy read that turns devastating and I appreciated the depth that was added to the story, though it was very tragic and at times difficult to read.

Read this if you:
- Are looking for a partner who loves you enough to follow you around the world
- Can handle heavier themes in your books
- Believe in fate

My Goodbye Girl is a remarkable tale of love that defies expectations and takes readers on a captivating journey across the globe. From the moment Tessa and Simon meet on a flight to New York, their chemistry is palpable, drawing readers into their world of contrasting personalities and aspirations.

What sets this book apart from ordinary rom-coms is its ability to evoke a wide range of emotions. From the highs of love and laughter to the lows of heartbreak and uncertainty, the story resonates on a deep level. The author masterfully captures the emotional turmoil and frustration that arises as the characters struggle to balance their personal aspirations with their growing love for one another. Each goodbye becomes increasingly difficult, leaving readers yearning for Tessa and Simon to find a way to be together against all odds.

In the end, the story is a powerful testament to the strength of love and the importance of seizing the moment. Anna Gomez's skillful storytelling, combined with the compelling characters and a captivating plot, make this novel an absolute must-read for fans of heartfelt romances.

This has been one of my favorite books this summer. I loved the way Gomez addressed important topics in an approachable manner with cleverness, love, and tender care. I have a bit of a book hangover because this is womens fiction at its best. I cant wait to read more from Anna Gomez!

"HE WASN'T IN HER WORLD, JUST PASSING THROUGH IT"


A new to me author and, if I am totally honest, not a genre of book I would generally pick up off the shelf and buy for myself. However, aware of just how well the lovely people at Meryl Moss Media know me by now, when the review opportunity was offered, it was definitely worth a punt, which turned into a very enjoyable leap of four star faith!
...

Tessa Talman is an American writer, with her debut romance novel having taken the world by storm. She has a vivid imagination which can turn even the most innocent of words into unscrupulous suggestions in an instant. When, on embarking on yet another leg of a trip as part of a lengthy promotional tour for her book, she finds herself one place ahead of the man of her dreams in a priority flight queue at Boston airport, then discovers that they are seated in the same row aboard the flight, ideas for another storyline instantly begin to take shape in her mind. Her travelling companion, British academic and R&D researcher, Simon Fremont, doesn't however, appear to share this instant attraction, or at least that's how it appears to Tessa, until she later discovers that he has managed to slip a business card into her carry-on case during the flight.

Thus begins one of the strangest, long distance love affairs, I have read about.

Tessa's new world, where image is everything, revolves around her social media accounts, involving copious amounts of online interaction and constant influence with her growing fanbase, which consumes her almost every waking hour. Simon on the other hand, has no interest in opening up either his professional or private life for public scrutiny and comment. Although out of necessity, that is all about to change if he wants to pursue any kind of relationship with Tessa. The two only communicate by Instagram or WhatsApp, with Tessa's messages more demand or ultimatum, rather than romantic request, detailing where Simon can next travel to meet her, should he so wish. Because of the emotional baggage and insecurities he guesses Tessa comes with, Simon always ends up by pandering to her every whim, although their liaisons tend to be rushed affairs, which are purely sexually physical, with Tessa never willing to open up to him about her past which has and still continues, to shape her thoughts and concerns about embarking on a deeper, more meaningful relationship, or settled life with anyone, even though deep down she knows that Simon would support and encourage her career independence without question. But is that enough for her?

That the two have strong feelings for one another, there is no doubt, so it is perhaps unsurprising that almost against all the odds, their relationship does eventually set itself on an altogether firmer foothold, although Tessa's forced confession about her commitment issues almost tears them apart permanently before that happens. Simon remains very loyal to her and more than willing to prove to her protective older brother Jacob and best friend Riley, that he only wants to be able to love and comfort the person they all care so much about. However, Simon's honesty to his own family regarding his feelings towards Tessa, has been more than a little lacking, given how much he knows they worry about him, so whilst he has demanded that Tessa open up her heart to him completely, it transpires that he has failed to confess his own deepest secret, which may have drastic, if not fatal, consequences for any future life they might embark on together.

The impending wedding between Jacob and Riley, finally looks set to ignite the spark between Tessa and Simon, until the hand of fate once again steps in and rips the heart and soul out of an entire community, with our four protagonists well and truly caught in the crossfire. It takes what seems like another lifetime before there is a possibility for healing and reconciliation and by now Tessa's life has changed irrevocably. That Simon is once again willing to step up for the woman he loves doesn't go unnoticed by her this time, so that now the only thing which can separate these long-term, star-crossed lovers, is that final parting itself!
...

