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The Little Things
Callie
It took a long time to move on from the heartbreak I experienced at 18 but I’m finally happy. With my job. With my life.
Then I find out he’s back in town and now I’m not so sure how I feel.
I need to figure out if these old feelings are clouding my judgement or do I still crave his touch?
Mason
Fifteen years ago I made the biggest mistake of my life and since I’m back in town I want to make it right.
She made life easier to walk through and the only thing I gave her was a broken heart.
I’d love nothing more than to explain myself and let her know that I’ll never regret anything as much as I regret losing her.
𝘾𝙖𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙞𝙧 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙨𝙪𝙧𝙫𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙞𝙧 𝙥𝙖𝙨𝙩?
It took a long time to move on from the heartbreak I experienced at 18 but I’m finally happy. With my job. With my life.
Then I find out he’s back in town and now I’m not so sure how I feel.
I need to figure out if these old feelings are clouding my judgement or do I still crave his touch?
Mason
Fifteen years ago I made the biggest mistake of my life and since I’m back in town I want to make it right.
She made life easier to walk through and the only thing I gave her was a broken heart.
I’d love nothing more than to explain myself and let her know that I’ll never regret anything as much as I regret losing her.
𝘾𝙖𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙞𝙧 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙨𝙪𝙧𝙫𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙞𝙧 𝙥𝙖𝙨𝙩?
348 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 2, 2024
2 people are currently reading
39 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
July 28, 2024
This was an okay book for me. But first, let me tell you what I liked. I liked how the families of Callie and Mason got along well with each other and even supported and loved their children. I liked how the social care worker side was shown and felt that it was very accurate and relatable to what dementia patients & their families go through.
What didn’t work for me was the whole second chance execution. We find out why they initially broke up very much in the beginning and Mason and Callie get back together quite soon. Maybe because the reason was shown in the beginning, the rest of the story from the 50% mark got a bit boring and fell flat for me. It felt like the story was being dragged, I feel like it could have been cut short a bit.
Overall, it could have been a great book and I do think the chemistry between the main characters, Mason and Callie was good. ❤️
I would like to thank the author for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
What didn’t work for me was the whole second chance execution. We find out why they initially broke up very much in the beginning and Mason and Callie get back together quite soon. Maybe because the reason was shown in the beginning, the rest of the story from the 50% mark got a bit boring and fell flat for me. It felt like the story was being dragged, I feel like it could have been cut short a bit.
Overall, it could have been a great book and I do think the chemistry between the main characters, Mason and Callie was good. ❤️
I would like to thank the author for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
July 8, 2024
A quick read. The story of Mason and Callie was so beautifully written that you couldn’t help but fall in love with them. Amazing debut for author Lena Duke. I look forward to reading more.
July 17, 2025
Many thanks to Lena Duke for trusting me with an arc copy of her debut novel, The Little Things in exchange for an honest review.
First, I would just like to start by saying that this book had a lot of potential. I love a good second chance romance trope especially when they start as high school sweethearts.
Unfortunately, I feel like this book struggled in its execution. The characters were one-dimensional and the dialogue came off robotic making it hard to connect with them while reading. Some of the dialogue, especially from teenage Mason did not fit the age of the character. Another struggle I had with the writing was that it was extremely wordy and would spend a lot of time describing things that were usually irrelevant to the story which made it hard to hold my interest.
First, I would just like to start by saying that this book had a lot of potential. I love a good second chance romance trope especially when they start as high school sweethearts.
Unfortunately, I feel like this book struggled in its execution. The characters were one-dimensional and the dialogue came off robotic making it hard to connect with them while reading. Some of the dialogue, especially from teenage Mason did not fit the age of the character. Another struggle I had with the writing was that it was extremely wordy and would spend a lot of time describing things that were usually irrelevant to the story which made it hard to hold my interest.
