I’ve been hearing about the greatness that is the Kowalski family for years and this did not disappoint. This is a story about Joe and Keri reconnecting-lord knows I love a reunited lovers story-but there’s really three stories weaved in. And I really enjoyed all three of them. It made it a real family story which I am also a fan of.
I’m not a huge fan of authors in books. It always feels like the author is trying to insert themselves. This didn’t feel that way. Maybe because the author character was male or more of a horror/thriller author. Joe was a really great guy. He has some darkness in his past but it wasn’t a particularly angsty story. And he wasn’t jaded and woman-hating. Keri was likable enough but she did get on my nerves on occasion. I did like seeing her interact with the whole Kowalski family.
The romance was cute and well paced. It takes place in a short period of time but the fact that they dated in high school helps stop it from feeling rushed. And I liked the semi-forced proximity of the story. They are stuck in a constrained area-a campground-but because the whole Kowalski family was around it didn’t feel like they lost agency which I often see as a problem with that trope. And I liked how Ms. Stacey used the interview questions as a character development tool. I kind of wish their were more questions.
This was a fun and quick read. I’m loving the Kowalskis and am excited to read Kevin’s story. Thankfully, I already own it!
Thanks for reading!
Holly