What do you think?
Rate this book
To Ghosts & Gravity
Five years ago, Kit Meyer lost his best friend.
And then he lost himself.
Now, he’s surviving the in-between. Recovering from addiction and living in his van, too scared to consider a future outside his fragile bubble of healing. Kit writes letters to a boy who will never respond, clinging desperately to the ghosts of his past.
It takes two years of running before he’s brave enough to seek out the nostalgic comfort of his childhood summer haven.
He thinks he’s going to soak up the last bits of memory there, alone. He has no idea the truths waiting for him among those trees…or who else found solace in the cabin nestled by the lake.
What happens when love grows teeth from pain left to fester?
Grief consumed his past and mellowed his present, but no amount of time could dampen the love Kit still feels. Maybe he could have it, too, if only he were strong enough to stand still.
And then he lost himself.
Now, he’s surviving the in-between. Recovering from addiction and living in his van, too scared to consider a future outside his fragile bubble of healing. Kit writes letters to a boy who will never respond, clinging desperately to the ghosts of his past.
It takes two years of running before he’s brave enough to seek out the nostalgic comfort of his childhood summer haven.
He thinks he’s going to soak up the last bits of memory there, alone. He has no idea the truths waiting for him among those trees…or who else found solace in the cabin nestled by the lake.
What happens when love grows teeth from pain left to fester?
Grief consumed his past and mellowed his present, but no amount of time could dampen the love Kit still feels. Maybe he could have it, too, if only he were strong enough to stand still.
397 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 13, 2026
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 301 reviews
June 20, 2026
I think I accidentally lowkey started a mass-influence event for this book because I posted a video of me crying on the internet, and I HAVE NO REGRETS. This book got me absolutely fucked up.
Kat Marowe deserves a standing ovation for this being a debut.
If you are reading this review, and not this book, DROP IT RIGHT NOW AND PICK UP THIS BOOK OKAY??? TRUST.
Hands down one of the most incredible contemporary romances I’ve EVER read.
Focused around grief, I was ABSOLUTELY HEARTBROKEN AND SOBBING by 29%....... ME!? CRYING!?! THAT EARLY ON IN A BOOK??? That is absolutely unheard of…
It’s hard to rate/review perfection tbh, and I’m struggling to coherently write a review.
So, just trust, that this is the fucking best book of 2026, and read it.
Just trust, that Kat Marowe is going to destroy you and then put you back together slowly.
Trust that Kat is gonna give you friends to lovers but DONE CORRECTLY.
Trust that Kat is gonna give you second chance trope that doesn’t suck. (I lowkey kinda hate second chance trope)
TRUST THAT KAT IS GOING TO GIVE YOU THE BEST FUCKING MAN ON HIS KNEES GROVELLING MOMENT.
I usually highlight when I get petty, and start hating on things or want to remember how I felt during a read. I made 68 highlights and every single one is just a memory of a page of this book that absolutely wrecked me, or absolutely healed me.
Now Kat, if you’re reading this, politely and respectfully…. Give me side characters books or I will die. No stress tho.
I NEED A FUCKING 6 STAR OPTION ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Kat Marowe deserves a standing ovation for this being a debut.
If you are reading this review, and not this book, DROP IT RIGHT NOW AND PICK UP THIS BOOK OKAY??? TRUST.
Hands down one of the most incredible contemporary romances I’ve EVER read.
Focused around grief, I was ABSOLUTELY HEARTBROKEN AND SOBBING by 29%....... ME!? CRYING!?! THAT EARLY ON IN A BOOK??? That is absolutely unheard of…
It’s hard to rate/review perfection tbh, and I’m struggling to coherently write a review.
So, just trust, that this is the fucking best book of 2026, and read it.
Just trust, that Kat Marowe is going to destroy you and then put you back together slowly.
Trust that Kat is gonna give you friends to lovers but DONE CORRECTLY.
Trust that Kat is gonna give you second chance trope that doesn’t suck. (I lowkey kinda hate second chance trope)
TRUST THAT KAT IS GOING TO GIVE YOU THE BEST FUCKING MAN ON HIS KNEES GROVELLING MOMENT.
