I am officially sold. I was expecting this to be a good read, as Kate's books always are, but this one may just be my favourite! I enjoyed how fast the book seemed to go by, but honestly I enjoyed it so much that I could have easily read hundreds more pages—which I attribute to the author's writing style, which is so inviting in the sense of being somewhat conversational, in a way.
The start was a bit wordy with not a lot of hooking action, with a lot of internal dialogue and a slightly repetitive structure, but I couldn't really dwell on this much, as by the time the action kicked off, I felt like I knew the characters intimately. I immediately felt connected to them and was invested in their story from the get go. Another thing is that I usually do not vibe with insta-attraction (like, I've never liked it in another book before). I was almost trying to find a reason to hate it here, but I just couldn't! It worked so well for Mia and the story. Speaking of Mia, the relationship dynamic between her and her fathers was one of my favourite parts. Seeing a grown adult with such a close, healthy bond with their parents is so rare in books, and I absolutely loved every second of it. Thinking of my favourite things about the characters, I have also got to point out the humour. There was one line in particular that caught me so off-guard I took the biggest breath of my life as I fought my laughter.
The Australian setting was another element I really felt added depth to the story and in particular to the characters and their lives. It was perfectly portrayed by Kate, though again this is something I knew she was going to nail. I could just imagine all the views! Speaking of views, can we talk about the scene break images? They were absolute perfection and so pretty.
If I had to nitpick, some of the plot events near the ending felt a little out of the blue. I would have loved a bit more emphasis on the "why" behind certain character choices, but in a way, it worked. it made the story feel like a genuine snapshot of real life where things aren't always perfectly explained.
In all, if I haven't sold you on this book, uhmm, what else do I need to say? It is definitely worth picking up! I will genuinely be recommending this to so many people. I absolutely cannot wait to see what Kate produces next, as her books certainly have a way of taking a hold of my heart and attention.