This is the kind of book that makes you stare at the ceiling for a minute after you are done and then quietly decide to do the thing you’ve been putting off. Final Score: 4.8

What This Book Does Well The premise - Sabrina getting the chance to revisit pivotal moments in her life - could have easily become a romance checklist, jumping from ex to ex in search of the one that got away. I was relieved that it didn’t. Yes, there are romantic partnerships that are revisited and missed connections but the real heart of this book is bigger than any single relationship. There are romantic subplots in the book, but I feel like the “romance” was almost more about Sabrina’s community and her inner circle.

For me, this is what I hope for in a good genre blend! It has sci-fi/fantasy mechanisms and romantic subplots, but the book felt more contemporary literary to me overall.

The messaging landed hard for me, in the best way. Even as someone who has moved away from “hustle culture” and being driven by my career as my top priority, I came away genuinely motivated to go for my dreams after reading this book. There’s something about watching Sabrina fight her own self-doubt and her tendency to wait for the “perfect moment” (but spoiler, the timing is never going to be perfect) that’s universal even if her specific ambitions aren’t yours. And I say this as someone who has never once entertained the thought that cooking could be enjoyable: this book almost made me want to learn to cook! If you knew me in real life, you would understand how huge of a compliment that is!

Additionally, there are themes of women supporting women, the importance of friends and other non-romantic connections woven throughout that felt like a good, cozy hug.

Audiobook Experience I tandem-read this one alongside the audiobook narrated by Caroline Hewitt, whose work you might know from The French Winemaker’s Daughter, The Women of Oak Ridge, or Beatriz Williams’ Husbands & Lovers. She’s a strong fit for this story and her narration carries the warmth the book needs without overdoing it. Plus, from what I can tell, she nailed the Irish, French, and American accents!

One technical note: there are two noticeably different volume levels - likely the result of edits made after the initial recording. Neither sounds bad, they just sound different, and it was noticeable for me. It genuinely didn’t affect my enjoyment at all and since this was an ARC it may have been corrected before final release.

Where It May Fall Short There’s a throwaway internal thought from Sabrina that takes a random jab at the vocal fry of a female American Youtuber. It’s one line, and in the grand scheme of things, not a big deal - but given how thoughtfully the book handles themes of women’s empowerment and women lifting each other up, it felt out of place and rubbed me the wrong way.

A couple pieces of information get repeated - the concept of hygge and an explanation of how a restaurant loses a Michelin star when a chef retires each come up twice. Both are niche enough that a reminder isn’t unreasonable, but I found it a little repetitive. Similarly, a handful of less common words/phrases like epoch of time are repeated more than I typically see. Not a flaw, just an interesting choice with the line edits.

Final Thoughts, Opinions, & Recommendations This one found me at the right time and I am going to keep it in mind as a reread when I need to be reminded of the story’s message: life is short, the perfect moment isn’t coming, and you already have more power over your future than you’re probably given yourself credit for. It never beats you over the head with that message, it just quietly makes the case, over and over, through Sabrina’s very relatable habit of getting in her own way when it matters most.

If you enjoyed the concepts behind The Midnight Library, Before the Coffee Gets Cold, or The Vanishing Cherry Blossom Bookshop you might find a lot to love here. I will say that this book is lighter and warmer with more emphasis on motivation (rather than existential dread) than some of the other books I have read with similar concepts.

This may not be the book for you if you are hoping for a traditional romance where the central couple drives the plot - the romantic storylines are truly subplots and the emotional core lives elsewhere. Same caveat if light magical realism or time-travel mechanics tend to pull you out of the story.

My thanks to NetGalley and Harper Muse for the complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.

TL;DR Would I recommend it? YES! Would I reread it? Yes! Would I read more from this author? Yes! This was my Runyan book, but I’m very curious to explore her historical fiction after this

Star Score Breakdown Personal Enjoyment: 5 Overall Execution: 4.75 Craft & Writing Quality: 4.5 Characters: 5 Plot: 4.75 Final Score: 4.8