August 2, 2024
This book was not for me. It was very heavy with detail that was so dense with seemingly nonessential stuff. I honestly had the toughest time keeping up with the main plot. The first half was mostly flashback stories that didn’t seem to tie into the “main storyline” of a second chance romance. It almost felt like an entirely different book about a high school romance. Honestly it would’ve been great if it was a different book and could’ve been a duology or started in high school and time jumped in the second half. Despite being pretty wordy, I felt like certain plot points were dropped. Idk what happened with the college selection. Why is she at the state College when she desperately wanted to go to Austin? I feel like that really wasn’t elaborated on. Maybe I missed the one sentence. I also felt like their career discussions fell flat to me. I did like Callie’s explanations of her patients and the way she showcased the social work she did. I just felt like the execution of this was off. I did end up DNF’ing at 73% and may revisit to finish this one in the future. Thank you to Lena and her team for a copy of this ARC. I will look forward to books in the future.
August 1, 2024
2.75 stars
I really hate to say this but my 2.75-star review is generous. I had very high hopes for this one going in because I knew the author. Sadly it did not meet my expectations. It was really difficult to get through this one because it was so cookie-cutter and lost the plot pretty quickly. If you are going to give me a very basic and overdone plot, you need incredible characters to make it unique. That is not the case here. I will say I did enjoy that is is obvious Callie has a great passion for reading. it just felt bogged down because there is SO MUCH description. I also wish the font was bigger for when in the timeline we are because it is hard to read and very much needed with how much back and forth there is. I also have to be honest Mason not even actually making a ploy to move on from Callie after 15 years is creepy.
I received this book as an arc from the author. My review is honest and voluntary
I really hate to say this but my 2.75-star review is generous. I had very high hopes for this one going in because I knew the author. Sadly it did not meet my expectations. It was really difficult to get through this one because it was so cookie-cutter and lost the plot pretty quickly. If you are going to give me a very basic and overdone plot, you need incredible characters to make it unique. That is not the case here. I will say I did enjoy that is is obvious Callie has a great passion for reading. it just felt bogged down because there is SO MUCH description. I also wish the font was bigger for when in the timeline we are because it is hard to read and very much needed with how much back and forth there is. I also have to be honest Mason not even actually making a ploy to move on from Callie after 15 years is creepy.
I received this book as an arc from the author. My review is honest and voluntary
July 21, 2024
I was blessed with an opportunity to read an ARC of Lena’s debut novel and it did not disappoint! This is a dual POV and dual time line novel and it absolutely captured my attention and heart.
Callie has remained in her hometown, and is working locally when she finds out that her ex boyfriend whom broke her heart is back in town. Callie has a friend that gets her to agree to meet up with him and she chooses to. Callie wants to hear out Masons reasoning for breaking her heart many years prior.
Mason is now an attorney living in NYC who returns home to help his family temporarily on their farm. He has always had feelings for Callie and knows that he did wrong by her years prior and has not spoken to her since. He wants a chance to tell her why he did what he did and to apologize as he has always regretted his decision.
When she hears his reasoning and sees him again she is torn. Can she forgive and forget? Will she be able to move on past the trauma of her past with Mason?
Callie has remained in her hometown, and is working locally when she finds out that her ex boyfriend whom broke her heart is back in town. Callie has a friend that gets her to agree to meet up with him and she chooses to. Callie wants to hear out Masons reasoning for breaking her heart many years prior.
Mason is now an attorney living in NYC who returns home to help his family temporarily on their farm. He has always had feelings for Callie and knows that he did wrong by her years prior and has not spoken to her since. He wants a chance to tell her why he did what he did and to apologize as he has always regretted his decision.
When she hears his reasoning and sees him again she is torn. Can she forgive and forget? Will she be able to move on past the trauma of her past with Mason?
August 4, 2024
4⭐/5
First of all, Congratulations to Author Lena Duke for her Debut Novel!
I love this. I just love the past and present. I love how we get to see their past highschool relationship.
Both of them growing older, still stuck on each other and trying to work it out BY COMMMUNICATING has got to be my favorite part <3
And their relationship with each other, their family, friends, are all so healthy I LOVE IT. Mason and Callie Grace, you have my whole heart and support.
There are parts where I felt it wasn't necessary to detail it much that I got kind of bored and annoyed but then after that I was like, no, this is important and I grew to like those parts as well lol.
