Stars: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ & 1/4 (3.25 stars)
Read: April 2024
Format: ARC and Kindle

Challenge Prompt: CNL’s #44 of 50 - “a book that is lighthearted or humorous”

Book #35 of 2024: I had this book pre-ordered for months because I absolutely loved the debut by this author.

The debut book was a solid 5 stars from me but this was not. Perhaps I should not compare but it is impossible not to.

CONS 4 me: I loved the premise of the book with the tandem bike ride but it took until halfway through the book before they actually went on the 500-mile ride.

While I know life includes some jumping to conclusions, the FMC and her sister were spectacularly overboard on very serious matters, repeatedly.

I did not care for the interjections in the story that were from the viewpoint of Sophia, the sister. They came halfway through. I felt they caused the story to feel disjointed and did not contribute.

The humour was so smart and hilarious in the prior novel while the book still had good meat to it. In this book, the humour felt overdone and exaggerated. For me, it seemed all of the *meat* came in at the end.

PROS 4 me: There were moments in this book that I enjoyed and smiled to myself. The moment the FMC had with the older gentleman to tell him about the passing of the senior lady was like a modern version of, “Who’s on first?”

I also liked the ending of the book and how time and work had to take place before the Happily Ever After happened.

However, that all being said, I am sure some people will enjoy this book more. I will definitely read the prior novel again one day.