Originally published: 8 Aug 2019

Author: Tracey Garvis Graves

Published by: Trapeze

Genre: Romance

Length: 291 pages

Reading dates: 25-28 July 2019

Annika Rose often feels lost in social situations, saying the wrong thing or acting the wrong way.  She can’t read people and prefers the solitude of books or playing chess to being around others.

“I never know what people are thinking.  It’s like visiting a country where you don’t speak the language and you’re trying so hard to understand but no matter how many times you ask for juice, they keep bringing you milk.  And I hate it.”

This is the story of Annika and Jonathan who first meet at the chess club at The University of Illinois in 1991. Jonathan understands Annika and is kind to her, getting to know her and her strange ways and they fall in love.

But we find out early on in the story that things went wrong for them as they meet again for the first time after 10 years apart in 2001. A lot has happened over that 10 years – Jonathan has been married and divorced and is a high flyer in the world of investment banking. Annika has moved to the city and is pursuing her dream job as a librarian and with the help of a counsellor has found ways to cope with the curve balls life throws at her.

The books follows the dual time lines of 1991 and 2001 as we see Annika and Jonathan fall in love all over again.

I cannot express how much I loved this book! Annika’s voice is just perfect – she is sweet but her vulnerabilities are heart-breaking to read about. She is lucky at University to have a really good friend in Justine who looks out for her and helps her navigate social situations. The unkindness of people is just so sad, from college students to an early boyfriend who takes advantage of her naivety and later in life with some of her colleagues at work.

I loved reading about how the romance between her and Jonathan developed and how they rekindle their love 10 years later. I loved everything about this book – the absolute perfect mix of romance, heartbreak and tension with the one of the best heroines I think I have ever read about it. Written with amazing sensitivity, Garvis Greaves is a must read author. 5 huge shiny stars from me!

Many thanks to Tracy Fenton for inviting me on the blog tour and to Trapeze for sending me a finished copy! Be sure to checkout the other stops below:

About the author:

Tracey Garvis Graves is the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author of contemporary fiction. Her debut novel, On the Island, spent 9 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list, has been translated into thirty-one languages, and is in development with MGM and Temple Hill Productions for a feature film. She is also the author of Uncharted, Covet, Every Time I Think of You, Cherish, Heart-Shaped Hack, White-Hot Hack, and The Girl He Used to Know. She is hard at work on her next book.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/tgarvisgraves
Website: http://traceygarvisgraves.com/