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Tundub, et see on armastus
Kõik märgid viitavad armastusloole, mida ta on oodanud. Paraku mitte sellisele, mida ta tegelikult vajab.
Pärast liiga paljusid kohtinguid on kolmekümnendates Mimi Perkins endiselt vallaline ja üksik otsekui avamerele eksinud paat ja igatseb armastust. Nii et kui Ren Yardley – nägus lahutatud draamaõpetajast kolleeg ja üksikisa – temasse armub ja teeb abieluettepaneku, on ta veendunud, et see ongi lõpuks just see hea uudis, mida tema selgeltnägija ennustas.
Varsti pärast abieluettepanekut saab Ren ränga uudise, et ta endine naine on sattunud raskesse autoõnnetusse, mis sunnib teda ajutiselt kolima tagasi endisesse koju, et hoolitseda naise ja nende tütarde eest. Vankumatult lojaalne Ren tahab ka Mimit enda lähedal hoida, seega pakib Mimi New Yorgis oma elu kokku ja järgneb talle New Havenisse Connecticutis. Seal leiab ta töö ja ootamatu suhtluskogukonna ühes omapärases kohalikus lastehoius. Ent aja möödudes hakkab tunduma, et Ren ja tema võõrdunud perekond võivad tasapisi taas kokku kasvada, ning Mimi peab endale selgeks tegema, mille nimel ta on valmis võitlema ja millest on tarvis lahti lasta.
Üks on kindel: ta poleks iial arvanud, et tema selgeltnägijal oligi lõpuks õigus. Elu keerdkäigud ja äpardused võivad ta viia sootuks ootamatu õnneni.
Pärast liiga paljusid kohtinguid on kolmekümnendates Mimi Perkins endiselt vallaline ja üksik otsekui avamerele eksinud paat ja igatseb armastust. Nii et kui Ren Yardley – nägus lahutatud draamaõpetajast kolleeg ja üksikisa – temasse armub ja teeb abieluettepaneku, on ta veendunud, et see ongi lõpuks just see hea uudis, mida tema selgeltnägija ennustas.
Varsti pärast abieluettepanekut saab Ren ränga uudise, et ta endine naine on sattunud raskesse autoõnnetusse, mis sunnib teda ajutiselt kolima tagasi endisesse koju, et hoolitseda naise ja nende tütarde eest. Vankumatult lojaalne Ren tahab ka Mimit enda lähedal hoida, seega pakib Mimi New Yorgis oma elu kokku ja järgneb talle New Havenisse Connecticutis. Seal leiab ta töö ja ootamatu suhtluskogukonna ühes omapärases kohalikus lastehoius. Ent aja möödudes hakkab tunduma, et Ren ja tema võõrdunud perekond võivad tasapisi taas kokku kasvada, ning Mimi peab endale selgeks tegema, mille nimel ta on valmis võitlema ja millest on tarvis lahti lasta.
Üks on kindel: ta poleks iial arvanud, et tema selgeltnägijal oligi lõpuks õigus. Elu keerdkäigud ja äpardused võivad ta viia sootuks ootamatu õnneni.
352 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 2024
4615 people are currently reading
13537 people want to read
About the author
Maddie Dawson
14 books1,542 followersI'm the author of eleven novels about love, crazy families, secrets, parenthood, and--yes, they have happy endings and some laughs as well as tears. (Just like life.) My newest, SNAP OUT OF IT, comes out on Jan. 3, 2023.
Also by me: The Magic of Found Objects, A Happy Catastrophe, Matchmaking for Beginners, The Survivor's Guide to Family Happiness, The Opposite of Maybe, The Stuff That Never Happened, Kissing Games of the World and A Piece of Normal.
My first novel, What Comes After Crazy, was written under the name Sandi Kahn Shelton.
Also by me: The Magic of Found Objects, A Happy Catastrophe, Matchmaking for Beginners, The Survivor's Guide to Family Happiness, The Opposite of Maybe, The Stuff That Never Happened, Kissing Games of the World and A Piece of Normal.
My first novel, What Comes After Crazy, was written under the name Sandi Kahn Shelton.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 882 reviews
February 8, 2024
My Reviews Can Also Be Found On:
The Storygraph and The Book Review Crew Blog
I have been in a reading slump for over a month and Maddie Dawson saved the day! I shouldn't be surprised as this is my fourth read by her and the first three were all four-star reads as well. Matchmaking for Beginners , A Happy Catastrophe and Snap Out of It all gave me great joy and Let's Pretend This Will Work is no different. In this one Mimi follows her fiancé from MAnhatten to New Haven because his ex-wife has been in an accident and he needs to help his daughters help their mother. Mimi goes into this with hopes and wishes and fairy dreams of finally having a family...let's just say it isn't exactly what she's hoping for.
Mimi ends up getting an apartment on top of a daycare and that's when she starts to feel she fits in. The way the daycare children were written really touched my heart it was so realistic. Their vocabulary had me laughing out loud and it reminded me so much of when my boys were little. My boys were 80s/90s babies and this takes place in the 80s before cell phones and the internet and I thought that was great. The book is filled with quirky characters that I love. I liked that all the characters were so well written and acted like real-life people, the kind I would want to be friends with and have looking after my kids. I think my favourite character was Alice, I just loved her to bits. Dawson's ability to write a four-year-old so spot on gave me all the feels.
I hated the character of Ren so much, I have no idea what Mimi saw in him in the first place. His daughters are 19 and 23 and they acted like children and he let them get away with it. I felt a passionate dislike for both Jenna and Parker. I think of myself as a strong and fiercely independent woman so I would have kicked his ass to the curb tout de suite!
The ending kinda threw me for a loop and then Dawson added a curveball and it made me so happy. Mimi finally finds her true self and even though her behaviour frustrated me at times I was pleased when she learned that if someone really loves you they love you just the way you are. (Don't go changing to try and please me...) I am so grateful to Maddie Dawson for finally giving me a great read.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the Advance Readers Copy.
The Storygraph and The Book Review Crew Blog
I have been in a reading slump for over a month and Maddie Dawson saved the day! I shouldn't be surprised as this is my fourth read by her and the first three were all four-star reads as well. Matchmaking for Beginners , A Happy Catastrophe and Snap Out of It all gave me great joy and Let's Pretend This Will Work is no different. In this one Mimi follows her fiancé from MAnhatten to New Haven because his ex-wife has been in an accident and he needs to help his daughters help their mother. Mimi goes into this with hopes and wishes and fairy dreams of finally having a family...let's just say it isn't exactly what she's hoping for.
Mimi ends up getting an apartment on top of a daycare and that's when she starts to feel she fits in. The way the daycare children were written really touched my heart it was so realistic. Their vocabulary had me laughing out loud and it reminded me so much of when my boys were little. My boys were 80s/90s babies and this takes place in the 80s before cell phones and the internet and I thought that was great. The book is filled with quirky characters that I love. I liked that all the characters were so well written and acted like real-life people, the kind I would want to be friends with and have looking after my kids. I think my favourite character was Alice, I just loved her to bits. Dawson's ability to write a four-year-old so spot on gave me all the feels.
I hated the character of Ren so much, I have no idea what Mimi saw in him in the first place. His daughters are 19 and 23 and they acted like children and he let them get away with it. I felt a passionate dislike for both Jenna and Parker. I think of myself as a strong and fiercely independent woman so I would have kicked his ass to the curb tout de suite!
The ending kinda threw me for a loop and then Dawson added a curveball and it made me so happy. Mimi finally finds her true self and even though her behaviour frustrated me at times I was pleased when she learned that if someone really loves you they love you just the way you are. (Don't go changing to try and please me...) I am so grateful to Maddie Dawson for finally giving me a great read.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the Advance Readers Copy.
March 3, 2024
I loved every word of this book. I will read Maddie's grocery list.
Dawson is an auto-buy author for me. Everything she writes seems to turn into magic. Her books make me laugh! Feel! Flip pages! Her latest is another gem. An engaged woman who follows her fiance to CT where he has to take care of his ailing ex-wife. Not exactly the way anyone imagines that rosy time in a relationship. Hence, the title. But CT brings a day-care center and a cute dad, and what happens next, you'll just have to read! Chock full of Dawson's charm and wit, Let's Pretend This Will Work is a brimming story of love and its complications with a protagonist readers will want to call friend.
Dawson is an auto-buy author for me. Everything she writes seems to turn into magic. Her books make me laugh! Feel! Flip pages! Her latest is another gem. An engaged woman who follows her fiance to CT where he has to take care of his ailing ex-wife. Not exactly the way anyone imagines that rosy time in a relationship. Hence, the title. But CT brings a day-care center and a cute dad, and what happens next, you'll just have to read! Chock full of Dawson's charm and wit, Let's Pretend This Will Work is a brimming story of love and its complications with a protagonist readers will want to call friend.
May 21, 2024
It’s been ages since I read a full length novel in a single day, but here it is! I simply could not stop myself from rooting for Mimi.
Mimi Perkins is a lovely free spirit who wants nothing more than to find her own little slice of happiness. To her that happens to look a whole lot like, Ren a fellow teacher, who shocks her when he quickly proposes. Before the ring is even on her finger, they receive the news that his ex wife has been in a life altering accident. Ren drops everything to help his barely adult daughters with the care of their mother. After Mimi’s fiancé leaves town, she’s soon fired. She decides to upend her life in New York and follow Ren to Connecticut. He promptly moves Mimi to the back burner of life making his family the near sole recipient of his attention.
I found the behavior of Ren and his daughters to be ridiculous. I kept thinking the apples sure didn’t fall far from that tree. He was a pushover where their behavior was concerned and they were too old to act so petulant. However, his actions paved the way for theirs. If he treats Mimi like she doesn’t matter why would his daughters treat her any differently. Ugh!
Mimi finds an apartment over a daycare, where she meets her tribe. I adored this eclectic group and parents and children! The adult characters had personalities that popped right off the page. The children were written wonderfully realistic. I laughed so many times and thought this author knows kids. It was easy to feel immersed in their little corner of the world. These moments shone so bright.
This is a fantastic book, I’m glad I chose it as my first reads pick for the month of May. Its message of staying true to your beautiful strange self, quirks, weirdness, and all is one each of us could use from time to time.
Mimi Perkins is a lovely free spirit who wants nothing more than to find her own little slice of happiness. To her that happens to look a whole lot like, Ren a fellow teacher, who shocks her when he quickly proposes. Before the ring is even on her finger, they receive the news that his ex wife has been in a life altering accident. Ren drops everything to help his barely adult daughters with the care of their mother. After Mimi’s fiancé leaves town, she’s soon fired. She decides to upend her life in New York and follow Ren to Connecticut. He promptly moves Mimi to the back burner of life making his family the near sole recipient of his attention.
I found the behavior of Ren and his daughters to be ridiculous. I kept thinking the apples sure didn’t fall far from that tree. He was a pushover where their behavior was concerned and they were too old to act so petulant. However, his actions paved the way for theirs. If he treats Mimi like she doesn’t matter why would his daughters treat her any differently. Ugh!
Mimi finds an apartment over a daycare, where she meets her tribe. I adored this eclectic group and parents and children! The adult characters had personalities that popped right off the page. The children were written wonderfully realistic. I laughed so many times and thought this author knows kids. It was easy to feel immersed in their little corner of the world. These moments shone so bright.
This is a fantastic book, I’m glad I chose it as my first reads pick for the month of May. Its message of staying true to your beautiful strange self, quirks, weirdness, and all is one each of us could use from time to time.
November 1, 2025
This was my eighth Maddie Dawson novel and once again a treasure. Her novels are about unconventional relationships that somehow work by the end with a collection of quirky characters. Mimi is our narrator here, single 32, teaching at a private high school in NYC, but soon moves to a flat above a family child care in my home town of New Haven, where I spent most of my first 30+ years living in, so it had a special connection, especially when they brought in that the best apizza in the world is created there, which I can definitely attest to. A bit of magic realism, a bit of drama and down time, but in the end a nice ending, even if it is a bit too sappy for me. 4 stars.
"“Who cares? What kind of psychic are you, anyway?” I say. “When I first saw your flyer on that subway platform, it had zero evidence that you would ever answer a client’s question by saying who knows and who cares.” “I save those answers for my very favorite clients,” she says."
"And I’ve become obsessed with this man quite without my own permission, and now he’s going to move away."
"“Promise me one thing, though. If you do go back to him, don’t go with him to Sally’s. Don’t be a Sally’s person. Pepe’s apizza is the one. And you also gotta give Modern Apizza a try." Indeed, Pepe's rules, my favourite growing up in New Haven, best in the world for sure.
"Also, did I know that he can be lighthearted? Why, sometimes, just for fun, he suggests they jump in the car before Alice goes to bed, and they drive to Hamden to the Dairy Queen and get Dilly bars!" Right near my home where I grew up, spent many times there.
"“If family is a bunch of people who get to control you and tell you how to make a living and how to raise your kid and when to eat and when to sleep, then I’m glad I don’t have one. I always thought family was supposed to be the people who love you and want the best for you because it’s what you want."
"“Who cares? What kind of psychic are you, anyway?” I say. “When I first saw your flyer on that subway platform, it had zero evidence that you would ever answer a client’s question by saying who knows and who cares.” “I save those answers for my very favorite clients,” she says."
"And I’ve become obsessed with this man quite without my own permission, and now he’s going to move away."
"“Promise me one thing, though. If you do go back to him, don’t go with him to Sally’s. Don’t be a Sally’s person. Pepe’s apizza is the one. And you also gotta give Modern Apizza a try." Indeed, Pepe's rules, my favourite growing up in New Haven, best in the world for sure.
"Also, did I know that he can be lighthearted? Why, sometimes, just for fun, he suggests they jump in the car before Alice goes to bed, and they drive to Hamden to the Dairy Queen and get Dilly bars!" Right near my home where I grew up, spent many times there.
"“If family is a bunch of people who get to control you and tell you how to make a living and how to raise your kid and when to eat and when to sleep, then I’m glad I don’t have one. I always thought family was supposed to be the people who love you and want the best for you because it’s what you want."
May 26, 2024
i wanted to stop reading around 30%, but i persevered, thinking it would get better.
it did not.
the main character’s naïveté is obnoxious and grating, the love interest is a selfish asshole with zero redeeming qualities, and the daycare thing is just weird. there were too many descriptions of children as “flirtatious.” don’t put weirdo meaning behind them biting their lips or blinking their eyelashes. and the children were generally written as if the author had never met an actual child.
it did not.
the main character’s naïveté is obnoxious and grating, the love interest is a selfish asshole with zero redeeming qualities, and the daycare thing is just weird. there were too many descriptions of children as “flirtatious.” don’t put weirdo meaning behind them biting their lips or blinking their eyelashes. and the children were generally written as if the author had never met an actual child.
January 17, 2024
I loved Maddie Dawson's book "Matchmaking for Beginners," so I jumped at the chance to read her new book. "Let's Pretend This Will Work" by Maddie Dawson is a heartwarming story about a woman's search for happiness and true love.
Mimi Perkins's life-changing journey isn’t all syrupy-sweet, but it sure is plateful and magical. The thirty-something Mimi Perkins from Manhattan is longing for love and a family to call her own. So, when her lover Ren Yardley, a divorced fellow teacher, proposes to her, she agrees despite some misgivings. Her psychic predicted a positive turn in her life after all. Oh yes, she goes to a psychic and believes that a magical skirt she bought in a thrift shop gives her luck.
When Ren gets the shocking news that his ex-wife has been in a debilitating car accident, he rushes to take care of her in their home in New Haven with the help of their two daughters. When Mimi is fired from her teaching position and loses her apartment on the same day, Ren suggests she move to New Haven so she can be near him. She does so, which was brave of her. However, Ren doesn't have much time for her, being too busy with his family's issues. Mimi finds a new lease on life as she makes friends with the parents who run the daycare facility beneath her apartment. Now, all she has to do is figure out her next move.
I enjoyed the book very much. It started slow but then picked up the pace. The book takes place in 1982, which was odd to me at first, but it gives the book a flavor of simpler (and better?) times. While the heroine was refreshing, I found her too naive and too eager to please others. She made some foolish choices in her life, and a few times I wanted to shake her and knock some sense into her. I was glad she finally stopped trying to be someone she was not and grew a backbone.
The writing in this book flows nicely. It's paced well, and the quirky characters were great. The author has a nice writing style and does a good job of fleshing out the characters. I liked the message of the story: that we should be ourselves, not change who we are, or live by the expectations of others. It was a sweet read from start to finish, so I rate it 4 out of 5 stars. It’s a lovely novel about bereavement, yearning for love, and finding your place in life. I would recommend this heartwarming novel to those who enjoy stories about healing, finding oneself, and love.
* Thank you NetGalley and (publisher) for the opportunity to read this arc. All opinions are my own.
* Review in my blog: https://galibookish.blogspot.com/2024...
Mimi Perkins's life-changing journey isn’t all syrupy-sweet, but it sure is plateful and magical. The thirty-something Mimi Perkins from Manhattan is longing for love and a family to call her own. So, when her lover Ren Yardley, a divorced fellow teacher, proposes to her, she agrees despite some misgivings. Her psychic predicted a positive turn in her life after all. Oh yes, she goes to a psychic and believes that a magical skirt she bought in a thrift shop gives her luck.
When Ren gets the shocking news that his ex-wife has been in a debilitating car accident, he rushes to take care of her in their home in New Haven with the help of their two daughters. When Mimi is fired from her teaching position and loses her apartment on the same day, Ren suggests she move to New Haven so she can be near him. She does so, which was brave of her. However, Ren doesn't have much time for her, being too busy with his family's issues. Mimi finds a new lease on life as she makes friends with the parents who run the daycare facility beneath her apartment. Now, all she has to do is figure out her next move.
I enjoyed the book very much. It started slow but then picked up the pace. The book takes place in 1982, which was odd to me at first, but it gives the book a flavor of simpler (and better?) times. While the heroine was refreshing, I found her too naive and too eager to please others. She made some foolish choices in her life, and a few times I wanted to shake her and knock some sense into her. I was glad she finally stopped trying to be someone she was not and grew a backbone.
The writing in this book flows nicely. It's paced well, and the quirky characters were great. The author has a nice writing style and does a good job of fleshing out the characters. I liked the message of the story: that we should be ourselves, not change who we are, or live by the expectations of others. It was a sweet read from start to finish, so I rate it 4 out of 5 stars. It’s a lovely novel about bereavement, yearning for love, and finding your place in life. I would recommend this heartwarming novel to those who enjoy stories about healing, finding oneself, and love.
* Thank you NetGalley and (publisher) for the opportunity to read this arc. All opinions are my own.
* Review in my blog: https://galibookish.blogspot.com/2024...
May 25, 2024
I really wanted this book to be good. The FMC was annoying, naive and sometimes I wanted to just DNF the book- but it still kept me interested. Most of the time I did not understand the point of this book lmfao.
It was a free prime read, but def took me wayyy too long and put me in a slump :/
It was a free prime read, but def took me wayyy too long and put me in a slump :/
May 31, 2024
Dnf. FMC comes off as dumb and MMC is a prick.
July 30, 2024
Sadly, I just didn’t connect with any of the characters in this book.
June 1, 2024
This quirky heartwarming romance set in the 1980s is my first by the author but will certainly not be the last. A gem!
September 10, 2024
I always enjoy Maddie Dawson's rom coms, but Let's Pretend This Will Work is one of my top picks of 2024! I LOVED this novel soooooo much.
The story was perfect in every way, ironic since so many imperfect things kept happening to get in the way of Mimi's amazing life. Setting it during a simpler time (1982) only enhanced its charm even more. I was totally invested from the very beginning and the story did not let go. I still think about it! I loved how Mimi got involved with the co-op day care and tried to help when they ran into difficulties. There was a lot going on in the story between Mimi's situation with Ren and his family, and her budding friendship with Jamie and his adorable daughter Alice. I don't want to say too much as to not spoil anything.
Anyone who loves a sweet story needs to pick this one up immediately! You will fall in love with the characters as much as I did. Happy reading!
(Trigger warnings below.)
Movie casting suggestions:
Mimi: Dominique Provost-Chalkley
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TW: Death of spouse, death of parent (both are off page but mentioned a lot)
The story was perfect in every way, ironic since so many imperfect things kept happening to get in the way of Mimi's amazing life. Setting it during a simpler time (1982) only enhanced its charm even more. I was totally invested from the very beginning and the story did not let go. I still think about it! I loved how Mimi got involved with the co-op day care and tried to help when they ran into difficulties. There was a lot going on in the story between Mimi's situation with Ren and his family, and her budding friendship with Jamie and his adorable daughter Alice. I don't want to say too much as to not spoil anything.
Anyone who loves a sweet story needs to pick this one up immediately! You will fall in love with the characters as much as I did. Happy reading!
(Trigger warnings below.)
Movie casting suggestions:
Mimi: Dominique Provost-Chalkley
Ren: Brandon Routh
Jamie: Michael Angarano
Judith: Rosamund Pike
Mandy: Elizabeth Gillies
La Starla: Kathy Najimy*
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TW: Death of spouse, death of parent (both are off page but mentioned a lot)
June 2, 2024
LET’S PRETEND THIS WILL WORK was another nice piece of work from Maddie Dawson. A sweet story that is set in 1980’s, this sparked my interest immediately! Dawson created some quirky characters that were the perfect fit for this story. I really liked the fact that this story included some difficult situations for the characters…as real life is often complicated. Overall a great book that I can recommend!
Many thanks to Lake Union Publishing and Maddie Dawson for my gifted copy.
This review will be shared to my Instagram account (@coffee.break.book.reviews) closer to the publication date.
Many thanks to Lake Union Publishing and Maddie Dawson for my gifted copy.
This review will be shared to my Instagram account (@coffee.break.book.reviews) closer to the publication date.
March 14, 2024
Unfortunately this was a DNF for me. Every single character is unbearable. I can’t stand reading about women who can’t tell people what they want, or who settle for horrible men. The FMC acts a lot younger than she’s supposed to be and frankly it’s just awful. The MMC is just an awful selfish man. The whole hanging out at a preschool premise is SUPER weird to me.
June 21, 2024
I can't remember the last time I wished I could reach in a book and shake and/or smack a main character more than I did with this book. Mimi is an utter fool and a mess and actually made me feel ill. Ren was a jerk, too, but we knew that.
Also, other than avoiding cell phones and social media, I'm not sure what the purpose was of setting this in the 1980's. It really felt odd.
Also, other than avoiding cell phones and social media, I'm not sure what the purpose was of setting this in the 1980's. It really felt odd.
April 24, 2025
*Ugh* where are my tissues? This book was so magical and charming and just so unique. I really loved the meaning of what family truly means. I loved Mimi figuring out her life and how it's normal to experience ups and downs and I loved seeing her get her happy ending.
January 12, 2026
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This was a fun and easy go to read. Such a cute story 🩷
This was a fun and easy go to read. Such a cute story 🩷
June 18, 2024
I really wanted to give this book more than 3 stars. Because here's what I loved:
1) The daycare life was spot on! I love children and being around them and the hilarious things they do and say. This was fully captured throughout the book.
2) Most of the supporting characters were interesting, unique, and fully formed people. I had a hard time telling a few of the daycare moms apart, but mostly the ones who hung out in the periphery. If the idea was that the daycare was a family, then they were more of the cousins you didn't know super well.
3) Mimi's growth through her experience and learning who she is and what she really wants from life. I didn't love all of how we got there, but that's life, too, I suppose.
4) Very specifically, the "first love" is a kiddie pool, and "real love" is an ocean metaphor was beautiful and resonated with me.
Things that couldn't save it for me:
1) Mimi and Ren's relationship at the beginning of the book feels super gross to me. I think it's meant to be sweet or sexy, but Ren just comes across a predatory. He's a senior faculty member, and while he's described as handsome and charismatic, I see him as someone who knows what's appropriate and puts Mimi in the line of fire constantly. It's written as a commentary of "that's love!" And I think it's this differing opinion on what love looks like that hits snags for me for the whole book.
2) Overlapping relationships are a big "no" for me. To start, Jamie and Mimi kissing when Mimi and Ren are engaged felt wrong. The attempt to justify that it was "just a kiss" or that Ren was sleeping in the same bed with his recovering ex-wife does not fix it. It was not just a playful kiss, what even is that?! Like they're kids playing spin the bottle at a party? No. Again, this is a difference of opinion with the authors view on love. When Jamie insisted that Mimi isn't ready for a relationship yet that things with Ren are too fresh, I completely agreed with him. It doesn't matter that she can be cold to him or even that she doesn't intend to go back (she does! Which means she wasn't over him enough). She needs time to heal from that relationship before being with someone else. There are other infidelities that give me the ick, too.
3) Some of the relationships were meant to illustrate how "different love" can look. If you want to get into that, passion and love may have similar traits, but they aren't the same. If a person hurts or uses someone, you can't call that love. That's even touched on at one point, but later, Mimi accepts that love means fighting for some people, which I don't agree with. Conflict in relationships is inevitable. If the way a person deals with conflict tears down their partner, they love themselves more than their partner. There were too many times that Mimi says Ren loves her and while she ends up with Jamie and they have an ocean of love, she never actually acknowledged that what Ren felt, that possession and lust wasn't actually love.
4) The whole sleeping with one guy one night and a different guy the next does not jive for me. Trying to justify that they are "meant to be together" is not enough. It felt like it undermined all the progress Mimi made when she moved back to New York with Ren. It was a device to get the "magic skirt" back, but maybe I'm not whimsical enough, I felt like the "magic skirt" was a fun idea, but it turned into fate ruling Mimi's life. I didn't like that she found the skirt and was suddenly drawn back to Jamie and they lived happily ever after with everything they ever wanted because she moved in with Ren in New York and got the skirt back. She was back on page 1, being led around and doing this because Ren said so until the skirt freed her?! It was not satisfying.
There were a lot of things I really liked about this book! Not enough to give it more than 3 stars.
1) The daycare life was spot on! I love children and being around them and the hilarious things they do and say. This was fully captured throughout the book.
2) Most of the supporting characters were interesting, unique, and fully formed people. I had a hard time telling a few of the daycare moms apart, but mostly the ones who hung out in the periphery. If the idea was that the daycare was a family, then they were more of the cousins you didn't know super well.
3) Mimi's growth through her experience and learning who she is and what she really wants from life. I didn't love all of how we got there, but that's life, too, I suppose.
4) Very specifically, the "first love" is a kiddie pool, and "real love" is an ocean metaphor was beautiful and resonated with me.
Things that couldn't save it for me:
1) Mimi and Ren's relationship at the beginning of the book feels super gross to me. I think it's meant to be sweet or sexy, but Ren just comes across a predatory. He's a senior faculty member, and while he's described as handsome and charismatic, I see him as someone who knows what's appropriate and puts Mimi in the line of fire constantly. It's written as a commentary of "that's love!" And I think it's this differing opinion on what love looks like that hits snags for me for the whole book.
2) Overlapping relationships are a big "no" for me. To start, Jamie and Mimi kissing when Mimi and Ren are engaged felt wrong. The attempt to justify that it was "just a kiss" or that Ren was sleeping in the same bed with his recovering ex-wife does not fix it. It was not just a playful kiss, what even is that?! Like they're kids playing spin the bottle at a party? No. Again, this is a difference of opinion with the authors view on love. When Jamie insisted that Mimi isn't ready for a relationship yet that things with Ren are too fresh, I completely agreed with him. It doesn't matter that she can be cold to him or even that she doesn't intend to go back (she does! Which means she wasn't over him enough). She needs time to heal from that relationship before being with someone else. There are other infidelities that give me the ick, too.
3) Some of the relationships were meant to illustrate how "different love" can look. If you want to get into that, passion and love may have similar traits, but they aren't the same. If a person hurts or uses someone, you can't call that love. That's even touched on at one point, but later, Mimi accepts that love means fighting for some people, which I don't agree with. Conflict in relationships is inevitable. If the way a person deals with conflict tears down their partner, they love themselves more than their partner. There were too many times that Mimi says Ren loves her and while she ends up with Jamie and they have an ocean of love, she never actually acknowledged that what Ren felt, that possession and lust wasn't actually love.
4) The whole sleeping with one guy one night and a different guy the next does not jive for me. Trying to justify that they are "meant to be together" is not enough. It felt like it undermined all the progress Mimi made when she moved back to New York with Ren. It was a device to get the "magic skirt" back, but maybe I'm not whimsical enough, I felt like the "magic skirt" was a fun idea, but it turned into fate ruling Mimi's life. I didn't like that she found the skirt and was suddenly drawn back to Jamie and they lived happily ever after with everything they ever wanted because she moved in with Ren in New York and got the skirt back. She was back on page 1, being led around and doing this because Ren said so until the skirt freed her?! It was not satisfying.
There were a lot of things I really liked about this book! Not enough to give it more than 3 stars.
May 6, 2024
I’m always surprised when I enjoy a kindle first read. They normally aren’t very good. I’d read Maddie Dawson before and really liked her and this did not disappoint. About a woman who falls in love with a man whose ex wife is in a terrible accident, was very enjoyable. It was mostly about a woman finding herself and learning to stand up for herself with some light romance thrown in.
May 2, 2024
ℝ𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | 𝔽𝕠𝕣𝕞𝕒𝕥: 𝒜𝓊𝒹𝒾𝑜𝒷𝑜𝑜𝓀
𝐒𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐚 𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐲 𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐚 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲! “𝐋𝐞𝐭’𝐬 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤” 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐝, 𝐭𝐨𝐮𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐡𝐮𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐬, & 𝐚𝐥𝐥-𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐞𝐧𝐣𝐨𝐲𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝.
𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐬 𝐌𝐢𝐦𝐢 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐬—𝐚 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐲-𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠-𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫-𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐰𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐠𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐰𝐫𝐲 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐡𝐨𝐦𝐞 (𝐚𝐥𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐚𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐌𝐢𝐦𝐢 )𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐝𝐮𝐥𝐭 𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐧 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐞𝐱-𝐰𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐚𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐡𝐞’𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐫 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭. 𝐌𝐢𝐦𝐢 𝐝𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐮𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐭 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐬 𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐬𝐨 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐛𝐞 𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐢𝐦…𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐝𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐠𝐨 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐝.
𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐢𝐬 𝐟𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐣𝐨𝐲, 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞, 𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟-𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐨 𝐦𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞! 𝐈𝐭’𝐬 𝐬𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐚 “𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝” 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐈’𝐦 𝐬𝐨 𝐠𝐥𝐚𝐝 𝐈 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐢𝐭.
𝐻𝓊𝑔𝑒 𝓉𝒽𝒶𝓃𝓀 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝓉𝑜 𝑀𝒶𝒹𝒹𝒾𝑒 𝒟𝒶𝓌𝓈𝑜𝓃, 𝐵𝓇𝒾𝓁𝓁𝒾𝒶𝓃𝒸𝑒 𝒫𝓊𝒷𝓁𝒾𝓈𝒽𝒾𝓃𝑔, & 𝒩𝑒𝓉𝒢𝒶𝓁𝓁𝑒𝓎 𝒻𝑜𝓇 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒜𝑅𝒞! 𝒜𝓁𝓁 𝑜𝓅𝒾𝓃𝒾𝑜𝓃𝓈 𝒶𝓇𝑒 𝓂𝓎 𝑜𝓌𝓃.
𝐒𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐚 𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐲 𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐚 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲! “𝐋𝐞𝐭’𝐬 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤” 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐝, 𝐭𝐨𝐮𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐡𝐮𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐬, & 𝐚𝐥𝐥-𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐞𝐧𝐣𝐨𝐲𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝.
𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐬 𝐌𝐢𝐦𝐢 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐬—𝐚 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐲-𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠-𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫-𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐰𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐠𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐰𝐫𝐲 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐡𝐨𝐦𝐞 (𝐚𝐥𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐚𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐌𝐢𝐦𝐢 )𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐝𝐮𝐥𝐭 𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐧 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐞𝐱-𝐰𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐚𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐡𝐞’𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐫 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭. 𝐌𝐢𝐦𝐢 𝐝𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐮𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐭 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐬 𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐬𝐨 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐛𝐞 𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐢𝐦…𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐝𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐠𝐨 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐝.
𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐢𝐬 𝐟𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐣𝐨𝐲, 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞, 𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟-𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐨 𝐦𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞! 𝐈𝐭’𝐬 𝐬𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐚 “𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝” 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐈’𝐦 𝐬𝐨 𝐠𝐥𝐚𝐝 𝐈 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐢𝐭.
𝐻𝓊𝑔𝑒 𝓉𝒽𝒶𝓃𝓀 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝓉𝑜 𝑀𝒶𝒹𝒹𝒾𝑒 𝒟𝒶𝓌𝓈𝑜𝓃, 𝐵𝓇𝒾𝓁𝓁𝒾𝒶𝓃𝒸𝑒 𝒫𝓊𝒷𝓁𝒾𝓈𝒽𝒾𝓃𝑔, & 𝒩𝑒𝓉𝒢𝒶𝓁𝓁𝑒𝓎 𝒻𝑜𝓇 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒜𝑅𝒞! 𝒜𝓁𝓁 𝑜𝓅𝒾𝓃𝒾𝑜𝓃𝓈 𝒶𝓇𝑒 𝓂𝓎 𝑜𝓌𝓃.
June 12, 2024
This was my first Maddie Dawson book, but it definitely won't be my last. What a funny, warm, big-hearted story! I laughed out loud, I teared up, I didn't want it to end. Thoroughly enjoyable from start to finish.
June 30, 2024
I love Maddie Dawson’s books. They’re cheerful, amusing, touching and optimistic. With a touch of magic.
I finish reading one and feel better about life. In these times of division and stress, this will keep you going. And I want a magic skirt. 🙂
I finish reading one and feel better about life. In these times of division and stress, this will keep you going. And I want a magic skirt. 🙂
May 23, 2024
This book was nails on a chalkboard. I have never cared less about who a main character ended up with!!!
June 5, 2024
I randomly started reading this Kindle first reads book and thought it was pretty cute.
February 21, 2024
I received this arc in exchange for an honest review. 🤍
after an endless period of failed dates, Mimi finds herself falling for her older co-worker Ren - a divorced drama teacher - who proposes to Mimi, making her wishes of finding true love finally come true.
shortly after proposing, Ren gets a call from his children to say that his ex-wife has been in an accident, causing him to up and leave to handle things. Mimi moves with him, but can tell she’s watching him reunite with his family as she and their love fade into the background.
with limited availability of places to stay, Mimi lives in an apartment above a rowdy, parent-run daycare centre. she finds herself becoming part of this chaotic community, and falling for Jamie, father of the little girl who has stolen her heart. but what happens when the daycare begins to fall apart and Ren’s ex-wife is on the road to recovery?
this was such a lovely read. it has the most perfect found family aspects within the daycare centre and a truly wonderful depiction of standing up for yourself and what you want in life. i absolutely flew through this as it was so easy to follow and i was so immersed in the story.
after an endless period of failed dates, Mimi finds herself falling for her older co-worker Ren - a divorced drama teacher - who proposes to Mimi, making her wishes of finding true love finally come true.
shortly after proposing, Ren gets a call from his children to say that his ex-wife has been in an accident, causing him to up and leave to handle things. Mimi moves with him, but can tell she’s watching him reunite with his family as she and their love fade into the background.
with limited availability of places to stay, Mimi lives in an apartment above a rowdy, parent-run daycare centre. she finds herself becoming part of this chaotic community, and falling for Jamie, father of the little girl who has stolen her heart. but what happens when the daycare begins to fall apart and Ren’s ex-wife is on the road to recovery?
this was such a lovely read. it has the most perfect found family aspects within the daycare centre and a truly wonderful depiction of standing up for yourself and what you want in life. i absolutely flew through this as it was so easy to follow and i was so immersed in the story.
May 8, 2024
I really wanted to love this but Mimi was excruciatingly annoying and that was hard to get past. She made the dumbest decisions and I couldn’t get over how she never stood up for herself. I wanted to scream when she went back to the jerk who basically turned her into a booty call. Even in 1982 I have to believe women had more respect for themselves than she did.
Sure it had a happy ending, but the rest was a mess.
Sure it had a happy ending, but the rest was a mess.
June 1, 2024
Really disppointed with this one. Really excited abut the premise. Mild spoilers ahead. I spent the whole book waiting for the fmc to come into her own reveal her value and worrh and bloom into her own person. Instead she goes from guy 1, to guy 2, back to guy 1 and then ultimately back to guy 2. Her whole identity is being a partner to one of the two suitors. 1/5 would not recommend.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 19, 2024
Amazon First Reads pick. Slow and boring. Wouldn't recommend
August 25, 2024
Loved this easy read! Cute characters, funny, and set all before cell phones existed. I read in a weekend!
May 18, 2024
Amazon First Reads pick for May 2024
I was really not sure about this book for almost half of it and then it just sort of won over my heart. I was struggling feeling really angry at the MC for so much of it for being so naive and a doormat and wasn't sure if I was going to get past it, but eventually the writing just got me invested. This is a real character driven story and I would NOT call it a romance. But a lot of the plot is driven by romantic motivations and it has a definite focus on romance. I just think it wouldn't really fit most people's perception of a contemporary romance.
But it was quirky and fun and, although I wasn't a fan of the sort of "magic" undercurrent with the FMC believing in psychics and magic skirts, I just ignored that part (but did deduct 1/2 star since it's not really my thing in what is supposed to be a realistic story...I love fantasy and magic but when it's firmly in that genre).
Also, although it didn't have really much impact on the actual story, I love that it takes place in 1982 and I give so much credit to Dawson for very subtly setting this story in a different time and, IMO, doing it SO well. The dialogue and descriptions just FELT not current and although I was quite a bit younger than the MC in 1982 I felt like the time was captured really well.
What a nice surprise this was. I would add that I 100% could see this being made into a very successful movie if cast and produced well.
4.5 stars
I was really not sure about this book for almost half of it and then it just sort of won over my heart. I was struggling feeling really angry at the MC for so much of it for being so naive and a doormat and wasn't sure if I was going to get past it, but eventually the writing just got me invested. This is a real character driven story and I would NOT call it a romance. But a lot of the plot is driven by romantic motivations and it has a definite focus on romance. I just think it wouldn't really fit most people's perception of a contemporary romance.
But it was quirky and fun and, although I wasn't a fan of the sort of "magic" undercurrent with the FMC believing in psychics and magic skirts, I just ignored that part (but did deduct 1/2 star since it's not really my thing in what is supposed to be a realistic story...I love fantasy and magic but when it's firmly in that genre).
Also, although it didn't have really much impact on the actual story, I love that it takes place in 1982 and I give so much credit to Dawson for very subtly setting this story in a different time and, IMO, doing it SO well. The dialogue and descriptions just FELT not current and although I was quite a bit younger than the MC in 1982 I felt like the time was captured really well.
What a nice surprise this was. I would add that I 100% could see this being made into a very successful movie if cast and produced well.
4.5 stars
June 4, 2024
I'm sorry but I found this book annoying. Ren was annoying. The back and forth between men was annoying. The complete turnaround from Ren's kids for no reason at all.. annoying.
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