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They All Fall in Love at the End: A Novel
Cat St. Clair is ready for her messy love triangle era now that she’s in an open relationship. But she didn’t foresee a forbidden love triangle with the only two people who are her boyfriend’s best friend and his girlfriend. Being a twenty-something writer who lives for plot, she falls for them anyway, with deliciously disastrous consequences, in this electric literary debut for fans of Xochitl Gonzalez, Coco Mellors, Lily King, and Raven Leilani.
It’s the fall of 2024, and twenty-four-year-old Cat isn’t asking for too all she wants is three boyfriends, to write her little novels, and to survive another chaotic presidential election. She’s in an open relationship with her college sweetheart Jay, but nonmonogamy isn’t just a hot trend she’s trying. It’s her sliver of freedom in a world eager to wrestle it from her for being a Black woman going after what she wants with reckless abandon.
While political tensions roil the campus where Cat is slowly earning her creative writing degree, she finds herself drawn to Jay’s best friend, Tristan, who’s smart, super hot, and…in a monogamous relationship. And then she meets Tristan’s girlfriend, Nia, a captivating art student with her own gravitational pull.
Friends and family urge her to just be happy with Jay, but Cat is determined to have it all—or blow up her life trying. As she falls for all the wrong people, racking up lies, betrayals, and terrible drafts of her novel, she tries to write her way to a happy ending. But in art, politics, and love, true liberation may take more than rewriting the old scripts. It may mean inventing something entirely new.
It’s the fall of 2024, and twenty-four-year-old Cat isn’t asking for too all she wants is three boyfriends, to write her little novels, and to survive another chaotic presidential election. She’s in an open relationship with her college sweetheart Jay, but nonmonogamy isn’t just a hot trend she’s trying. It’s her sliver of freedom in a world eager to wrestle it from her for being a Black woman going after what she wants with reckless abandon.
While political tensions roil the campus where Cat is slowly earning her creative writing degree, she finds herself drawn to Jay’s best friend, Tristan, who’s smart, super hot, and…in a monogamous relationship. And then she meets Tristan’s girlfriend, Nia, a captivating art student with her own gravitational pull.
Friends and family urge her to just be happy with Jay, but Cat is determined to have it all—or blow up her life trying. As she falls for all the wrong people, racking up lies, betrayals, and terrible drafts of her novel, she tries to write her way to a happy ending. But in art, politics, and love, true liberation may take more than rewriting the old scripts. It may mean inventing something entirely new.
Audible Audio
First published June 2, 2026
About the author
Haili Blassingame
1 book57 followersHi!! I write literary and book club fiction about love, desire, and the decisions that feel impossible to make starring plucky, loud-mouth female protagonists of color. My debut is called THEY ALL FALL IN LOVE AT THE END. It has a hot-pink cover that I love more than most things in this world. I'm a producer for 1A, a show from NPR and WAMU. I've written a New York Times Modern Love essay about breaking up with my boyfriend and a piece in The New Republic about Kamala Harris and Gretchen Whitmer. I was in an MFA program in Creative Writing but didn't finish. I live in Washington, D.C with my 10,000 books and no bookshelf.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 97 reviews
June 30, 2026
all i ever want to read is literary romance
(thanks to the author for the arc)
(thanks to the author for the arc)
June 20, 2026
Thoughts while reading:
Blassingame has a way with words! Literary romance may be my way to enjoy the genre.
She said "he dragged his tongue up my throat." 🤢 Not to yuck their yum, but that gave golden retriever in the worst way and I needed a minute to collect myself.😂
This is interesting to read, but wow is Cat a mess. Sleeping with her boyfriend's best friend, without bf's awareness/consent/approval??? Guys, I don't think this is a mono vs poly thing, that's just really really mean cheating. This is his childhood best friend, FIFTEEN YEARS of friendship and they're sneaking around behind his back? Wow, poor Jay.
Okay, y'all, I cannot date with the Gen Z's. Thank goodness I'm married.😭 This sounds exhausting.
(very well written book though).
Particularly from the midpoint on, the story does a really great job of capturing the insanity of 2024/2025 politically. Especially in her email exchanges with the Gazan academic she bought a tree from, there were really interesting conversations and thought-provoking moments.
This meaningful political discussion juxtaposed with her messy personal drama was such a realistic portrayal of life (and especially student life, as students have historically been very political… but they’re also horny new adults).
The political side ended up being more interesting to me than Cat’s relationship paradigm and I wanted more of that! Like when Cat, an American student, tells the Gazan, a man living in an active war zone, that she was only in the US because people brought her (she said “me” not “my ancestors”) against her will, he took her literally because in his life the horror is active.
I want to be crystal clear, because internet reading comprehension can be poor: SLAVERY IS TERRIBLE. Black people today continue to experience disadvantages and generational trauma, and those wrongs against humanity are wrong.
What I’m pointing at in this conversation is the American tendency to demand perfection (which is awesome!) that leads us to talk in hyperbole, forgetting that the extremes we’re painting to prove our points are reality in other parts of the world.
Anyway, this would make great book talk fodder and there’s the option to keep it light (thoughts on her likening having only one partner as a poly person to forcing a lesbian to date a man 👀🤐) or dive into the larger political discussion.
Final note: as a Zimbabwean-American first gen I love that Zimbabwe was the random country she chose. 🇿🇼 🤌🏽
Blassingame has a way with words! Literary romance may be my way to enjoy the genre.
