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After a decade of silence, Dee and Ben reunite for a road trip they once promised to take. It's going to be a bumpy ride. Dee Matthews is the cohost of the smash-hit podcast Did I Forget To Tell You?, where she interviews family, friends, and past lovers. Nothing is off limits, except for one man (known on the show only as Name Redacted) who happens to be her high school best friend Ben. During their senior year spring break, Dee and Ben took a road trip to visit Ben's grandma. They buried a time capsule in her backyard, pledging to return in ten years to open it. Then their friendship fell apart in spectacular fashion. They haven't spoken to each other since. Ben Porter's life since that moment has been unexciting but comfortable, until his grandma reveals a family secret that flips his whole world upside down. Her dying wish is for him to stop doing what is safest and go after what he really wants. He starts by showing up on Dee's doorstep with every intention of fulfilling their long-ago promise. Despite her reservations, Dee can't say no. This trip could be her chance to give her listeners the Name Redacted interview they've been begging for--and finally put her unresolved feelings for Ben to rest. As the miles fly by, Dee and Ben's friendship reignites. But the closer they get to reaching their destination, the more apparent it becomes that their attraction to each other cannot be ignored. Their last adventure ended in disaster, and they're about to find out if any hope of a future together is in the rear view mirror.
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4.5 stars
Such a touching second chance romance. This story delves into what happens when the best of friends have a misunderstanding and lose out on 10 years with each other. But what if they should have missed those 10 years together, what about their lives would be different if they had never been torn apart? Both Dee and Ben love the place their lives are at now, there’s just something missing…each other.
There are always two sides to any story of falling out between friends. Ben and Dee were young and scared when they took their friendship to a place that was well beyond being friends. Both reacted out of fear, both made mistakes, and here we are 10 years later with neither having any luck with love. Even with all of that baggage, somehow they fall right back into their old rhythms when they are alone together again. Their chemistry just works. It’s right and it works.
The way they both will lash out now and again because of past hurts, yet realize what they have done and address the issue, made their journey a joy to read. Two kids who weren’t ready for what their relationship could be are now adults with the maturity to stay and hash things out when needed.
This story made me feel good and hopeful while also giving me all of the warm fuzzies I love in a book. There’s even a different take on the one-bed trope that I love and it does not disappoint. All around a great reading experience.
You can find more of my reviews at All In Good Time.
0Thank you to Berkley, Netgalley, and Penguin Random House Audio for providing advanced copies of this book. All thoughts and opinions are still my own.
I was so excited for this summer road trip romance. I'm a sucker for a friends lovers/second chance romance and I was ready to fall in love with this romance. Unfortunately it didn't quite pan out as a new favorite.
This book is definitely full of the summer road trip vibes and the perfect beach read for this time of year. It's a quick read with romantically charged banter and all the classic road trip themes.
However this book didn't leave me feeling much of anything. I didn't connect to the characters as individuals or as a couple. Which made it difficult for me to get invested in what they were doing and going through.
Overall this book was a completely FINE read. I'm just left with no feelings about it. And it's not a book that I think I will think much about again.
0My main complaint with this book is that with this trope we didn't really get too many chances to see them when they were younger or at least have them *talk* about when they were younger. I barely got the sense that they were that close some times.
The way the author writes nonverbal moments is fun. The FL flailing at her menu is very funny.
I'm also not one for grand gestures and this one was a bit cringey for my taste.
I will give more of this author's books a shot. I'm totally fine with the expectation of just cute and fluffy.
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