Ciara Smyth

Contemporary romcoms are not my genre, so I am not very familiar with the references to staple scenes in romcoms. Both the plot and humour hinged on being self aware of the genre, but I didn’t fully get those. As a result I didn’t really care about the romance.

I did like the way the large questions around hereditary dementia were written. The main character deserves to be angry at both her dad AND mom for landing her in her situation.
Mom willfully put a child on the world knowing she would have to leave her child early and possibly have the child go through the same. Dad chose to act on his feelings for another woman and remarry within a year instead of sticking with Saoirse.
This wasn’t swept under the rug, and it’ll take a long while to make peace with it after the book ends. As it should.… (mais)

Part of me wants a sequel to this book. Part of me doesn't. Honestly, it's such a perfectly contained story, I don't think it needs anything else. Do I want to know what happens to the characters after it? Of course! But maybe they could just be background characters that pop up for a scene and move along, just to let us know that they're doing alright.

That said, I loved this book. It was warm and comforting in the same way that a romantic comedy should be, which makes sense given the theme of romantic comedies. I loved how the movies were woven in, and how they tie in so well to the Grand Gesture. Saoirse is such a funny narrator, even though at times she's incredibly selfish. Ruby is wonderful, and I think they make a great pair. I'm looking forward to reading more from Ciara Smyth in the future!… (mais)