“It’s wonderfully terrifying to realize someone else can help hold you up”🥹🫶🏻 I felt that line to my core!

4.5⭐️
I was not expecting to feel the level of emotion I did from this book! As someone who’s worked in US healthcare insurance billing for nearly 10 years and who’s had a grandma that suffered from cognitive issues and memory loss, this story truly touched my heart. I know how hard it is to be both the family that’s struggling with insurance companies, as well as a medical professional.
Normally the love story of a contemporary romance is the most memorable for me, but I found that the main plot of this book stood out equally. Although I LOVED Elle and Adam’s story and character growth to pieces, the plot revolving around Lovie’s condition and her relationship with Elle felt just as powerful. I thought the author did a wonderful job bringing awareness to Alzheimer’s, while still keeping us romance readers engaged!! The humor was sprinkled in just the right spots to help lighten the heavier plot, while the spice🌶️ felt natural.

- Nurse MMC (new type unlocked😏)
- Strangers who bicker(didn’t like the use of “enemies” here) to lovers
- Forced Proximity
- Only One Bed

And remember one of Lovie’s sayings, “never make any important life decisions when your hungry, horny, lonely, or tired” ✌🏻

4.5 stars rounded up. What a fantastic debut. This one definitely packed an emotional punch alongside a tender romance.

I did a tandem ALC/eARC read of this one and sat with tears in my eyes more than once during moments with Elle and her grandmother, Lovie. The loss of my grandma three years ago was life-altering event, but I can’t imagine what it would have been like to lose her knowing me before she was gone. I don’t have any firsthand experience with a family member suffering from Alzheimer’s, however, this read felt very authentic in its portrayal of the challenges and heartache. My heart broke for Elle in the moments she had to face Lovie’s harsh words while knowing Lovie was trapped by her own mind working against her.

Having Adam alongside her was a buoy for Elle, even if it seemed like it would be the exact opposite from the beginning. Adam was the epitome of decency and care. Being a nurse, that would seem obvious, but he showed it in so many ways outside his hired duties as Lovie’s caretaker. The banter between Adam and Elle was entertaining and sparky, and the way they came to lean on each other through the ups and downs was lovely. They faced their own struggles, especially combatting Elle’s fears of allowing anyone else to become too close, but they came out stronger for it in the end.

The audiobook was incredibly well done. I thought Alex Picard’s narration was fantastic. She had great tone and pitch for the various characters to differentiate between them. She also invoked an entire spectrum of emotions into her performance that added to the authenticity of the story for me.

Thank you NetGalley and Alcove Press for the eARC and Dreamscape Media for the ALC in exchange for an honest review.