We love Green Flags. We love Healthy Relationship. We love Communication. 💗
I received an ARC for an honest review!
First of all, Congratulations to Author Lena Duke for her Debut Novel!
I love this. I just love the past and present. I love how we get to see their past highschool relationship.
Both of them growing older, still stuck on each other and trying to work it out BY COMMMUNICATING has got to be my favorite part <3
And their relationship with each other, their family, friends, are all so healthy I LOVE IT. Mason and Callie Grace, you have my whole heart and support.
There are parts where I felt it wasn't necessary to detail it much that I got kind of bored and annoyed but then after that I was like, no, this is important and I grew to like those parts as well lol.
We love Green Flags. We love Healthy Relationship. We love Communication. 💗
I received an ARC for an honest review!
July 15, 2024
Unfortunately, this book was not for me. I found the writing repetitive, boring, and irrelevant at times. This is a dual-timeline romance, but there was not a good balance between past and present chapters. Another issue I had was with the second chance aspect of the story because the apology and reason for the breakup were revealed far too early in the story, so there was no tension or big reveal.
I think this book had potential, but it was not well executed.
Thank you to the author for my e-copy.
I think this book had potential, but it was not well executed.
Thank you to the author for my e-copy.
July 19, 2024
First of all I want to thank Lena for the chance to read her book as an ARC. I really appreciate you 🫶🏻
Unfortunately this book was not for me.. The dialogues seemed robotic like two strangers talking not people who’ve been in love with each other their whole life.
The second chance part was sadly not well executed, since the apology is literally at the beginning of the book and they go straight back together. Its missing a lot of emotions unfortunately.
The base of the story has a lot of potential, the book is a quick read, but something is sadly missing. :(
Unfortunately this book was not for me.. The dialogues seemed robotic like two strangers talking not people who’ve been in love with each other their whole life.
The second chance part was sadly not well executed, since the apology is literally at the beginning of the book and they go straight back together. Its missing a lot of emotions unfortunately.
The base of the story has a lot of potential, the book is a quick read, but something is sadly missing. :(
July 31, 2024
I absolutely loved this book and was hooked from the beginning. When Callie described her town as ‘Stars Hallow’, I knew that I’d love this book. Who doesn’t love Gilmore Girls?! I absolutely love how Mason was in their teen years, and how much he loved Callie. The book was so well written that I could feel the pain in Callie when they left for college and broke up. What a small world that Callie would meet somebody who knew Mason, and they’d rekindle their relationship. This was such a cute love story and an easy read. I am a sucker for a Happily Ever After moment!
July 29, 2024
Lena Duke debut novel is a beautiful romance story about second chances. Your first love is special and when you get the chance to rekindle that love you are drawn in because of the intensity of those feelings. Every one wants a happily ever after love story and intertwined with the author’s own story, it is personal and dreamy. I am excited to read this author’s future books as she explores more than perfect love. I gave this a four star because some of the conversations did not flow for me.
December 8, 2024
A romance without spice??
I honestly was gonna read this because I somewhat know the author and wanted to support her in her journey. However I wasn't expecting no spice and me loving every minute of it. Their story was just the sweetest thing ever. I loved Cal and Mason. Lena you did an amazing job! Especially me being hooked on it without any hint of spice. Can't wait to see how your journey goes!
I honestly was gonna read this because I somewhat know the author and wanted to support her in her journey. However I wasn't expecting no spice and me loving every minute of it. Their story was just the sweetest thing ever. I loved Cal and Mason. Lena you did an amazing job! Especially me being hooked on it without any hint of spice. Can't wait to see how your journey goes!
August 8, 2024
the author is good and i would like to read more of her work. however where was the angst that comes with second chance and zero grovel here. so if you want something without these things, this book is for you. i didn't expect to read the plot being the opposite of a roller coaster, so it threw me off.
August 17, 2024
DNF 48% but largely skimmed after their coffee shop meeting.
The biggest issue for me is that there's just way too much useless informoration. There is step by steps for way too many inconsequential scenes.
The break up was pointless. The getting back together is boring so far. There's just not enough drama or will they won't they 🤷♀️ meh.
