After spending her whole childhood in and out of foster care, TJ Edmonds has created a whole brand around not getting attached to other people. She has a best-selling novel and a popular phone app both dedicated to helping people stay detached from their significant others, so they don't get hurt. She even uses the method in her own life to allow her to jump from woman to woman. Life is pretty perfect. At least, on the outside. Inside, she's keeping a big secret. The only reason she can move on so quickly now is because she still hasn't let go of someone from her past. It's easy to guard her heart when she no longer has it to give away.After everything TJ put her through, Brooke Finnegan vowed she would never speak to her again, but in a moment of weakness, she reaches out to her. Now that she's back in TJ's world, she's falling for her all over again. TJ seems to have changed, but the one thing that tore them apart (TJ's inability to commit) is what TJ's whole career is based around. Can Brooke separate the real woman she knows and loves from the one that the public sees, or will it tear them apart all over again? This book contains homophobia and mentions of sexual assault
Erica Lee finished writing her first book, Dear Santa: I’m Gay, in December 2016. Erica currently lives in Pennsylvania with her wife, dog, chinchilla, and bunny. She spends her days working as an optometrist and her nights snuggled up on the couch with her furry family, binging on netflix or youtube.
Librarian note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
I was super excited for this book because it sounded like a good old dose of angst and I am a sucker for that stuff. I also usually love Erica Lee's romances. Unfortunately, this one fell a bit short for me on a couple of counts:
Firstly, the whole dreaming about past events exactly as they happened in snatches during the present-day narrative didn't really work for me. I can see why it would have sounded like a cool idea in theory, given that the titular premise is about texting someone just before midnight and therefore you're likely to dream about them. I think this could have been more engaging as having a full narrative from TJ's childhood and then time skipping ahead in a second book. As it stands, we spend so much time with what starts to feel like trauma porn since it doesn't contribute much to the reasons Brooke and TJ broke up. The actual events where TJ wronged Brooke are rushed and sapped of any impact because it's so late in the book and feels so inconsequential after all that's already gone on.
Second, the whole "Good morning" thing was absolutely silly. I can't take it seriously, sorry. There's nothing inherently commitment-ish about wishing someone a good morning, we say it to coworkers and bus drivers every day so there's really no reason it should be such a big deal to say to someone you actually really like.
Third, I think my expectations were also a bit heightened because I read a book that has a vaguely similar basic premise but deals with it in a more fleshed-out and nuanced way (The Flight Risk is very good, by the way). Basically the idea of this commitment phobic and fucked up by the foster system kid who has to address her own issues before she stops running from the one woman she's known and loved since they were in the foster system together as kids.
Fourth, there is A LOT of TJ and Brooke just hanging out and never really getting over each other but resisting the temptation to get back together when both clearly want it desperately. There just doesn't feel like there's any reason for it when you minimize the impact of the actual hurtful stuff that went on for a year. Beyond that, we only have abandonment issues and internalised homophobia, which Brooke can absolutely not hold against TJ as a hurtful thing in her past.
Anyway, I had high expectations because I love Erica Lee's book but this one was not my cup of tea.
i ummed and ahhh’ed about whether i wanted to give this book 2 stars or 3 stars, and initially i clicked three and then went back down to two.
while on the surface i may look like a hard gal to please: i am not. it is quite easy to get me to enjoy a book by giving me a few things: either give me well written angst, or provide me with a story which is well written and enjoyable.
the blurb of this book looks like it could cover at least one of those bases: good angst, but alas, the angst is there, but it is not good. i can see why the reason these girls broke up originally exists but to me based on everything that comes before it seems shallow and weakly written. this book could’ve made the reason work really well but we spend so long touching things that don’t matter, trying to create a bit of mystery surrounding the breakup that we lose touch with it all together.
the reason for the breakup then isn’t really worked through and it doesn’t appear that the main characters make any worthwhile, substantial change at all.
the writing was weak and left me wanting more, and despite this book having large amounts of potential, this ends up squandered. i was disappointed because i was looking forward to reading this book but i’ve been left underwhelmed.
TJ ( Tiffany Jane) has been in love with Brooke since they first met as young teens. But having been in and out of the foster care system TJ has been damaged and split her friendship/and more with Brooke. She wrote a book about how NOT to have a relationship and an app. But all the while she harbored feelings for Brooke. She'd text Brooke's old phone number every night always ending it with "you're the one I always think of". This is such a loving story about how love can endure. Should be more than 5 stars! A favorite of 2024!
Usually, I find Erica Lee’s book really close to reality. This was pure fiction all the way for me.
So there’s an app that is senseless; the creator of the app doesn’t use the app but send text messages to a phone number for years and never receives an answer or that the number is no longer available or I don’t know a rejection message because you have been blocked? I don’t know seems a lot.
I’m still an Erica Lee’s fan but I pass with this one.
