2.75 stars

tw: cancer; dying parent

I really wanted to enjoy this. It's a hate-to-love romance featuring a "city girl" who goes to Alaska after getting a call that her estranged father is ill, and she ends up falling for a bush pilot.

The main problem I ran into here was the hate-to-love aspect. I enjoy hate-to love-romances HOWEVER, I think contemporary fiction sometimes struggles with how to do this trope effectively without making me hate the love interest in the meantime. Jonah is an absolute asshole from the beginning. He judges Calla without knowing her, verbally belittles her, shames her for what she wears and wearing makeup as "fake", makes fun of her using soy milk (when she has a dairy allergy!), and lays a lot of the blame on her for the estranged relationship with her dad instead of, ya know, making the actual parent be accountable?? This all meant that by time they started warming up to each other, I could not root for him fully. His behavior is attempted to be explained away by his own family history, but it's no excuse. He's a grown man, not a child. Also, I found myself caring about and being emotional over her parent's failed relationship more than her situation with Jonah.

Also, Calla seems to morph into what Alaska and the people there want her to be very easily. This would make sense if the book set it up at the beginning that she was tired of the city or her life. Although she's hit some road bumps back home, the impression isn't given that she hates it there. But quickly into being in Alaska, she is giving up a lot of her identity.

Jonah isn't the only one who critiques Calla's love of makeup or fashion. The characters around her compliment her only when she's not wearing makeup and when she starts to change her style. Jonah also only compliments her when not wearing makeup -- which is supposed to be seen as cute but a real man would love her appearance regardless of what she is wearing, imo. The narrative very much paints female hobbies as "vain" and it irritated me.

A lot of the responsibility is also removed from Calla's dad in the situation. As soon as she gets there, he's depicted as just being "quiet" and "caring for his community", which is why he didn't fight for a relationship with her. By the end, they do come to an understanding about this but ultimately, more of the responsibility is placed on Calla, who was the CHILD, then her father, who was the PARENT, by all of the characters around her including herself and it was so frustrating to read.

This book was still easy to read and I didn't completely hate my experience, but I expected so much more.