The biggest issue for me is that there's just way too much useless informoration. There is step by steps for way too many inconsequential scenes.
The break up was pointless. The getting back together is boring so far. There's just not enough drama or will they won't they 🤷♀️ meh.
August 19, 2024
I absolutely loved this book! I'm such a fan of Callie's and Mason's love story and how they found their way back to each other, human and romantic. Their first meeting made my heart jump, as did several other (or more like the whole book). Plus, the meaning behind the book title 🥹
Again, if you haven't checked this out yet, please do. You won't regret it.
Again, if you haven't checked this out yet, please do. You won't regret it.
August 3, 2024
Tropes:
High School Sweethearts
He Falls First
Second Chance
Small Town
Dual POV
Dual Timeline
Closed Door
This book had a dual timeline and I thought it really worked for the story. We get to see when Mason and Callie first met and important events throughout their relationship as teenagers and adults. We also get a dual pov. Sometimes the pov’s would overlap a little bit and I loved getting to see each character’s thoughts about certain situations.
Callie, was left heartbroken and I felt like she does a very good job handling Mason being back in town, especially after she decides to meet with him. She was very mature about the situation.
Mason, finally returning to his hometown after a long time, wants to make things right with Callie. He genuinely wants a second chance. Although, I was heartbroken for Callie and angry with him when he left, he did a great job showing he wanted to make things work.
They each had a great support system of friends and family to help them through their tough times and decisions.
I was engaged throughout the whole book and I would recommend!
Thank you Lena Duke for an advanced copy for an honest review.
High School Sweethearts
He Falls First
Second Chance
Small Town
Dual POV
Dual Timeline
Closed Door
This book had a dual timeline and I thought it really worked for the story. We get to see when Mason and Callie first met and important events throughout their relationship as teenagers and adults. We also get a dual pov. Sometimes the pov’s would overlap a little bit and I loved getting to see each character’s thoughts about certain situations.
Callie, was left heartbroken and I felt like she does a very good job handling Mason being back in town, especially after she decides to meet with him. She was very mature about the situation.
Mason, finally returning to his hometown after a long time, wants to make things right with Callie. He genuinely wants a second chance. Although, I was heartbroken for Callie and angry with him when he left, he did a great job showing he wanted to make things work.
They each had a great support system of friends and family to help them through their tough times and decisions.
I was engaged throughout the whole book and I would recommend!
Thank you Lena Duke for an advanced copy for an honest review.
July 28, 2024
I liked the first half of the book, but the second half seemed long. Mason is a lawyer and his legal cases and experience in Court were not believable. The love story was very cheesy. Details were not consistent throughout the second half.
August 1, 2024
I really enjoyed being able to see Callie and Mason's journey from beginning to end! I like that it touched on some of the struggles of long distance relationships because I've definitely been there. Overall, I enjoyed the book but wish that some of the transitions were a little bit smoother.
August 26, 2024
This book was like a cozy hug and a warm cup of coffee. A simple and lovely story about people loving and learning and growing through life. I loved it.
August 14, 2024
I truly love a young love romance...🩷 There is something so nostalgic about reading about those feelings of young love, where everything is fresh and new 🥹
Callie & Mason’s story spans over time… they were high school sweethearts until Mason broke her heart 💔 15 years later… Mason comes back into Callie’s life wanting one thing, and one thing only: a second chance.
Beautifully written… “Lena Duke” has a wonderful way of enveloping the reader in all the emotions that come with heartbreak, grief, and unrequited love, and ultimately finding a way to navigate “adult life” with the love of your life 🫶🏼
I almost read this book in one sitting before realizing it was 2AM… 😅
Callie & Mason’s story spans over time… they were high school sweethearts until Mason broke her heart 💔 15 years later… Mason comes back into Callie’s life wanting one thing, and one thing only: a second chance.
Beautifully written… “Lena Duke” has a wonderful way of enveloping the reader in all the emotions that come with heartbreak, grief, and unrequited love, and ultimately finding a way to navigate “adult life” with the love of your life 🫶🏼
I almost read this book in one sitting before realizing it was 2AM… 😅
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews