Member Review

Grace and Henry have one major thing in common: they both lost their spouses and their families are determined to push them out of their depression by making them talk to each other. They have no interest in romance, but friendship with someone who understands where they're at is appealing. It begins with watching holiday movies and discussing them online, and develops into a deep friendship that includes Henry getting close to Grace's children, major revelations about their lost loved ones, and some mice.

I'm grateful to Norman for the wonderful story of loss, grief, and the work it takes to adjust to your new reality. I appreciate that Grace and Henry meeting each other didn't magically fix everything; they support and push each other, and that's how they slowly start to get out of the mire of grief they've been stuck in. Framing it all within the watching of classic holiday movies and discussing them with each other and Grace's children is a very sweet way to touch on complex emotions and situations. I particularly liked how what's happening in their lives is randomly related to things in the movies. It's not super obvious in most situations, and it was fun to find those moments as I read.

Overall, it's an emotional read that hits both the lows and the highpoints of grief and moving on in a very human and engaging manner. I laughed, I cried, I loved the characters.

Delighted thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine | Dell for the emotionally satisfying read!