She said "he dragged his tongue up my throat." 🤢 Not to yuck their yum, but that gave golden retriever in the worst way and I needed a minute to collect myself.😂
This is interesting to read, but wow is Cat a mess. Sleeping with her boyfriend's best friend, without bf's awareness/consent/approval??? Guys, I don't think this is a mono vs poly thing, that's just really really mean cheating. This is his childhood best friend, FIFTEEN YEARS of friendship and they're sneaking around behind his back? Wow, poor Jay.
Okay, y'all, I cannot date with the Gen Z's. Thank goodness I'm married.😭 This sounds exhausting.
(very well written book though).
Particularly from the midpoint on, the story does a really great job of capturing the insanity of 2024/2025 politically. Especially in her email exchanges with the Gazan academic she bought a tree from, there were really interesting conversations and thought-provoking moments.
This meaningful political discussion juxtaposed with her messy personal drama was such a realistic portrayal of life (and especially student life, as students have historically been very political… but they’re also horny new adults).
The political side ended up being more interesting to me than Cat’s relationship paradigm and I wanted more of that! Like when Cat, an American student, tells the Gazan, a man living in an active war zone, that she was only in the US because people brought her (she said “me” not “my ancestors”) against her will, he took her literally because in his life the horror is active.
I want to be crystal clear, because internet reading comprehension can be poor: SLAVERY IS TERRIBLE. Black people today continue to experience disadvantages and generational trauma, and those wrongs against humanity are wrong.
What I’m pointing at in this conversation is the American tendency to demand perfection (which is awesome!) that leads us to talk in hyperbole, forgetting that the extremes we’re painting to prove our points are reality in other parts of the world.
Anyway, this would make great book talk fodder and there’s the option to keep it light (thoughts on her likening having only one partner as a poly person to forcing a lesbian to date a man 👀🤐) or dive into the larger political discussion.
Final note: as a Zimbabwean-American first gen I love that Zimbabwe was the random country she chose. 🇿🇼 🤌🏽
June 7, 2026
Thank you Scribner for sending me a free copy!
4.75 stars
This book took me on a reading journey I was not expecting, but that turned out to be a great thing. I had anticipated a typical messy love triangle type story but it was so much more than that. My memory fades when it comes to most books, but this one is sticking with me.
Cat is a 24 year old Black woman pursuing a creative writing degree at Howard University in Washington D.C.. She dated her boyfriend, Jay, for years before asking for an open relationship and he reluctantly agreed. Cat is now finding herself drawn to Jay’s best friend, Tristan, and Tristan’s girlfriend, Nia. The story is set against the background of the 2024 U.S. presidential election and the aftermath of all the policies and actions by the government since then.
I love how the author approached writing Cat as she gave her depth. She could be strong with her convictions but in other areas she is seemingly walking around aimlessly. It was a gripping read and I appreciate how the story examined what’s been going on in this country and abroad since the 2024 election.
I always struggle to articulate why I loved a book so much. Please just take my word for it that this is a literary fiction book worth checking out.
4.75 stars
This book took me on a reading journey I was not expecting, but that turned out to be a great thing. I had anticipated a typical messy love triangle type story but it was so much more than that. My memory fades when it comes to most books, but this one is sticking with me.
Cat is a 24 year old Black woman pursuing a creative writing degree at Howard University in Washington D.C.. She dated her boyfriend, Jay, for years before asking for an open relationship and he reluctantly agreed. Cat is now finding herself drawn to Jay’s best friend, Tristan, and Tristan’s girlfriend, Nia. The story is set against the background of the 2024 U.S. presidential election and the aftermath of all the policies and actions by the government since then.
I love how the author approached writing Cat as she gave her depth. She could be strong with her convictions but in other areas she is seemingly walking around aimlessly. It was a gripping read and I appreciate how the story examined what’s been going on in this country and abroad since the 2024 election.
I always struggle to articulate why I loved a book so much. Please just take my word for it that this is a literary fiction book worth checking out.
May 22, 2026
i need someone smarter than me to read this so we can talk about the ending
June 5, 2026
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review. This book was a perfect example writing in a modern setting without beating you over the head with references . Being set in 2025 it would’ve been very easy to add random references to the political landscape we live in without adding any extra commentary and allowing the reader to fill in the blanks. The main character had clear opinions and even though unlikeable at times was super understandable. I don’t read many books featuring polyamory but I felt this was written in a very natural way. This book is for sure a love story but not a romance so don’t go in expecting that. I enjoyed the ending but some of it was a bit rushed. The open ending worked really well here and I definitely recommend this.
June 24, 2026
3.5? i thought i would love this more than i did, but i loved the writing
March 23, 2026
if supporting women’s rights and wrongs was a book
March 29, 2026
5⭐️ i need this on my tv screen. this book was a beautiful mix of pain and pleasure. reading it while all the same atrocities are still happening down to the bachelor being messy was frightening.
Haili has a way of making the next sentence, paragraph and page even more addicting than the last and i inhaled this book.
I was giggling, shaking my head, blinking away mist in my eye.
This should be just as big as Normal People. But not because it’s or Haili is trying to imitate NP or Sally but because it’s a love story in the middle of life happening, the dark and the frightening.
Cat may not be for everyone but she’s for me.
Haili has a way of making the next sentence, paragraph and page even more addicting than the last and i inhaled this book.
I was giggling, shaking my head, blinking away mist in my eye.
This should be just as big as Normal People. But not because it’s or Haili is trying to imitate NP or Sally but because it’s a love story in the middle of life happening, the dark and the frightening.
Cat may not be for everyone but she’s for me.
June 2, 2026
This book will stick with me for a long time and it encompasses everything that I love about literary fiction. While I would not call this a romance, it is definitely lit fic with a romantic relationship in it. They All Fall in Love at the End is a story that takes place in present-day DC, set against the backdrop of the tumultuous 2024 election season. Cat St. Clair, a 24-year-old graduate student pursuing an MFA in creative writing, is trying to navigate her open relationship when she develops feelings for her boyfriend’s best friend and his girlfriend. As her personal and family relationships begin to unravel, Cat is forced to confront what liberation and happiness might truly mean for her.
This literary debut was so spectacularly messy and I had such a hard time putting it down. It's rare for me to fall in love with characters almost immediately after starting a book, but that's how I felt with this one, especially with Cat. As someone who loves to write, the way in which she processes her own relationships and that of her parents through the written word really resonated with me, especially during the 2024 election. Blassingame was working magic with her writing and I was in awe the entire time.
A few particularly poignant quotes that stuck with me:
"I don't think I'm good actually. But what choice do I have to be anything else?"
"But why should I have to make up fake people for someone to care about real ones?"
"There was no more room in my heart for worry, so I only hoped."
I highly recommend giving this a read. It's for sure one of my favorites of 2026 and I look forward to more by Blassingame.
This literary debut was so spectacularly messy and I had such a hard time putting it down. It's rare for me to fall in love with characters almost immediately after starting a book, but that's how I felt with this one, especially with Cat. As someone who loves to write, the way in which she processes her own relationships and that of her parents through the written word really resonated with me, especially during the 2024 election. Blassingame was working magic with her writing and I was in awe the entire time.
A few particularly poignant quotes that stuck with me:
"I don't think I'm good actually. But what choice do I have to be anything else?"
"But why should I have to make up fake people for someone to care about real ones?"
"There was no more room in my heart for worry, so I only hoped."
I highly recommend giving this a read. It's for sure one of my favorites of 2026 and I look forward to more by Blassingame.
December 2, 2025
I think I expected a different kind of story. Not in a bad way. This one lives closer to politics, community, and the mess of the real world. Sometimes I wondered if I was missing the point. I loved Jay. I liked Nia. I understood Tristan. Cat, though, pushed every anxious part of me. Maybe staying true to what you want is always hard. The book wrestles with desire, duty, and that pull between who we are and who we think we should become. I felt the weight Cat carries. It pressed on me too. It made me wonder if we are all a little tired inside. The world feels cracked. Do we fight harder or just try to stay afloat. When institutions make choices driven by money and pressure, it is hard to believe in anything steady. And yet perspective shifts when you talk to someone far away. The questions linger. What is the right ending. What is the right life. Do we reject ourselves before anyone else can. Do we bend to fit in. This book stirred a lot in me, even when I wasn’t sure I understood every angle. It left me curious. And unsettled. And thinking.
Thank you NetGalley and Scribner for the ARC!
Thank you NetGalley and Scribner for the ARC!
June 8, 2026
thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced digital copy!
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this book is about cat st. clair, a twenty four year old black writer at howard university who convinces her boyfriend jay to open their relationship and then immediately falls for his best friend tristan and tristan's girlfriend nia. it's set against the 2024 election and everything that comes after.
i think i'm maybe not woke enough for this one because i spent a lot of it frustrated. cat insists that jay not wanting to be polyamorous is a violation of her personhood and i get the impulse but you can't make someone want something they don't want just because you want it. that's not liberation, that's coercion. and then she sleeps with his best friend anyway and calls it growth. the relationship stuff felt less like radical self exploration and more like she just wanted permission to do what she was going to do regardless and got annoyed when people had feelings about it.
the political thread was more interesting to me. the election. the aftermath. the realization that the result means bad things for so many of us. the way educational institutions teach about genocide while expelling their own students for protesting one. that part felt real and urgent and grounded. but it never quite connected to the relationship stuff in a way that made the book feel whole. it was like two different novels sharing a cover. the political sections made me want to sit with them longer and the relationship sections made me want to shake someone.
cat is messy and selfish and the book knows that. i'll give it that. but knowing it and doing something with it are different things and i'm not sure the ending earns the introspection it reaches for. interesting debut. didn't quite land for me.
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this book is about cat st. clair, a twenty four year old black writer at howard university who convinces her boyfriend jay to open their relationship and then immediately falls for his best friend tristan and tristan's girlfriend nia. it's set against the 2024 election and everything that comes after.
i think i'm maybe not woke enough for this one because i spent a lot of it frustrated. cat insists that jay not wanting to be polyamorous is a violation of her personhood and i get the impulse but you can't make someone want something they don't want just because you want it. that's not liberation, that's coercion. and then she sleeps with his best friend anyway and calls it growth. the relationship stuff felt less like radical self exploration and more like she just wanted permission to do what she was going to do regardless and got annoyed when people had feelings about it.
the political thread was more interesting to me. the election. the aftermath. the realization that the result means bad things for so many of us. the way educational institutions teach about genocide while expelling their own students for protesting one. that part felt real and urgent and grounded. but it never quite connected to the relationship stuff in a way that made the book feel whole. it was like two different novels sharing a cover. the political sections made me want to sit with them longer and the relationship sections made me want to shake someone.
cat is messy and selfish and the book knows that. i'll give it that. but knowing it and doing something with it are different things and i'm not sure the ending earns the introspection it reaches for. interesting debut. didn't quite land for me.
