.The Day After Never was an engaging and emotional read with a unique, original concept that stood out from many books in the genre. The story captured attention from the beginning, and the steady pacing kept the pages turning. The characters were easy to connect with, and the balance of emotion and suspense made the story compelling throughout.

Overall, this was a memorable read with a fresh premise that will appeal to readers looking for something a little different.

This book caught me totally by surprise! I started reading it on a whim without any idea of where things would go. I was immediately drawn into the story. The writing was superb, The mysterious setting and concept was so intriguing. The raw emotion of the entire book was undeniable.

I don’t want to give any spoilers because this book unfolds perfectly without help from me. It starts off as a seemingly average, but well written literary fiction, but grows into something that I can’t even describe. This book was so far outside of my normal wheelhouse of books, but it hit me so deeply in my soul that I’ll never forget it. It was stunning and incredible and will surely be in my top ten of the year.

I'm awash in so many emotions I'm not sure this review will be fully coherent.

Firstly, this is an absolutely gorgeous story. I was provided an early copy from the publisher mid-July and then promptly forgot about it, which I realize now was a terrible oversight. The overall chilled, hazy atmosphere of coastal/southern Ireland, the characters, the poetic repetition in the prose, the way the story plays out, the logic behind the decisions made - it's such a beautiful combination.

The prose itself is poetic, written in a way that makes me ache to hear an audiobook version. There's a rhythmic quality to it that carries the tone of the dialogue, from which the reader must infer the intention, rather than be told directly how each character is speaking. This is not a story the author spoon-feeds the reader; this is meal made with love and care, but for which we are old enough to be responsible for our own plating and speed of consumption. It is meant to be savored, mulled over, and appreciated.

Secondly, it's also hilarious, in a dry, familiar kind of way. These are all people very comfortable with each other, so the banter flows freely with some small amount of subtext that is probably geared toward older adults, but is perfectly understandable to younger ones.

While the dialogue is a special kind of tight, more than just succinct, it generates this very believable sense of comfortable familiarity with the small family Maeve has cultivated. I worried about the possibility of that particular style leaving me in the dark, or a step behind, but every moment felt like it laid across my heart, like every piece of dialogue was something I myself would have said. It was very immersive, to the point that my hands forgot they were supposed to be holding a book. I've never dropped a book from being overly invested in a scene before.

The fact that this isn't an overtly spicy, young-prodigy-heroine/clumsy-befuddled-heroine/happily-ever-after was refreshing in a way I didn't know I was missing. Maeve is in her 40's! With a life, and a job, and friends, and responsibilities! I don't know when I stopped being able to insert myself into the stories I read, or when I stopped having the urge to linger on a story after finishing it...I assumed it was just the way life happened, rather than the now obvious fact that I could no longer see myself in the too-young characters that make up the majority of my reads.

Currently I am somewhere between hangover and afterglow, and it's difficult to even consider starting another book, lest I wash away the feel of this one too soon.

Also it very gently broke my fucking heart.

Thank you so much Rowan for the opportunity to read an early copy through NetGalley, and please keep me in mind for anything else you may create in the future. Legit, please.