I usually highlight when I get petty, and start hating on things or want to remember how I felt during a read. I made 68 highlights and every single one is just a memory of a page of this book that absolutely wrecked me, or absolutely healed me.
Now Kat, if you’re reading this, politely and respectfully…. Give me side characters books or I will die. No stress tho.
I NEED A FUCKING 6 STAR OPTION ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
June 16, 2026
I want you filling my lungs for the rest of my life, baby, because I can't breathe without you.
My heart feels so full😭😭 This story was so emotional and felt deeply personal to the author. You could tell B probably represented someone very dear to her judging by the dedication 💔
This was mainly a story of overcoming grief and heartbreak. Losing someone so close to you is a pain everyone of us has or will face unfortunately and the author captured that here in such an achingly beautiful and painful way. Grief is not the same for everyone; everyone deals with it in different ways and sometimes these ways can be self-destructive and toxic to you and those around you. Kit's grief HURT💔 He was so blinded by pain and guilt, that it ultimately made him selfish in his own grief.
He was holding onto me like I was a buoy in a thrashing sea, yet I was the sea. I was the dark waters. I was the crashing waves trying to pull him under, to hold him inside where he couldn't escape.
The first 30% was absolute pure angst and yearning and wholesomeness and my heart was CRACKING!!! Brett was sunshine... just pure sunshine😭 I loved him so much😭😭
The one thing that frustrated the most was Kit and Bowen's communication skills. A lot of the back and forth could have been cut short if they had just talked without tiptoeing around the elephant in the room. I realize this is a tool to create more tension and angst, but there was nothing stopping them from talking other than their stubbornness 😅 This is kind of a personal preference though, I'm the type of person who absolutely has to find a resolution to a conflict immediately😅 Letting an argument stew for such a long time would probably give me an ulcer🌚
Overall, I really loved the story; it was very emotional and touching and that last page absolutely made me cry😭😭 There really is so much to love about this book; the flashbacks, the friendship, the letters, Shrek😅 and the ring😭 For a debut, this was really such a good book!
P.S. This is the only book where the nickname Kitten would ever make sense and it was absolutely adorable😭
I will miss you with every breath I have left. I will love him with each one, and all the spaces between. 😭😭😭😭
______________________________________________________
pre-read:
My fomo has overpowered me once again
My heart feels so full😭😭 This story was so emotional and felt deeply personal to the author. You could tell B probably represented someone very dear to her judging by the dedication 💔
This was mainly a story of overcoming grief and heartbreak. Losing someone so close to you is a pain everyone of us has or will face unfortunately and the author captured that here in such an achingly beautiful and painful way. Grief is not the same for everyone; everyone deals with it in different ways and sometimes these ways can be self-destructive and toxic to you and those around you. Kit's grief HURT💔 He was so blinded by pain and guilt, that it ultimately made him selfish in his own grief.
He was holding onto me like I was a buoy in a thrashing sea, yet I was the sea. I was the dark waters. I was the crashing waves trying to pull him under, to hold him inside where he couldn't escape.
The first 30% was absolute pure angst and yearning and wholesomeness and my heart was CRACKING!!! Brett was sunshine... just pure sunshine😭 I loved him so much😭😭
The one thing that frustrated the most was Kit and Bowen's communication skills. A lot of the back and forth could have been cut short if they had just talked without tiptoeing around the elephant in the room. I realize this is a tool to create more tension and angst, but there was nothing stopping them from talking other than their stubbornness 😅 This is kind of a personal preference though, I'm the type of person who absolutely has to find a resolution to a conflict immediately😅 Letting an argument stew for such a long time would probably give me an ulcer🌚
Overall, I really loved the story; it was very emotional and touching and that last page absolutely made me cry😭😭 There really is so much to love about this book; the flashbacks, the friendship, the letters, Shrek😅 and the ring😭 For a debut, this was really such a good book!
P.S. This is the only book where the nickname Kitten would ever make sense and it was absolutely adorable😭
I will miss you with every breath I have left. I will love him with each one, and all the spaces between. 😭😭😭😭
______________________________________________________
pre-read:
My fomo has overpowered me once again
June 16, 2026
This book was written for me I swear.
I’m broken and put together. I cried, I laughed, I swooned, I raged, I wanted to murder, to grab and shake, I wanted to hug, to kiss, to hold, to love and I wanted to do it forever.
God this book gave everything 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 I loved every single word. I wanted more, of course, but I was also genuinely happy with what we got.
This is a journey through grief above all else, and it sits heavily with you in the best way. Kit and Bowen absolutely have a permanent space in my emotional real estate — and obviously Brett too. What a character. Pure sunshine energy that could have been annoying in other hands, but never was here. I adored him, and I think most of my tears belonged to him.
This is also an incredible debut. The writing and pacing are absolutely stellar — genuinely perfect. The writing fully immerses you; you feel everything right alongside the characters, every emotion, every moment, every silence. It’s the kind of storytelling that pulls you in and doesn’t let go.
A lot of what happens is shaped by grief, trauma, and two teenagers trying to figure out who they are and what they feel while everything around them is falling apart. The miscommunication people point out… honestly, I don’t think it can be looked at in isolation. They’re teenage boys, still trying to understand their identities and emotions, and they’re carrying so much pain on top of that. Of course I wanted them to get together sooner — duh — but people at that age don’t always make wise or brave choices. And let’s be real, even grown adults don’t get it right half the time either.
This story isn’t about perfect communication. It’s about grief, survival, and two people who love each other deeply but can’t find the right timing, courage, or words to say it out loud. Don’t get me wrong, the miscommunication almost left me incapacitated at times, and I wanted to jump in there and shake them senseless. It was very frustrating to read at points, so my only demand is that the endgame feels right — and I need to be able to forgive their stupidity. I did.
I also wished we had more details of their time apart. We were told about it, but I wanted to actually experience it — Kit’s travels and Owen’s cabin shenanigans. Their parents and Kit’s brother also felt a bit one-dimensional, and it would have been nice to have more depth and more interactions with them on page.
And honestly? My emotional real estate is getting crowded, but these three absolutely have a permanent space there.
By the end, I was genuinely happy for them and the choices they made. And I know, deep down, Brett is somewhere smiling and going: “I told you so, you stupid fools” in full Shrek Donkey voice.
My physical copy is already on its way to my bookshelf because I need to have it there, to hold it and revisit it.
At its core, this is a story about best friends, flawed characters who love each other deeply but never find the strength, voice, or timing to say it out loud — not until it’s almost too late.
spoiler OP drama
.
.
.
.
..
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
..
.
.
Owen has a girlfriend throughout high school and later becomes Kit’s best friend. Kit kisses another guy in high school as well. During their separation, there is no one else for either of them.>
I’m broken and put together. I cried, I laughed, I swooned, I raged, I wanted to murder, to grab and shake, I wanted to hug, to kiss, to hold, to love and I wanted to do it forever.
God this book gave everything 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 I loved every single word. I wanted more, of course, but I was also genuinely happy with what we got.
This is a journey through grief above all else, and it sits heavily with you in the best way. Kit and Bowen absolutely have a permanent space in my emotional real estate — and obviously Brett too. What a character. Pure sunshine energy that could have been annoying in other hands, but never was here. I adored him, and I think most of my tears belonged to him.
This is also an incredible debut. The writing and pacing are absolutely stellar — genuinely perfect. The writing fully immerses you; you feel everything right alongside the characters, every emotion, every moment, every silence. It’s the kind of storytelling that pulls you in and doesn’t let go.
A lot of what happens is shaped by grief, trauma, and two teenagers trying to figure out who they are and what they feel while everything around them is falling apart. The miscommunication people point out… honestly, I don’t think it can be looked at in isolation. They’re teenage boys, still trying to understand their identities and emotions, and they’re carrying so much pain on top of that. Of course I wanted them to get together sooner — duh — but people at that age don’t always make wise or brave choices. And let’s be real, even grown adults don’t get it right half the time either.
This story isn’t about perfect communication. It’s about grief, survival, and two people who love each other deeply but can’t find the right timing, courage, or words to say it out loud. Don’t get me wrong, the miscommunication almost left me incapacitated at times, and I wanted to jump in there and shake them senseless. It was very frustrating to read at points, so my only demand is that the endgame feels right — and I need to be able to forgive their stupidity. I did.