June 15, 2026
I read this book as a pride month pick and while undoubtedly the central theme is based around Cat’s desire to be polyamourous and focuses on her sexual relationships with different people of different genders there is so much more to the story than that.
The novel deals with relationships, love, family trauma, racism, politics, education, growth and what I think is most important … finding yourself amongst it all.
The novel deals with relationships, love, family trauma, racism, politics, education, growth and what I think is most important … finding yourself amongst it all.
June 22, 2026
This book made me feel old. Also, my expectations were off - I went in thinking it'd be a fun romance vibe, and instead got a Gen Z 20-something grappling with her messy decisions around polyamory, politics, and general angst about the world in the 2020s.
June 8, 2026
felt like i was going insane while reading this
June 29, 2026
4.75 stars
This was such a great read! The story follows Cat St. Clair, a twenty-something writer pursuing her MFA while navigating an open relationship that turns into a messy and forbidden love triangle. Along the way, she’s also dealing with complicated family dynamics and the chaos that has ensued after the 2024 election.
One of my favorite things about this book was how well it captured the essence of Gen Z, at least as I understand them. It also feels like one of those novels that people will be able to look back on years from now to get a sense of the political anxiety and uncertainty of this moment in time. I also loved that it was set in DC, which is one of my favorite cities. (I actually started reading it while I was on vacation in DC, but because we stayed so busy, I didn’t get to read most of it until I was back home.)
I really loved Cat as a character. She was messy, flawed, and still trying to figure herself out, and I appreciated watching her explore what she wanted and who she was becoming. I know there’s a lot of focus on how messy this book is, and it definitely is, but I think there’s so much more to it than that. (But don’t get me wrong, I was fully invested in the mess!)
Even though I understand that the relationships weren’t really the point of the novel, I did find myself wanting a little more closure on that front. Still, I had a great time with this one. On top of all the great social commentary, it’s also really funny. I’ll definitely be reading whatever Haili Blassingame writes next.
This was such a great read! The story follows Cat St. Clair, a twenty-something writer pursuing her MFA while navigating an open relationship that turns into a messy and forbidden love triangle. Along the way, she’s also dealing with complicated family dynamics and the chaos that has ensued after the 2024 election.
One of my favorite things about this book was how well it captured the essence of Gen Z, at least as I understand them. It also feels like one of those novels that people will be able to look back on years from now to get a sense of the political anxiety and uncertainty of this moment in time. I also loved that it was set in DC, which is one of my favorite cities. (I actually started reading it while I was on vacation in DC, but because we stayed so busy, I didn’t get to read most of it until I was back home.)
I really loved Cat as a character. She was messy, flawed, and still trying to figure herself out, and I appreciated watching her explore what she wanted and who she was becoming. I know there’s a lot of focus on how messy this book is, and it definitely is, but I think there’s so much more to it than that. (But don’t get me wrong, I was fully invested in the mess!)
Even though I understand that the relationships weren’t really the point of the novel, I did find myself wanting a little more closure on that front. Still, I had a great time with this one. On top of all the great social commentary, it’s also really funny. I’ll definitely be reading whatever Haili Blassingame writes next.
Read
June 21, 2026hilarious and accurate and heartbreaking depiction of what it was like being a young adult in 2024 (election, palestine, etc.) and trying to stay afloat while it feels like the world is melting around you. it’s also about someone navigating polyamory, though i’m not sure if it explored it as much as i would have wanted it to. the way everything concluded didn’t feel as strong as the rest of the book
June 2, 2026
I think it’s safe to say that I’m joining so many others who have read this and can’t stop thinking about it. This debut represents everything I LOVE about literary fiction, specifically, literary romance.
This is a character driven story told amidst the very real chaos of present day DC. T*ump is president and the world is on fire as Cat, our protagonist, navigates the demands of her MFA program, the complicated dynamics at home, and the MESS of her romantic relationships with Jay, her boyfriend, his best friend, Tristan, and his girlfriend, Nia.
I was often reminded of how we are expected to move through the world despite the incredibly chaotic nature of what we experience on a daily basis. At times, that reality is in our faces, then it’s in our peripheral view as we find other distractions, but it’s always present—inescapable in its harshness and the many ways in which it permeates the fabric of our lives. Coupled with the ways in which society demands we conform to its norms and ideals, this one calls for serious introspection and makes the case for choosing yourself, your truth, over that of others—without guilt. Without doubt. Without regrets.
This is easily on the same level as a Sally Rooney or Lily King novel, but I can also say with full confidence, that this one is deserving of taking up its own space. As someone who is working on their own manuscripts, I can only hope to write with the same unapologetic voice Blassingame uses.
A new favorite 💕
This is a character driven story told amidst the very real chaos of present day DC. T*ump is president and the world is on fire as Cat, our protagonist, navigates the demands of her MFA program, the complicated dynamics at home, and the MESS of her romantic relationships with Jay, her boyfriend, his best friend, Tristan, and his girlfriend, Nia.
I was often reminded of how we are expected to move through the world despite the incredibly chaotic nature of what we experience on a daily basis. At times, that reality is in our faces, then it’s in our peripheral view as we find other distractions, but it’s always present—inescapable in its harshness and the many ways in which it permeates the fabric of our lives. Coupled with the ways in which society demands we conform to its norms and ideals, this one calls for serious introspection and makes the case for choosing yourself, your truth, over that of others—without guilt. Without doubt. Without regrets.