Top 10 list 2024, Top MC list & added to my re-read list. Pre-order this because its an Erica Lee book and you're always guaranteed a great read. It's beautifully crafted and put together. I spent my time laughing, crying, being angry and laughing some more over the 48hrs of reading.
Grab your tissues!! This book brings you on an emotional roller coaster ride. I had a hard time putting it down but I had to space it out between 2 days. I will be looking at other books by this author in the future :)
It's a good book. I have some persona gripes. - The title giving 11:59 messages gimmick isn't utilized enough. As with many authors and gimmicky plots, it's used as a setup and devolves into a run-of-the-mill story. Which made me sad. - There is another "side gimmick" of on MC never saying "Good Morning". It's mentioned 2-3 times and then gets used as a pivotal moment in her character arc. It's not established enough to get that kind of importance late in the book. - Refers more to my first point: the book doesn't close the loop on it's gimmick. Neither in the last chapter, nor in the epilogue. That gave me a slight feeling of being unsatisfied.
I can see why reviewers compared this to "The Flight Risk", but this is another story, standing on it's own. The two timelines in this book are both going forward, so it's easy to follow. The present time line is drama free, while the past brings all the anguish and angst and abuse.
I usually can’t stand how authors try to go back and forth from present to past however Erica Lee managed to do it so well.
I throughly enjoyed the progression of Tiff and the navigation of her and Brooks coming together. While there are many lighthearted moments and laughter there was also the deep rooted pain that made this such an emotional story about reflection, acceptance and perseverance.
I was pleasantly surprised with this book and exceptionally happy that it didn’t turn into a heavily sexed lesbian melodrama.
My favorite part of this was the past timeline. It was the most captivating part of the story. To find out exactly what happened to them and figure out how they got there. It was the most captivating part of the story for me.
The first five chapters made it hard for me to get into. Ive never made a romance where the MC had hooked up with two other characters before getting together so i was conflicted.
Honestly i was a little disappointed. Its slow burn with lots of mutual pining which is fine but when they actually get together it didnt feel worth the wait at all. Then at the end it felt super rushed. Like it devolved and she just wanted to end it.
It sucks a bit because i think its a really creative story and I like the characters relationship. Just didnt love the execution.
The coming out was horrible. It made me cry. Although i like seeing all coming out stories because everyones is different.
This book could be very trigger. TW include, homophobia, sexual assault, child abuse.
I don’t usually leave reviews for the romance books I read, but I just had to for 11:59.
This book felt like it pierced my soul, with two characters navigating their trauma to arrive at last in love. For me being such a romantic sap, that is so beautiful to my heart.
Tiffany had been through so much, which I’ll leave for the book to explain. But I’m so proud of her (Is it normal to be proud of a fictional character?) for getting her well deserved happy ending. She finally got what she deserved all along.
Brooke was also great as well, you could tell how hard it was for her to help with her girlfriend who had endured so much while also juggling her own emotions and needs too. Her actions were completely understandable and I think shows what it can be like (for any relationship platonic or not) for someone on the outside trying to help someone they cared about going through mental health/trauma. Their feelings are valid too.
In the end, I’m so happy that these two jigsaw piece finally fit together like they were always meant to. Really well written book on the above topics ultimately ending in love. Favourite book I’ve read so far this year. 5/5. Absolutely must read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
An Erica Lee book to open the year reminds me what a talent she is. The time, the texts, the commitment and the love that went inside the 11:59 was genius. TJ is living a life that is not real. Her whole persona was based on “Not Getting Attached” a best selling book and an app cemented her success. But every night for the past five years TJ sent a text with how she was feeling to a number that used to belong to someone she loves. Brooke was listening to the latest interview with TJ Edmonds even though she could only think of her Tiffany from back then. How far apart their lives were but how connected they still were. In a tale of present day needs to go back to the past to move forward to the future, Erica Lee takes us on a discovery of letting the past hurts mold who you really are.
An author trying to relay the damage that a child undergoes in violent and broken homes, in the foster care system with rigid parents who only offer conditional love, and in a society that allows those things to happen is certainly choosing to tackle a very difficult assignment.
Yet Erica Lee has captured some of that experience through the character of Tiffany. As someone who didn’t have to face the foster care system but did experience a single mother who was never fully there and present for me, I understand some of the feelings of inadequacy that Tiffany carried forward into adulthood.
So this book spoke to me. That Tiffany had Brooke as her anchor, even when she didn’t think she had Brooke, lends a gentle hopeful touch to this book.
This book touched me and it’s one of about a dozen that I’d recommend to anyone to read.
I am a fan of Erica Lee who I can usually count on for lighter and funny novels on Kindle Unlimited. This one is different and I should have read the blurb before jumping into the story. TJ Edmonds has raised bouncing between a neglectful mother and foster care. She meets Brooke while being in the same foster home for a brief and happy time period. As an adult she is successful in creating an app and writing a popular book. She is a womanizer and doesn’t do long term commitments. Brooke in the meantime has gone on and become a teacher.
The title comes from TJ’s idea that if you text or call someone right before going to sleep that you will be dreaming of that person. And for five years she has been texting Brooke thinking the number is disconnected. She is shocked one night when Brooke responds. This isn’t a typical second chance romance. Told awkwardly in flashbacks TJ reveals the hard life with her mother and in foster homes. The flashbacks worked less for me as they were thrown in and then jarringly transitioned back to the present. It may have worked better if there was some break or notation separating the past from the present. And at times it felt like it was piling on the angst for angst sake and not to lead to the original break-up between Brooke and TJ. I did like that TJ gets professional help but it came only after they try to reconnect platonically for what seemed a long time. I’ve read similar books that worked better for me. TJ has become a functioning successful adult but I read her as immature.
I’m still a fan of the author. This one just didn’t work as well for me.
11:59 is another of Erica Lee’s excellent books! How she manages to produce them to such a stellar quality all the time is beyond me.
This one tackles some deeper topics than her usual and I can safely say that she does so eloquently and sensitively. The interconnection of times past with present day makes for a delightful thread, encouraging the reader into the story of TJ and Brooke’s past.
The concept is so very modern and tragically true, who do you text last thing at night when trying to navigate the dating world? The person playing on your mind, the one captivating your thoughts.
This story felt like it had a bit more depth than her other ones I’ve most recently read however was still equipped with her light hearted writing style that engaged me and had me flipping the pages to see the journey the TJ and Brooke went through.
The only tiny thing I would say is that the ending was just a bit too cheesy for me but, having said that, like the end of a good meal, there’s always room for a little cheese.
I normally rush into reading books by Erica Lee as they are fantastically written and grip you from the off, this one, for whatever reason I didn’t. I remember TJ from the previous book and wasn’t sure I’d want to read an entire book about her. For me, this is an entirely different book from Lee’s usual. I found it hard to get into and seriously hated TJ. I’ve never taken so long to get through a book by this author before. I agree we needed the back story to understand the character more, but I didn’t expect such a small section on the whole reason they originally broke up. The entire book teases how they split and it was just barely mentioned then nothing more. I understand you can’t fit everything in but that should have been expanded upon. Even though I struggled to finish this I would still say it’s a great read covering hard topics. TJ does redeem herself and I grew to like her by the end. It definitely won’t stop me reading the next Erica Lee release. I think maybe this just wasn’t for me but please read it and make your own decision.
I wish there were half options because I'd give this one 4.5 stars. Since there isn't I'll give it 5. My only problem with it was that it felt a bit rushed as I got to the end. Still, I loved this book and absolutely had a hard time putting it done to do life things. TJ and Brooke are the kind of characters that remind you of that first relationship and that first person who was really there for you. Having them find one another again and work through things to get back to who they were is the thing romance books are made of!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
I am a big fan of Erica Lee's writing, I have read almost all of her books. It still amazes me that she can write a different story every time she has a new book come out. Some writers blend their books together, and their stories are almost the same. Erica's books are definitely not like that. Every book I read of hers is always different and a great book. I highly recommend reading all of her books.
This is a really sensitive topic that was presented well.
Erica Lee has written a gut wrenching story that is difficult to read in parts and joyous in other parts. I struggled through my emotions to get to the end and I am glad I did. The unfolding of the Main Characters struggles caught me off guard. I found my self in tears or giggling at the end. This should be read by everyone that is considering being foster parents. Thank you Erica Lee for writing this book.
This book looks through the life of a child that growing was hard. She got lucky to have one person that was there for her no matter what. But things went a stray and so she just start text "her" number every night at 11:59 for years. A good book about second chance and seeing what can be
Another cute story from Erica Lee. Even though this one feels a little bit in the mold of some of her Second Chance books, with the flashback technique filling out the two overlapping timelines, it is so well written and the characters so engaging that it’s another must read from the author.
I don’t know if it’s my hormones acting up but ugh, I was sucked into this book and just barely made it out the other side without crying once.
Tj, I wanted to slap you a few times and Brooke please dump Tj and go on a date with me. Because you are just too sweet and loving and caring…. That aside I’m glad Tj figured her sh*t out and they both got what they needed and deserve.
Although this is not my favorite Erica's book of all time (And Then I Met You https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5..., read it if you haven't), it's a close second.
I want to give TJ the world. The amount of suffering and heartbreak she went through is unimaginable to me (being as I was incredibly fortunate to be raised by two loving parents, and never went through such experiences as her). It took me so long to get through this because her pain felt so real.
this book both broke my heart and put it back together at the same time. tiffany and brooke's story is so beautifully written, i couldn't put this book down. in fact i woke up in the middle of the night out of my dead ass sleep to continue reading. so so good!!!
Great read! There are a lot of different emotions, tears, laughs and frustration (mostly TJ). There were times when I would have slapped Brooke into some sense BUT extremely happy she stuck by TJ.