Oh all right.

I read this, then discarded. Then forgot I read it, read it, remembered, and discarded it. Finally, at the urging of my good friend I read it...and I'll finally leave it up here, if only to remember I read it.

This was a good book. Objectively. Subjectively, it just didn't trip my triggers (probably because, despite having never seen a Hallmark movie in my life, I am 100% the type of basic babe who cheers when the city gal gets ditched). Some parts resonated with me --the family hurt that gets buried and never resolved, leading to miscommunication; the small town struggles; the COMMUNITY THEATER OH MY GOSH. However, I didn't feel invested in the FMC's struggles. As a small-town girl who has never even been on the sidewalk outside a skyscraper, let alone spent any amount of time in a big city, I felt so far removed from her vibe. Her dreams, goals, and daily life were so far removed from mine I found it difficult to muster sympathy.

I have enjoyed most of the Emily Henry novels I have read, but in the end, I find that they mostly have the same disconnect that keeps me from complete enjoyment. I just do not find her characters relatable enough. This is a great book, and she's a good author--she writes well, not just popularly!
But I am not her audience. And that is okay.