This is easily on the same level as a Sally Rooney or Lily King novel, but I can also say with full confidence, that this one is deserving of taking up its own space. As someone who is working on their own manuscripts, I can only hope to write with the same unapologetic voice Blassingame uses.
A new favorite 💕
June 17, 2026
Hits too close to reality that I have not gone through emotionally yet 🥲
June 10, 2026
the political undertones in this book are absolutely gorgeous and the way this story was written was so beautiful.
June 3, 2026
** some light spoilers below**
This book is absolutely stunning. I received a free ARC copy from a Goodreads giveaway, what a jerk I am not finishing it until it's pub day! It wasn't what I expected, it was so much better than anything I imagined. The exquisite pain of watching Cat make decisions and knowing how much each one is going to hurt her, but being an audience of the story and only being able to watch it unfold.
On a technical note, I thought the short chapter format worked exceptionally well for this book. It made the pace fast and interesting, that pace made it feel like we were living each moment with Cat.
Initially I was struck by how much younger than her chronological age Cat acted, at 26 I was married, at 27 I had a baby! But I'm an elder millennial and I enjoyed getting this younger generation perspective on how the COVID pandemic and shutdown really effected developmental and social growth among people younger than I am. Cat in her mid/late 20's acted like I did in my earlier 20's, her mother saying that both Cat and her father are grown and need to figure their money/housing/lives out is both true and incorrect to what I read into the story. The revelation at the end of the book about what happened with her fathers parents when he was young made such a great commentary on why his growth and development became stunted - why, like his daughter, he did not act "grown."
I am generally not a fan of the ambiguous ending, but this one worked perfectly. How much of the story was true, and how much was part of Cat's semi-autobiographical novel? That the book wasn't about will they/won't they, messy love triangle, who will she end up with nonsense it was perfect that she's married at the end but we're not explicitly told who she is married to. I know who I think it is, or maybe it's just who I want it to be. Or maybe she isn't married and that was just part of the book she gave Janine to read. We don't know and that's delightful!!
This book is absolutely stunning. I received a free ARC copy from a Goodreads giveaway, what a jerk I am not finishing it until it's pub day! It wasn't what I expected, it was so much better than anything I imagined. The exquisite pain of watching Cat make decisions and knowing how much each one is going to hurt her, but being an audience of the story and only being able to watch it unfold.
On a technical note, I thought the short chapter format worked exceptionally well for this book. It made the pace fast and interesting, that pace made it feel like we were living each moment with Cat.
Initially I was struck by how much younger than her chronological age Cat acted, at 26 I was married, at 27 I had a baby! But I'm an elder millennial and I enjoyed getting this younger generation perspective on how the COVID pandemic and shutdown really effected developmental and social growth among people younger than I am. Cat in her mid/late 20's acted like I did in my earlier 20's, her mother saying that both Cat and her father are grown and need to figure their money/housing/lives out is both true and incorrect to what I read into the story. The revelation at the end of the book about what happened with her fathers parents when he was young made such a great commentary on why his growth and development became stunted - why, like his daughter, he did not act "grown."
I am generally not a fan of the ambiguous ending, but this one worked perfectly. How much of the story was true, and how much was part of Cat's semi-autobiographical novel? That the book wasn't about will they/won't they, messy love triangle, who will she end up with nonsense it was perfect that she's married at the end but we're not explicitly told who she is married to. I know who I think it is, or maybe it's just who I want it to be. Or maybe she isn't married and that was just part of the book she gave Janine to read. We don't know and that's delightful!!
June 20, 2026
4.25
A messy, unique, and non-traditional love story - this is one for the literary romance lovers. ‘They all fall in love at the end’ follows creative writing student, cat, as she explores non-monogamy in an open relationship with her longtime boyfriend Jay. Though when Jay’s best friend, Tristan, and his girlfriend, Nia, enter the scene, it gets very messy very quickly. And it was so fun to read about!
Somehow i actually liked all of the love interests and didn’t know which one i was rooting for, and i think this was the point. Though, my feelings toward Cat were constantly changing as I sympathised with her but also struggled to understand some of her decisions as sometimes she seemed quite hypocritical. But it did explore polyamory as an identity in a way I’ve never read before so i think i just need to learn to be more understanding.
I also enjoyed the political backdrop on which these relationships were set. Following the Tr*mp election result in 2024, the book touches on Palestine, ICE, and the way that this impacts a smaller university with little power to fight back. So evidently, the book gets dark and sad but it was so incisive. It was also such a funny read, like i was giggling aloud a lot! If you want to feel this whirlwind of emotions, I would recommend this book!
A messy, unique, and non-traditional love story - this is one for the literary romance lovers. ‘They all fall in love at the end’ follows creative writing student, cat, as she explores non-monogamy in an open relationship with her longtime boyfriend Jay. Though when Jay’s best friend, Tristan, and his girlfriend, Nia, enter the scene, it gets very messy very quickly. And it was so fun to read about!
Somehow i actually liked all of the love interests and didn’t know which one i was rooting for, and i think this was the point. Though, my feelings toward Cat were constantly changing as I sympathised with her but also struggled to understand some of her decisions as sometimes she seemed quite hypocritical. But it did explore polyamory as an identity in a way I’ve never read before so i think i just need to learn to be more understanding.