I also wished we had more details of their time apart. We were told about it, but I wanted to actually experience it — Kit’s travels and Owen’s cabin shenanigans. Their parents and Kit’s brother also felt a bit one-dimensional, and it would have been nice to have more depth and more interactions with them on page.
And honestly? My emotional real estate is getting crowded, but these three absolutely have a permanent space there.
By the end, I was genuinely happy for them and the choices they made. And I know, deep down, Brett is somewhere smiling and going: “I told you so, you stupid fools” in full Shrek Donkey voice.
My physical copy is already on its way to my bookshelf because I need to have it there, to hold it and revisit it.
At its core, this is a story about best friends, flawed characters who love each other deeply but never find the strength, voice, or timing to say it out loud — not until it’s almost too late.
spoiler OP drama
.
.
.
.
..
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
..
.
.
Owen has a girlfriend throughout high school and later becomes Kit’s best friend. Kit kisses another guy in high school as well. During their separation, there is no one else for either of them.>
April 30, 2026
6 ⭐️
spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️/5
format: ebook
stunning. fucking. debut.
i might come back and add more later when i’m not actively still crying and snotting all over the place.
but this gives jessie walker’s every breath after meets c.s. autumn’s that one moment and if you’re asking yourself: “wow. wouldn’t that be traumatizing?” the answer is yes. i will never recover.
spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️/5
format: ebook
stunning. fucking. debut.
i might come back and add more later when i’m not actively still crying and snotting all over the place.
but this gives jessie walker’s every breath after meets c.s. autumn’s that one moment and if you’re asking yourself: “wow. wouldn’t that be traumatizing?” the answer is yes. i will never recover.
June 15, 2026
Absolutely fantastic, those two idiot boys! 😭
The hype is real, the grief is devastating, and the tears are inevitable. Whatever I can say about this book won’t do it justice. This was a brilliant story, can’t believe it’s a debut. I can’t wait to read more from this author.
The hype is real, the grief is devastating, and the tears are inevitable. Whatever I can say about this book won’t do it justice. This was a brilliant story, can’t believe it’s a debut. I can’t wait to read more from this author.
June 22, 2026
how could the sun shine so beautifully when you're not a part of this world anymore?
there is something about childhood best friends to lovers that destroys me. there is something about two people destined to be together but torn apart by the deepest tragedies that really destroys me and there is something about those same people finding a way back to eachother in spite of everything that destroys me irrevocably.
when i tell you i was sobbing throughout the first half of this book, i mean like full blown sobs. a book hasn’t garnered this reaction from me since every breath after and it’s no surprise why, there are intense similarities between the two books.
it’s been eighteen months without you. fuck, i miss the sun.
i was already heartbroken when kit and bowen couldn’t tell eachother how they felt in their teenage years and then tragedy strikes when they lose brett and the walls just came down. i was heartbroken. the grief, the letters kit was sending to brett, the hurt, hurt, hurt.
it was painful. they had their sun taken from them. brett was everything, he was the glue that held kit and bowen together, he was the best friend everyone dreams of.
i will miss you with every breath i have left. i will love him with each one, and all the spaces between.
(like holy shit that is a direct quote from the book are you kidding me)
for a debut novel, this was spectacular, the writing was so beautiful and there was a depth to it that just felt personal.
i am so glad the boys got their HEA, it was deserved and hard fought. i’m incredibly proud of them both.
i will say that i felt the latter half of this book, the reconciliation and coming together lacked a lot of the depth from that first half which i understand because we did need some of the lightness to balance the pain but it turned into similar and familiar tropes (boys who can’t communicate, CLASSIC) and it was a bit frustrating at points.
however it was beautiful and it destroyed me.
i got a headache from crying too much 💙
just know, I still look for you in everything.
there is something about childhood best friends to lovers that destroys me. there is something about two people destined to be together but torn apart by the deepest tragedies that really destroys me and there is something about those same people finding a way back to eachother in spite of everything that destroys me irrevocably.
when i tell you i was sobbing throughout the first half of this book, i mean like full blown sobs. a book hasn’t garnered this reaction from me since every breath after and it’s no surprise why, there are intense similarities between the two books.
it’s been eighteen months without you. fuck, i miss the sun.
i was already heartbroken when kit and bowen couldn’t tell eachother how they felt in their teenage years and then tragedy strikes when they lose brett and the walls just came down. i was heartbroken. the grief, the letters kit was sending to brett, the hurt, hurt, hurt.
it was painful. they had their sun taken from them. brett was everything, he was the glue that held kit and bowen together, he was the best friend everyone dreams of.
i will miss you with every breath i have left. i will love him with each one, and all the spaces between.
(like holy shit that is a direct quote from the book are you kidding me)
for a debut novel, this was spectacular, the writing was so beautiful and there was a depth to it that just felt personal.
i am so glad the boys got their HEA, it was deserved and hard fought. i’m incredibly proud of them both.
i will say that i felt the latter half of this book, the reconciliation and coming together lacked a lot of the depth from that first half which i understand because we did need some of the lightness to balance the pain but it turned into similar and familiar tropes (boys who can’t communicate, CLASSIC) and it was a bit frustrating at points.
however it was beautiful and it destroyed me.
i got a headache from crying too much 💙
just know, I still look for you in everything.
July 11, 2026
This really did nothing for me. The author didn’t manage to captivate me into the story, I was just hovering on the periphery the whole time. I didn’t feel anything for Kit, he struck me as so selfish - it was all about him, what about the poor guy who lost his identical twin brother?!
Kit’s grief irritated me rather than made me feel empathy for him and I didn’t feel invested in any of the characters. There was something wishy washy about the writing that enabled to me fly through this super fast but not become at all engaged in the story.
Kit’s alcohol addiction felt like a handy plot device when needed but was not fully fleshed out. The parents drifted in and out when it seemed to suit the story. Their behaviour didn’t read organically to me. The Bennett family felt like caricatures of real people, I have no desire to read their spinoffs.
The one character I enjoyed unfortunately didn’t make it very far through the book. Sadly, I think my soul is officially black because this didn’t move me at all.
Kit’s grief irritated me rather than made me feel empathy for him and I didn’t feel invested in any of the characters. There was something wishy washy about the writing that enabled to me fly through this super fast but not become at all engaged in the story.
Kit’s alcohol addiction felt like a handy plot device when needed but was not fully fleshed out. The parents drifted in and out when it seemed to suit the story. Their behaviour didn’t read organically to me. The Bennett family felt like caricatures of real people, I have no desire to read their spinoffs.
The one character I enjoyed unfortunately didn’t make it very far through the book. Sadly, I think my soul is officially black because this didn’t move me at all.
June 12, 2026
I was worried it wouldn't live up to all the hype and tears.
All the pain, suffering and angst was there. Somehow I didn't shed a single tear, but don't worry, everyone else in the book cries. I felt anxious though, so that's good. That counts as emotional output, right?
Full(er) RTC
MC Names: Kit (Kitten, Kat-boy) & Bowen (Boe)
Add full tags: KU, MM, contemporary romance, achillean romance, debut, gay MC, bi MC, hurt/comfort, childhood best friends, size difference (5'7 & 6'3)
CWs: grief, alcohol addiction, relapse, recovery, healing after the loss of a loved one, anxiety, off-page SA, brief references to suicidal thoughts
Cover Design by B. Kean
All the pain, suffering and angst was there. Somehow I didn't shed a single tear, but don't worry, everyone else in the book cries. I felt anxious though, so that's good. That counts as emotional output, right?
It's been eight months without you. I can't look at him.
I still can’t look at him. It’s been eighteen months without you. Fuck, I miss the sun.
“Look at me, kitten,” Bowen breathes. The vulnerability in his voice makes it shake.
Full(er) RTC
MC Names: Kit (Kitten, Kat-boy) & Bowen (Boe)
Add full tags: KU, MM, contemporary romance, achillean romance, debut, gay MC, bi MC, hurt/comfort, childhood best friends, size difference (5'7 & 6'3)
CWs: grief, alcohol addiction, relapse, recovery, healing after the loss of a loved one, anxiety, off-page SA, brief references to suicidal thoughts
Cover Design by B. Kean
June 16, 2026
4.25🌟
❀ “You’re my heart, Kit. I was miserable without you then. I’m miserable without you now.”
❀“When Bowen finally settles next to me, I have tears running down my face. And the smile on my lips?
I fought so fucking hard for it.” 😭
This was such a beautiful debut novel and I cried at so many different points during this 😭❤️🩹 like the first 40% was giving me chesttttt pains 😭😭😭I would not doubt if this was based on real life experiences of this author. This story felt too raw and too real to not be.
I really really loved this 🥺🥺 I love the way it spoke of grief and the pain of losing someone extremely important in your life, as well as the ripple effect that can have on you and the people around you. I made SOOOO many highlights in this book.
The angst & yearning was sooooo good and those aspects coupled with the heavy grief… oh god… it made me feel so much 😭❤️🩹 I really liked that we got to know Brett’s character in the beginning because it allowed me to connect to the loss so more than I might have otherwise. I loved his character so much. 😭
I loved the letters and cried probably every time I read one of them💔
I liked that this didn’t have loads of spice. I was hoping there wouldn’t be when I was feeling so emotional in the beginning because I honestly think a bunch of spice would’ve taken away from the impact of the grief in the story. I think that aspect was done super well. Honestly, I only mention this because I think a lot of MM books overdo it with the spice sometimes and I think it can lessen the emotional impact. This book did not fall victim to that and had the perfect amount for the story.
Oh and the detail with the ring at the end😭 that made me cry 😭❤️ there were more than a few other things that touched my heart, but I won’t say anything for the sake of preserving your experience with them ❤️
I’d say that this was 5 stars for majority of the book. I think just a few things here and there kind of had me leaning towards 4-4.5 range.
I had very few issues with this book and it was only towards the end. It faltered a little bit for me with the miscommunications between Kit & Bowen, but I just let it slide for the most part. I also wouldn’t have minded if this was a little bit longer just so we could’ve dove even deeper into both characters and their stories, especially in the present time.
And I guess this is a personal preference, but I didn’t think Delaney’s character needed to be in the story as much as she was lol.
But again, overall, this was an absolute win for me. Not perfect, but DEFINITELY a win. I hope people are able to enjoy it and find the story as emotionally impactful as I did! 🖤
I truly think so many people out there are going to love this one
❀ “You’re my heart, Kit. I was miserable without you then. I’m miserable without you now.”
❀“When Bowen finally settles next to me, I have tears running down my face. And the smile on my lips?
I fought so fucking hard for it.” 😭
This was such a beautiful debut novel and I cried at so many different points during this 😭❤️🩹 like the first 40% was giving me chesttttt pains 😭😭😭I would not doubt if this was based on real life experiences of this author. This story felt too raw and too real to not be.
I really really loved this 🥺🥺 I love the way it spoke of grief and the pain of losing someone extremely important in your life, as well as the ripple effect that can have on you and the people around you. I made SOOOO many highlights in this book.
The angst & yearning was sooooo good and those aspects coupled with the heavy grief… oh god… it made me feel so much 😭❤️🩹 I really liked that we got to know Brett’s character in the beginning because it allowed me to connect to the loss so more than I might have otherwise. I loved his character so much. 😭
I loved the letters and cried probably every time I read one of them💔
I liked that this didn’t have loads of spice. I was hoping there wouldn’t be when I was feeling so emotional in the beginning because I honestly think a bunch of spice would’ve taken away from the impact of the grief in the story. I think that aspect was done super well. Honestly, I only mention this because I think a lot of MM books overdo it with the spice sometimes and I think it can lessen the emotional impact. This book did not fall victim to that and had the perfect amount for the story.
Oh and the detail with the ring at the end😭 that made me cry 😭❤️ there were more than a few other things that touched my heart, but I won’t say anything for the sake of preserving your experience with them ❤️
I’d say that this was 5 stars for majority of the book. I think just a few things here and there kind of had me leaning towards 4-4.5 range.
I had very few issues with this book and it was only towards the end. It faltered a little bit for me with the miscommunications between Kit & Bowen, but I just let it slide for the most part. I also wouldn’t have minded if this was a little bit longer just so we could’ve dove even deeper into both characters and their stories, especially in the present time.
