I read this novel in one day—I couldn’t fathom putting it down. It utilizes the dramatic irony of You’ve Got Mail in a highly effective manner. The emails between “Elle” and “Kevin”—the alter-egos of the FMC and MMC, respectively—are rich with chemistry and heart. The novel is written in alternating 3rd POV, but it doesn’t feel distancing at all. The struggles of Yael and Ravi are authentic and engaging. I found myself rooting for them the entire time, and satisfied by the arc their relationship followed. I’ll definitely be reading more by Katz in the future!

There are so many things in this book that I love—the setting of college freshman year, the friendship between the MC and her roommate, the incorporation of book reviews and tropes to match the plot. However, I couldn’t get past being annoyed by Irene…she just needed to get over herself.

Lee expertly captures the tone and style of the 1700s through the narrator Henry Montague. Every moment and detail in the novel is intentional, even if it doesn’t feel that way initially. Truly an excellent novel with a compelling adventure interwoven with a friends-to-lovers romance.

An overall compelling experience to read, but the book could’ve been 200 pages shorter. It took getting to Part 2 for me to REALLY care about anything.

Part 1 felt interminable, while Part 2 left me on the edge of my seat. Reading Part 3, I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop.

The true impact of war and the concept of legacy, along with the question of what it means to love someone, are all addressed in the novel. Can mortal crimes be forgiven if committed to protect someone you love? Is obsession and possession the same thing as caring for someone? How reliable are the narratives left to us in the decades following war, and do we ever know the true cost?

The book leaves a hollowness in the reader, yet also forces one to reflect on what a true “happy ending” could be.