I also enjoyed the political backdrop on which these relationships were set. Following the Tr*mp election result in 2024, the book touches on Palestine, ICE, and the way that this impacts a smaller university with little power to fight back. So evidently, the book gets dark and sad but it was so incisive. It was also such a funny read, like i was giggling aloud a lot! If you want to feel this whirlwind of emotions, I would recommend this book!
June 18, 2026
I really loved this! I loved Cat as a character and she really came out of the pages with her personality and her story. I was really rooting for her the whole time. I loved how the politics was written into this as well. That ending though????? i have so many more questions!!!
July 2, 2026
A very well written novel. I wish there had a bit more romance-y scenes, but surprisingly enjoyed the political aspects.
June 11, 2026
Really enjoyed the political commentary but the rest was just ok. Plot was super slow tbh and looking back now, not much happens besides political stuff. Had a hard time getting into this and didn’t really care what happened to any of the characters. Interesting ending but I do feel like a lot of things went unresolved/were left vague (which I think might have been the point, but I hate when books do that, I need closure). Ok book but not my fav.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 6, 2026
Cat has convinced her boyfriend, Jay, to opening up their relationship, but what happens when she finds sparks with Jay's best friend and his girlfriend- can Cat have it all? You may be able to guess the answer lol. but this was an entertaining read regardless.
I enjoyed Cat's messy journey of self-discovery in regards to both her desires and her writing. She makes a lot of frustrating, selfish decisions but it does make for a juicy, can't look away story, and she does have some growth by the end of the book.
I didn't love the fact that so much of current-day/recent events were involved in the story (ie Trump being re-elected, the genocide in Gaza, etc). It's already hard enough every day to deal with the ongoing events in our country and the world and the reliving it all was validating but not something | enjoyed. This is probably a me issue- I've seen reviews appreciating this aspect of the story. Also- I didn't understand the point of Trump's name being bleeped out. That felt like an odd choice to me.
If you enjoy messy FMCs and spice and don’t mind re-living current events in your stories I say give this one a read!
I enjoyed Cat's messy journey of self-discovery in regards to both her desires and her writing. She makes a lot of frustrating, selfish decisions but it does make for a juicy, can't look away story, and she does have some growth by the end of the book.
I didn't love the fact that so much of current-day/recent events were involved in the story (ie Trump being re-elected, the genocide in Gaza, etc). It's already hard enough every day to deal with the ongoing events in our country and the world and the reliving it all was validating but not something | enjoyed. This is probably a me issue- I've seen reviews appreciating this aspect of the story. Also- I didn't understand the point of Trump's name being bleeped out. That felt like an odd choice to me.
If you enjoy messy FMCs and spice and don’t mind re-living current events in your stories I say give this one a read!
June 25, 2026
The book might be good for 20-somethings (and usually I like these books) but not for older people. Or, it's just boring.
June 27, 2026
Current events fanfiction
July 4, 2026
If you are looking for a quick read filled with bits and pieces of our society’s recent events, yet still light and entertaining, you will want to read Haili Blassingame’s They All Fall in Love at the End. The story follows Cat, short for Catherine, who is a struggling server and creative writing MFA student in Washington, D.C., and has an “interesting” love life. Cat is a member of the polyamory community and has persuaded her boyfriend, Jay, that an open relationship is what works best for them. There are so many instances of exploration that occur in Cat’s love life. A couple of those occurrences happen between Cat and Tristan, Jay’s best friend, as well as Tristan’s girlfriend, Nia. With the addition of a backdrop of true events that have occurred since the second Trump administration, Cat gets involved in so many situations that are both political and personal which affect her life in so many ways.
Although so much occurs in this book, it is not too much that the reader cannot keep up. In fact, this story kept my attention the entire time as I read. Each little event made the story even more interesting. For example, the part where Cat’s mother questions Cat about her polyamorous lifestyle after her aunt who promised not to tell yet spills the beans is very hilarious. It is also symbolic of the views on alternative sexual preferences that vary among different generations. I did want more of a focus on the relationships, situationships and the polyamorous lifestyle experience and less of the politically driven events. On a lighter note, I like how Tristan shares my same appreciation for the flat portion of a chicken wing. LOL.
While I like how unique each character is written, surprisingly, there is no character that I would consider to be my favorite. During my reading of the story, I wanted Cat to succeed in every challenging situation she encountered, yet I did not like her. I feel she is selfish in wanting her way of having an open relationship. Though Jay agrees, he really does not want it. Jay is the good guy and the kind of man most women desire: kind, patient, and thoughtful, but Cat takes him for granted. I wanted to hit Cat upside her head for that. However, I cannot blame her for being true to herself and pursuing what she feels is right for her through exploring polyamory.
The tone is appropriate for this novel. The first person point of view allows me to see the world through Cat’s eyes. It is very realistic of a young adult woman trying to find her way in the world while facing challenges that some her age would face. In terms of style, the mix of the standard manuscript format with the screenplay format does work and adds a unique element to the story. Although I am not entirely sure why Blassingame chose to write a few of the chapters in screenplay format, I believe it represents how Cat may see her life as a movie. Blassingame does a wonderful job of describing the experience of living with depression through Tristan’s lenses. “You have lots of friends, you want things…Then one day, you’re just tired. Not sleepy, tired. You don’t want anything” (Blassingame 144). Blassingame gives a visual of depression and how it is a descent from happiness and a desire for life to sadness and no desire at all just from this excerpt alone.
