I absolutely adored this book! As someone whose two favorite authors are probably Abby Jimenez and Emily Henry, this felt so perfectly written for me specifically. It has the same emotional depth, gorgeous prose, aching romance, and that feeling of two people circling each other for years because they are right for each other, just never at the right time (until it finally is). It honestly felt like a more grown up, more layered, and more emotionally complicated mix of The Summer I Turned Pretty and A Love Letter to Whiskey, which is basically the perfect combination of what I love in my romances.

I was SO impressed that this is a debut because the storytelling was stunning! The writing is smart, vivid, emotional, and honestly just gorgeous. Tomiko Diaz has such a strong voice already. The Pacific Northwest setting felt completely alive, especially Orcas Island. Every description was vibrant and atmospheric in a way that made me feel like I was there, and I loved seeing Bellingham mentioned too since my family lives there. Love a good Bellingham name drop.

The food descriptions were incredible and added so much intimacy and emotion to the story. Food wasn’t just there for aesthetics; it became part of the romance itself, part of the longing, comfort, and connection between Ava and Gavin, and a perfect example of how someone uses food to soothe after heartbreak. And speaking of Gavin… WOW. The chemistry between him and Ava was exceptional. The tension, the yearning and the pining was all done SO well. These two spend so much of the story unable to fully be together for one reason or another, and it makes every interaction feel like holding my breath and waiting to exhale. Gavin especially gave major Mr. Darcy energy with how broody and quietly devoted he was. He loved Ava long before she was ready to fully see him, and that was heartbreaking but also incredibly romantic.

I also really loved that Ava has multiple romantic experiences throughout the story that help her figure out what she truly wants from life and love. This book is just as much about choosing the kind of life that will make her the happiest as it is about romance itself. The contrast between a quieter, grounded life on a remote island versus chasing the big city career dream was really a nice touch and I love how it was woven into the story as a message alongside her ultimate romance with Gavin.

Gavin singing that song directly to Ava was a scene that really got to me. It felt like such a pivotal moment between them. I also really appreciated Gavin’s speech about intentionally supporting women-owned and LGBTQIA+ businesses and why that matters to him. It added so much depth to his character and made me love him even more! Gavin was perfection, if I am being honest.

“Gavin Jones is definitely your blind spot.” This quote honestly sums this entire book up perfectly! Because it is from Ava’s POV only, I think this is the catchphrase of the entire book, but I really loved this and I look forward to reading what Tomiko Diaz writes next. One of my favorite romance reads of the year easily!

Thank you to NetGalley, Tomiko Diaz, and St. Ode Press for the eARC of this book.