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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.
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First published June 2, 2026
About the author
Haili Blassingame
1 book67 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 140 reviews
August 25, 2026
all i ever want to read is literary romance.
https://emmareadstoomuch.substack.com...
i struggled to get into this at first, which is possibly solely because it has a million teeny little chapters and i fall too hard for a stopping point.
finally, when it'd taken me more than three weeks to get halfway through, i realized i was being ridiculous and sat down to read the rest in a sitting. that was the right call.
there is so much going on in this book, love and suffering, the societal and the individual. it feels like life — stressful and joyful and painful and haunting and real.
bottom line: i recommend it.
(thanks to the author for the arc)
https://emmareadstoomuch.substack.com...
i struggled to get into this at first, which is possibly solely because it has a million teeny little chapters and i fall too hard for a stopping point.
finally, when it'd taken me more than three weeks to get halfway through, i realized i was being ridiculous and sat down to read the rest in a sitting. that was the right call.
there is so much going on in this book, love and suffering, the societal and the individual. it feels like life — stressful and joyful and painful and haunting and real.
bottom line: i recommend it.
(thanks to the author for the arc)
August 14, 2026
4.5/5
This is one of those books that’s going to stick with me for awhile because it truly felt like a coming of age story for adults. Such a great book if you like messy characters and messy storylines. Loved the writing style of this one because it felt like a brain dump & a journal entry in the best way. Really touched on current events & politics in a way that I haven’t seen a lot of authors do. Would be the BEST book for a book club!
This is one of those books that’s going to stick with me for awhile because it truly felt like a coming of age story for adults. Such a great book if you like messy characters and messy storylines. Loved the writing style of this one because it felt like a brain dump & a journal entry in the best way. Really touched on current events & politics in a way that I haven’t seen a lot of authors do. Would be the BEST book for a book club!
August 26, 2026
Thoughts while reading:
Blassingame has a way with words! Literary romance may be my way to enjoy the genre.
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,
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.
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,
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. 🇿🇼 🤌🏽
May 22, 2026
i need someone smarter than me to read this so we can talk about the ending
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.
March 23, 2026
if supporting women’s rights and wrongs was a book
June 24, 2026
3.5? i thought i would love this more than i did, but i loved the writing
June 27, 2026
Current events fanfiction
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.
July 17, 2026
Crisis, Capitalism & Horniness: The Novel
Cat, grll, have fun and GROW UP. Egh, a global trauma playlist with a sex soundtrack.
Cat, grll, have fun and GROW UP. Egh, a global trauma playlist with a sex soundtrack.
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.
July 12, 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 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 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
felt like i was going insane while reading this
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.
August 4, 2026
There were elements that made for something interesting (2025 in DC, polyamory as a black woman, her mother) but it all fell away by centering an almost rage bait-y duo of characters navigating infidelity. And for what exactly??? Idk. It’s a no for me dog.
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.
August 13, 2026
I feel like I was desperately trying to grasp for more pages and more of this story as I was nearing the end. I miss it already.
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.
July 13, 2026
They All Fall in Love at the End is a story about Cat St. Clair, a Black college student and aspiring writer, in an open relationship. She finds herself in a forbidden love triangle and keeps making questionable choices. While doing so, Cat also works as a server and continues to observe her parents’ contentious relationship.
They All Fall in Love at the End is contemporary fiction that was entertaining, and had both cringeworthy and thought provoking moments. The story is set in 2024 and includes current events, both political and social. Even though I wondered what Cat was (or wasn’t) thinking for most of the book, I really enjoyed reading this and look forward to seeing what Haili Blassingame writes in the future.
They All Fall in Love at the End is contemporary fiction that was entertaining, and had both cringeworthy and thought provoking moments. The story is set in 2024 and includes current events, both political and social. Even though I wondered what Cat was (or wasn’t) thinking for most of the book, I really enjoyed reading this and look forward to seeing what Haili Blassingame writes in the future.
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.
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 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.
August 5, 2026
Actually stop, I hate every single character in this story except for Jay (why do you have me siding with a man…?).