What I believe is the overarching theme in this book is the search for identity. Cat is trying to figure out who she is through writing, sexuality, her thoughts on polygamy versus monogamy, and her relationships with Jay, Tristan and Nia. Cat’s mother, Dorinda, leaves her old life with Cat’s father, Joel, and steps into a fresh, new life.
Although so much occurs in this book, it is not too much that the reader cannot keep up. In fact, this story kept my attention the entire time as I read. Each little event made the story even more interesting. For example, the part where Cat’s mother questions Cat about her polyamorous lifestyle after her aunt who promised not to tell yet spills the beans is very hilarious. It is also symbolic of the views on alternative sexual preferences that vary among different generations. I did want more of a focus on the relationships, situationships and the polyamorous lifestyle experience and less of the politically driven events. On a lighter note, I like how Tristan shares my same appreciation for the flat portion of a chicken wing. LOL.
While I like how unique each character is written, surprisingly, there is no character that I would consider to be my favorite. During my reading of the story, I wanted Cat to succeed in every challenging situation she encountered, yet I did not like her. I feel she is selfish in wanting her way of having an open relationship. Though Jay agrees, he really does not want it. Jay is the good guy and the kind of man most women desire: kind, patient, and thoughtful, but Cat takes him for granted. I wanted to hit Cat upside her head for that. However, I cannot blame her for being true to herself and pursuing what she feels is right for her through exploring polyamory.
The tone is appropriate for this novel. The first person point of view allows me to see the world through Cat’s eyes. It is very realistic of a young adult woman trying to find her way in the world while facing challenges that some her age would face. In terms of style, the mix of the standard manuscript format with the screenplay format does work and adds a unique element to the story. Although I am not entirely sure why Blassingame chose to write a few of the chapters in screenplay format, I believe it represents how Cat may see her life as a movie. Blassingame does a wonderful job of describing the experience of living with depression through Tristan’s lenses. “You have lots of friends, you want things…Then one day, you’re just tired. Not sleepy, tired. You don’t want anything” (Blassingame 144). Blassingame gives a visual of depression and how it is a descent from happiness and a desire for life to sadness and no desire at all just from this excerpt alone.
What I believe is the overarching theme in this book is the search for identity. Cat is trying to figure out who she is through writing, sexuality, her thoughts on polygamy versus monogamy, and her relationships with Jay, Tristan and Nia. Cat’s mother, Dorinda, leaves her old life with Cat’s father, Joel, and steps into a fresh, new life.
June 5, 2026
4 / 5 Star
This book was so fascinating in the most complimentary way possible. It’s about Cat, a 24 year old living in DC, who just opened her relationship with her boyfriend of seven years. He was hesitant to do so, but Cat knows for herself that having an open relationship is what she needs. As she navigates trying to become a writer, living with her parents in their messy dynamic, and trying to survive the current administration, she starts to fall for the two people she shouldn’t: Jay’s best friend, Tristan, and Tristan’s girlfriend, Nia.
Every single one of the characters in this book was really fully formed, complex, and messy in their own way. The author did an amazing job of fully fleshing out every character without it taking away from Cat, our protagonist. And she did an amazing job of showing how their lives shift and mold when they each collide with each other. Knowing Tristan changes Cat. Knowing Cat changes Nia. Knowing Nia changes Cat and Tristan. Everyone is intertwined and intersecting in really interesting ways.
I really enjoyed Cat as the protagonist. She was funny (and the author’s writing is super funny) but I just admired her conviction in herself that having an open relationship was the right thing even if the consequence hurt. Were her actions messy? Absolutely. (And PS, Tristan’s actions were probably even more messy). But her emotions were raw and very real and true. I don’t think you have to understand someone to love someone AND I think love isn’t always enough to make a relationship work and I think this book showcased that in a really beautiful way.
The book really hammered home how overwhelming the world is right now. It takes place in 2023 - 2024 and I found myself being reminded of all of the things that happened during that time and how easy it is to forget because there is so much more happening now. It is also a privilege to be able to forget. But this book doesn’t shy away from anything and I deeply admire that.
I found that the short chapters kept things moving quickly but I sometimes wished that we could marinate in a feeling or action for a little bit longer but that is just my own personal preference when reading.
You will probably like this book if you like:
🖊️ Literary fiction about messy characters and complicated feelings
🖊️ A love quadrangle
🖊️ A character who wants to be a writer and processes her feelings through writing
🖊️ Complicated family dynamics
🖊️ Political commentary about the current administration
Thank you Scribner and NetGalley for providing this ARC! All opinions are my own.
Publication Date: June 2, 2026
⋆ ೀ ⋆ Follow me on Instagram @book.recs.by.lina for book recommendations and general fun times ⋆ ೀ ⋆
This book was so fascinating in the most complimentary way possible. It’s about Cat, a 24 year old living in DC, who just opened her relationship with her boyfriend of seven years. He was hesitant to do so, but Cat knows for herself that having an open relationship is what she needs. As she navigates trying to become a writer, living with her parents in their messy dynamic, and trying to survive the current administration, she starts to fall for the two people she shouldn’t: Jay’s best friend, Tristan, and Tristan’s girlfriend, Nia.
Every single one of the characters in this book was really fully formed, complex, and messy in their own way. The author did an amazing job of fully fleshing out every character without it taking away from Cat, our protagonist. And she did an amazing job of showing how their lives shift and mold when they each collide with each other. Knowing Tristan changes Cat. Knowing Cat changes Nia. Knowing Nia changes Cat and Tristan. Everyone is intertwined and intersecting in really interesting ways.
I really enjoyed Cat as the protagonist. She was funny (and the author’s writing is super funny) but I just admired her conviction in herself that having an open relationship was the right thing even if the consequence hurt. Were her actions messy? Absolutely. (And PS, Tristan’s actions were probably even more messy). But her emotions were raw and very real and true. I don’t think you have to understand someone to love someone AND I think love isn’t always enough to make a relationship work and I think this book showcased that in a really beautiful way.
The book really hammered home how overwhelming the world is right now. It takes place in 2023 - 2024 and I found myself being reminded of all of the things that happened during that time and how easy it is to forget because there is so much more happening now. It is also a privilege to be able to forget. But this book doesn’t shy away from anything and I deeply admire that.
I found that the short chapters kept things moving quickly but I sometimes wished that we could marinate in a feeling or action for a little bit longer but that is just my own personal preference when reading.
You will probably like this book if you like:
🖊️ Literary fiction about messy characters and complicated feelings
🖊️ A love quadrangle
🖊️ A character who wants to be a writer and processes her feelings through writing
🖊️ Complicated family dynamics
🖊️ Political commentary about the current administration
Thank you Scribner and NetGalley for providing this ARC! All opinions are my own.
Publication Date: June 2, 2026
⋆ ೀ ⋆ Follow me on Instagram @book.recs.by.lina for book recommendations and general fun times ⋆ ೀ ⋆
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Haili Blassingame's debut novel is bold and raw and I wanted to love it more than I did. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the eARC!
I came across Haili Blassingame's work through her Substack and she brings those writing chops out in full force here. Cat's emotional state and the material and political realities of her life are portrayed so tangibly that, despite her making a lot of selfish decisions, you also are rooting for her throughout; either to make better ones or to be able to navigate the fallout of her choices without losing out too much. And, without specifying the forms it takes, there definitely is plenty of fallout to navigate. She felt like an utterly compelling protagonist: I can hardly believe that she's not real, and I remain convinced that there are multiple facsimiles of her stumbling through and trying to survive these modern times.
The author's treatment of current events and political realities is so graceful that I'm still admiring it and trying to unpack it: it's so tricky to pull this off convincingly in fiction, but we obtain a generous helping of 2020s realism here. The COVID-19 pandemic and its consequences, the 2024 election, and the war in Gaza are all depicted not only vividly but with tremendous sensibility. These generation-defining events helped ground Cat and her generational peers for me (we would have been in the same academic year) in a much closer way than fiction that skirts around these issues entirely.
But even with all of these merits, I found it difficult to pick the book up past the 30 or 40% mark until we got to the denouement (at which point, I could barely stop reading). Some of Cat's patterns felt circular, or like she would pause to consider the people she might be hurting (though a lot of the time, this doesn't include herself) only to forget any of these observations as soon as push came to shove, which can lead the middle of the novel to feel somewhat repetitive. And while a part of me rooted for her and Nia and Tristan, another couldn't look past Tristan's hypocrisy. While Blassingame doesn't ask the reader to do so, per se, she does make her reader wait an excruciatingly long time before Cat rightfully points it out. Structurally, the snippets of Cat's work sometimes worked really well to weave in more of her background and inner world, but sometimes they disrupted the flow of the story.
I would also gently disagree with the positioning of this title as a literary or poly romance – I think the end product reads a lot more like literary or upmarket fiction.
On balance, though, I will be recommending this one because I loved Blassingame's voice and commentary! I'm excited to see what she publishes next as I think she has a lot of potential.
I came across Haili Blassingame's work through her Substack and she brings those writing chops out in full force here. Cat's emotional state and the material and political realities of her life are portrayed so tangibly that, despite her making a lot of selfish decisions, you also are rooting for her throughout; either to make better ones or to be able to navigate the fallout of her choices without losing out too much. And, without specifying the forms it takes, there definitely is plenty of fallout to navigate. She felt like an utterly compelling protagonist: I can hardly believe that she's not real, and I remain convinced that there are multiple facsimiles of her stumbling through and trying to survive these modern times.
The author's treatment of current events and political realities is so graceful that I'm still admiring it and trying to unpack it: it's so tricky to pull this off convincingly in fiction, but we obtain a generous helping of 2020s realism here. The COVID-19 pandemic and its consequences, the 2024 election, and the war in Gaza are all depicted not only vividly but with tremendous sensibility. These generation-defining events helped ground Cat and her generational peers for me (we would have been in the same academic year) in a much closer way than fiction that skirts around these issues entirely.
But even with all of these merits, I found it difficult to pick the book up past the 30 or 40% mark until we got to the denouement (at which point, I could barely stop reading). Some of Cat's patterns felt circular, or like she would pause to consider the people she might be hurting (though a lot of the time, this doesn't include herself) only to forget any of these observations as soon as push came to shove, which can lead the middle of the novel to feel somewhat repetitive. And while a part of me rooted for her and Nia and Tristan, another couldn't look past Tristan's hypocrisy. While Blassingame doesn't ask the reader to do so, per se, she does make her reader wait an excruciatingly long time before Cat rightfully points it out. Structurally, the snippets of Cat's work sometimes worked really well to weave in more of her background and inner world, but sometimes they disrupted the flow of the story.
I would also gently disagree with the positioning of this title as a literary or poly romance – I think the end product reads a lot more like literary or upmarket fiction.
On balance, though, I will be recommending this one because I loved Blassingame's voice and commentary! I'm excited to see what she publishes next as I think she has a lot of potential.
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