Here We Go Again: A Novel

This book emotionally wrecked me. I thought I was going into it to get a fun, cute rom-com where, oops, there's only one bed, what's going to ~~happen~~. No. Emotional devastation. Okay, "oops only one bed" does indeed happen. But this book hit me like a sledgehammer. Rosemary's and Logan's romance was incredibly well-written. The prose was absolutely beautiful. It was beautiful and wonderful and painful and worth it. I loved so much how the author weaved in memories or flashbacks from Logan and Rosemary's childhood. It gave so much depth, and expanded these characters so much. I hurt for both Logan and Rosemary, and I also understood them. I wanted them to get together, because it's so clear that they are the other half of each other's heart. Their romance was so, so swoon-worthy. It was intense and soft and joyous. Their romance is dancing in their car headlights, and watching the sun rise over the parking lot of a cheap motel, and changing the words to Trisha Yearwood songs so it's secretly about your best friend. Joe took me by surprise. I knew, theoretically, that Joe was in the plot summary on the back of the book. But holy hell I was not expecting this. Joe's storyline is overwhelming. It's incredible. I don't have the words to describe it. I cried many, many times reading this book. There were multiple times I had to stop, put this book down, and just walk around my house to calm down again. I love Joe. I was not ready for his story, but my god am I honored I got…

Currently speechless. So wonderful. Dislikes: the tongue clicking & random famous people curses- most of whom I’ve never heard of. I want to hug Logan and Rosie, and give Odie the best boop kissies.

I read this solely because it checked a challenge box on Goodreads... but Im going to be thinking about it for a while. Number 1- I know myself well enough to know as a therapist/ social worker I could never work hospice- and reading this proved it all over again in such a beautiful way. I spent the last 100ish pages fighting tears (and sometimes just straight letting them flow) because this was such a beautiful tribute to the mentors we lose along the way in life as well as a beautiful tribute to finding love, again. Number 2- for as much fun as the book is at times, it hits on some deep topics- mental health, add!ct!on, family abandonment, h0m0phobia, religious tr@um@, AIDS crisis... all in addition to the actual plot line of the book. Be prepared to be rocked a few times. Number 3- it is raw. Not like in an unpolished/ unfinished way, but in a if a character would think it they say it kind of way. No putting pretty flowers on things just because the analogy in that character's head wasn't pretty... which I loved but saw in a few reviews as a compliant. Overall... sit back, enjoy, feel the hurt, and take the road trip right alongside them.