Our main character, Cat, is a black female writer and a polygamist in a monogamous relationship with her long-time boyfriend, Jay. Throughout the novel, she has conflicting feelings for her boyfriend’s best friend, Tristan, and his girlfriend, Nia.
As someone who supports women’s wrongs and rights, I couldn’t get past Cat’s blatant selfishness despite her being vocal about her polyamorous beliefs. It’s one thing to open up your relationship and it’s mutual (I guess), but it’s another to fuck your boyfriend’s best friend MULTIPLE TIMES when he is completely unaware of this happening! Are boundaries not a thing even when it comes to openness? When does it become too far?
To be real, I don’t even understand Cat’s fixation on Tristan because this dude is fucking insufferable. He is a self-proclaimed “devoted Christian” with strong monogamous values but has no issues fucking Cat on his kitchen’s stove while having a whole girlfriend…ARE WE OKAY???? LIKE GENUINELY???? He constantly shames Cat for being polyamorous, doesn’t want to open up his relationship with Nia (and we all know it’s because this would dismantle his cheating fantasy), is possessive over Cat for some fucking reason, and clearly does not give a shit about his friendship with Jay. He’s the biggest hypocrite and enemy of the state IDGAF. At least with Cat, she was true to herself!
Also, I tried so hard to like Nia but she really started to piss me off toward the end. I can see why her and Tristan were together; they have the same self-righteous mentality and ride off each other’s high horse. The part where she dissed Cat for going to work instead of protesting left a sour, sour taste in my mouth. I would’ve lost my cool and slapped that bitch.
Jay is wayyyyy better than me. I don’t know why he put up with this shit for so long when he knew, deep down, him and Cat were no longer aligned. And, that’s okay! Sometimes, we need to come to conclusion that some things are not meant to be. Though, it took them months—and I mean, MONTHS—at least both him and Cat finally came to a mutual understanding that it’s just never going to work. I still hate Tristan.
And, if I read the word “compartmentalize” one more time, I might gouge my eyes out.
Our main character, Cat, is a black female writer and a polygamist in a monogamous relationship with her long-time boyfriend, Jay. Throughout the novel, she has conflicting feelings for her boyfriend’s best friend, Tristan, and his girlfriend, Nia.
As someone who supports women’s wrongs and rights, I couldn’t get past Cat’s blatant selfishness despite her being vocal about her polyamorous beliefs. It’s one thing to open up your relationship and it’s mutual (I guess), but it’s another to fuck your boyfriend’s best friend MULTIPLE TIMES when he is completely unaware of this happening! Are boundaries not a thing even when it comes to openness? When does it become too far?
To be real, I don’t even understand Cat’s fixation on Tristan because this dude is fucking insufferable. He is a self-proclaimed “devoted Christian” with strong monogamous values but has no issues fucking Cat on his kitchen’s stove while having a whole girlfriend…ARE WE OKAY???? LIKE GENUINELY???? He constantly shames Cat for being polyamorous, doesn’t want to open up his relationship with Nia (and we all know it’s because this would dismantle his cheating fantasy), is possessive over Cat for some fucking reason, and clearly does not give a shit about his friendship with Jay. He’s the biggest hypocrite and enemy of the state IDGAF. At least with Cat, she was true to herself!
Also, I tried so hard to like Nia but she really started to piss me off toward the end. I can see why her and Tristan were together; they have the same self-righteous mentality and ride off each other’s high horse. The part where she dissed Cat for going to work instead of protesting left a sour, sour taste in my mouth. I would’ve lost my cool and slapped that bitch.
Jay is wayyyyy better than me. I don’t know why he put up with this shit for so long when he knew, deep down, him and Cat were no longer aligned. And, that’s okay! Sometimes, we need to come to conclusion that some things are not meant to be. Though, it took them months—and I mean, MONTHS—at least both him and Cat finally came to a mutual understanding that it’s just never going to work. I still hate Tristan.
And, if I read the word “compartmentalize” one more time, I might gouge my eyes out.
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 8, 2026
call me something phobic but this was so damn bad jesus christ
your boyfriend wants only you? yeah ges def trying to trap you
your boyfriend wants only you? yeah ges def trying to trap you
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!
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