I am one of the biggest fans of Ms. Higgins ! I think I might have read more than 7 books of her lately. As soon as I saw her new book’s cover on the gallery, without reading the blurb, I clicked the request button several times as like I do when I get over excited about some new book alert!
But when I thankfully got the arc, I realized this book is about death, moving on, handling grief, pain, loss, sadness. I read so many books with similar theme. P. S. I. Love you was one of the most effective and bittersweet second chance romance makes you drawn at your own tear torrent.
So many authors used the same plot line: a person who finds out he or she has terminal disease and she/he decides to leave letters for her/ his loved ones to help them move on with their lives, handling their grief, suffer, sadness. This plot line is pure realistic, real tear jerker and heart stabbing.
Kristan Higgins can directly talk with our hearts with her lyrical words and she can write such emotional but also feel good, sweet , motivational romances.
But this book’s plot line was not unique, it already has so many resemblances with the books which are focused on the same subject. Even though it has more promising, hopeful conclusion, most parts of it book is dark, depressing, frustrating making you feel like a dark cloud follows you throughout your full reading journey. Reading a bittersweet, tearful, heartbreaking story after you’re getting through one of the most challenging, exhausting year of your life is not great choice for your own mental state.
Because of the bad timing, I had so hard time to enjoy this novel. Maybe it will be like a bad breakup speech but I’m still telling: it’s not the book, it’s me! I was not in the mood to read something incredibly sad! That doesn’t mean the novel is badly written or the characters are unlikable.
It was still a great ugly crier, earth shattering, soul crushing story but it doesn’t bring something different or original approach to the grief, suffer or death. You may guess how the story will go and how it will be concluded at the end from the beginning.
So I’m giving my three sad, painful, tearful, second chances stars!
I’m still a great fan of the author but I hope next time she sticks to her usual feel good, sweet romcom genre. I don’t want to cry anymore. Life is already tough enough to deal with additional sadness and heartbreaks.
Special thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for sharing this amazing digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions.