10 Things To Do Before I Go

by Chantelle Mathewson

As a twenty-two year old college drop out, Stella uproots her life for the summer to move into her Aunt Milly's oceanside home in Maine. She has always felt as if everyone was doing so much better than her, and her Aunt Milly was the only one who ever made her feel heard. Hoping only to outrun a past in which she never felt good enough, the last thing Stella expects to find is love. 




Until she meets Oliver.




Mid panic-attack on an unfamiliar beach, Stella opens up an abandoned journal and begins to read, finding within its pages a list of reasons to stay. When Oliver catches her invading his privacy not only is he not mad, but he is instantly intrigued. He makes it his mission to convince her she is worthy of every little thing she has convinced herself she doesn't deserve. 




Stella and Oliver have a spark that even disapproving Aunt Milly can see. But when pasts catch up and secrets are uncovered, will love be enough? Stella's perfect picture of her oceanside escape is shattered and she has to choose - is she willing to recognize that nobody is perfect and love them anyway? Or will she run away like she's always done? 

Kindle Edition

Published January 25, 2024

Reviews

[Just Read Jessie · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ~ I believe this is the author's debut novel and I think they did a brilliant job. I will point out that there are a few grammatical errors throughout the book which may annoy some people. However, I didn’t let it bother me. This tends to happen with self-published books, so keep it in mind if you’re thinking of reading.

This book hooked me right from the beginning and was an incredibly quick read. This book took me two days to finish which shows just how much I didn't want to put it down. I think this was purely because of the MCs. I absolutely adored them both and I love how they interacted with each other. We follow the story from Stella's perspective. I’ll admit that this story feels quite “insta-lovey"... This trope usually isn’t my thing, but I became fully invested from the start.

The main focus of the story is surrounding the characters mental health struggles. I think the author represented these in a sensitive but great way. The characters feel very relatable and I felt emotionally connected to them throughout. The side characters felt like a great addition to the story and I ended up loving them just as much as the MCs.

I liked the balance between there being some mystery, some spice and lots of emotion moments. I really enjoyed watching the MCs relationship develop as the book went on. This is definitely a more character-driven story rather than plot-driven.

Although many people may not know this author, I highly recommend reading this book if you’re in the mood for a good romance.

[Makayla McCutcheon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm going to start by saying this was an absolutely amazing read that I couldn't put down once I started! Stella is seriously one of the most relatable characters I have read in a while, but so is her story. Stella faces (In my opinion) one of the hardest mental illnesses to live with, anxiety, and with that comes a crippling fear of social situations. She finds herself often in the presence of Oliver and over the course of a few weeks starts to learn from him, and more importantly heal some of her wounds.
This was a fast paced read with so many emotions and lovable characters! I already can't wait for book two 😅

[Jasmine Newland · Rating 5 out of 5]

Being someone who struggles with Mental Health, I dove right into Stella & Oliver’s relationship with an open mind, and I am OBSESSED, to say the least. Coming from a toxic family, and having dealt with abusive relationships growing up, this story really felt like I was in Stella’s shoes. Being able to FEEL and relate to a story is huge, and I connected to this novel on a whole other level. If you struggle with mental health, and love a romantic (spicy) novel, 10 Things To Do Before I Go, if the book for you! You won’t be disappointed!

[Katie LaCourse · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love love love this book! One of the most relatable I've read and incredibly healing for anyone whose struggles with self love affects their relationships. It's a quick read that flows perfectly and has just enough detail to see that movie in my head without it being overwhelming and losing my attention. Some mystery, some spice, lots of emotions and side characters I fell in love with just as much as the main which says a lot about this author...she knocked her debut novel out of the park! Definitely one I'll reread!

[ForestGremlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is an absolute page turner. I didn’t want to put it down at all while reading it. It takes you through Stella’s story of family, friends and her mental health journey. Along the way I fell in love with Oliver, Stella’s aunt and more characters that are now beloved. The author tackled mental health struggles in a way that would help an outsider looking in understand. I can’t wait to read it again.

[Julie Frye · Rating 3 out of 5]

more of a 3.5. good story but a lot of grammatical errors and I didn't get as much emotion from it as I felt I should. I can't explain it

[Ashley Stevens · Rating 5 out of 5]

loved this book, real-life situation