After much deliberation, I finally settled on four stars for this modern, contemporary romance, which I have to admit, isn't one of my usual reading genres. I liked the short, well-signposted chapters and the free-flowing style of writing, which kept the multi-layered storyline moving along at a good pace. The author also wasn't afraid to showcase some of the social and societal mores of our times, nor to give more than a passing nod to actual devastating events, which have happened in our recent past and which shocked and impacted not only a nation, but also the wider world, without in any way trivialising those events.

The pressures which fandom exerts on an individual in the spotlight and the constant need to be visible, interacting and influencing on social media, is a relatively recent phenomenon which authors are now beginning to feature and discuss in their books. The recognition that PTSD is not exclusively related to combat trauma and military personnel, but can be experienced by any one of us following an instance of extreme stress or distress. The long-term affects of being orphaned at a young age and how important the bond between siblings can then become. Knowing that you are living on borrowed time and the strain that can impose on an entire family structure.

Jacob and Tessa had spent much of their childhood being 'shared around' the houses of various relatives and friends, and that Tessa in particular was still suffering from the trauma and aftermath of those experiences decades later, was clear to see. Add to that, events of the present day, detailed in the storyline, which directly affected her ability to function for sometime after their occurrence, and the case for an episode of full-blown PTSD and the fear of putting her trust in, making a commitment to anyone, or opening up her heart to let love in, was obvious. For Simon, the fears which were ever present in his life, had a slightly different, yet equally damaging effect on his mental well-being and views about the future. That he also chose not to confide in Tessa until it was almost too late for their relationship to be saved, certainly didn't help either of their states of mind.

Jacob, Riley and Simon's brother Adrian, all had equally important roles to play in this story of love and sacrifice and their parts were both well defined and fleshed out. Between them, all the characters were given free reign and a strong voice with which to tell their own version of events and the sincerity in the poignant and evocative dialogue and narrative was both touching, perceptive and powerful. That having been said, I can't say that I fully related to, or connected with, either Tessa or Simon, for much of the time and there were many occasions when I could have cheerfully strangled this pair of star-crossed lovers. Yes, I appreciate they both had personal issues they were busy trying to conceal from one another and deal with alone, however, their behaviour was often vacuous, with Tessa in particular being quite promiscuous and rather shallow. She is able to write thousands of words about love, yet can't articulate her own feelings for fear of opening up too much. Whilst a methodical, process driven Simon, definitely has a 'do as I say, not as I do' attitude, when it comes to telling the truth about his feelings, or confessing the secrets he is harbouring.

The action moves swiftly around several countries and continents, so whilst there is no single centre of focus, the armchair traveller inside of me, was more than satisfied with my whistle stop tour. The lovely images some very descriptive words afforded me and the feelings they evoked, also helped to make this a romance with a little more substance than many I have read and offered a joyous few hours of much needed escapism from everyday life.

An opposites attract, comedy of errors, romance novel perfect for a day on the beach.

Tessa, a best-selling author on a world tour, meets Simon, a nerdy scientist, on a flight to La Guardia, but they don’t even talk- that comes later.

Their relationship stretches across time and oceans and is by turns cute, sexy, and heartbreaking.

I found the introspection a bit tedious and had trouble connecting with Tessa, who seems almost too awkward to believe, but overall found this to be an enjoyable read. The twist later in the book gives added depth to a mediocre tale, turning it into something unforgettable.

I enjoyed the premise of this book very much, however the follow-through was a little off. I couldn't connect to Tessa's character. She felt one-dimensional to me and lacking, which made it difficult to empathize with her. I enjoyed the descriptions of the dates and the travel destinations, but again, the flow seemed off. It just seemed to follow a formula that just wasn't cohesive.

That being said it was an easy read and definitely good for summer.

This is a first time read for me from Anna Gomez. It starts out a little slow but picks up really quick and then you are all in. This was a really captivating story. This book gives you romance and tragedy but it was beautifully written. I would highly recommend this book.


Thank you NetGalley and Meryl Moss Media Group, Rosewind Books for allowing me to read this ARC in advance for my honest opinion.