And I guess this is a personal preference, but I didn’t think Delaney’s character needed to be in the story as much as she was lol.
But again, overall, this was an absolute win for me. Not perfect, but DEFINITELY a win. I hope people are able to enjoy it and find the story as emotionally impactful as I did! 🖤
I truly think so many people out there are going to love this one
July 5, 2026
Very well written debut - bound to rip your heart out, and put it back again.
I won’t lie - the first 30% are genuinely painful to read. I’m not considering it a spoiler to tell you that book is about Kit, and his two best friends, Brett and Bowen, who are twins.
Kit has been in love with Bowen for as long as he can remember. But at some point in his life, one of the twins dies. And Kit crumbles, losing grip on his life, and becomes an alcoholic.
You read the first 30 ish %, waiting for the shoe to drop. For everything to fall apart. To find out which one of the twins dies, because Kit keeps writing letters to his dead friend, calling him “B”, so you don’t actually know which one of them dies.
And I didn’t want to spoil it for myself, either, because both scenarios would have worked for me. So I won’t spoil it for you, either.
While it wasn’t perfect (I just hate popcultural references in books, and the level of martyrdom in both MCs was a bit much at times. Geeeez, get a grip.) it really made me feel all the feels, good and bad.
Still, a book that manages to put me through an (emotional) wringer AND is a debut deserves to be rounded up generously to 5 stars, especially considering that the trope wasn’t easy to begin with.
I’d definitely pick up any book this author releases in the near future!
I won’t lie - the first 30% are genuinely painful to read. I’m not considering it a spoiler to tell you that book is about Kit, and his two best friends, Brett and Bowen, who are twins.
Kit has been in love with Bowen for as long as he can remember. But at some point in his life, one of the twins dies. And Kit crumbles, losing grip on his life, and becomes an alcoholic.
You read the first 30 ish %, waiting for the shoe to drop. For everything to fall apart. To find out which one of the twins dies, because Kit keeps writing letters to his dead friend, calling him “B”, so you don’t actually know which one of them dies.
And I didn’t want to spoil it for myself, either, because both scenarios would have worked for me. So I won’t spoil it for you, either.
While it wasn’t perfect (I just hate popcultural references in books, and the level of martyrdom in both MCs was a bit much at times. Geeeez, get a grip.) it really made me feel all the feels, good and bad.
Still, a book that manages to put me through an (emotional) wringer AND is a debut deserves to be rounded up generously to 5 stars, especially considering that the trope wasn’t easy to begin with.
I’d definitely pick up any book this author releases in the near future!
June 20, 2026
… 💔
It’s hard to give a review on this book without giving anything away. If you enjoyed “That One Moment” by C.S. Autumn and you want to feel something, then this is the book for you.
This book takes you on an emotional rollercoaster, you experience the highs and lows of childhood, and become invested in the main characters.
I finished this book at 1am, and just sat with my thoughts, tears streaming down my face.
It was a beautifully written book, that reminds you to stop and smell the roses, because tomorrow is not promised.
It’s hard to give a review on this book without giving anything away. If you enjoyed “That One Moment” by C.S. Autumn and you want to feel something, then this is the book for you.
This book takes you on an emotional rollercoaster, you experience the highs and lows of childhood, and become invested in the main characters.
I finished this book at 1am, and just sat with my thoughts, tears streaming down my face.
It was a beautifully written book, that reminds you to stop and smell the roses, because tomorrow is not promised.
June 21, 2026
Fuck.Me.Sideways 🫠
What a gut wrenching, soul twisting story💔💔💔
If you are like me, patiently(read desperately) waiting for new Jessie Walker releases let me introduce you to Kat Marowe. She will break your heart just fine in the meantime🫡
What a gut wrenching, soul twisting story💔💔💔
If you are like me, patiently(read desperately) waiting for new Jessie Walker releases let me introduce you to Kat Marowe. She will break your heart just fine in the meantime🫡
June 11, 2026
If you are looking for teen fiction with purple prose and explicit scenes, this is the book for you. But if you want a well grounded, healing story about grief, save your time and skip it.
The characters' emotional age never passes 15. Even though they aren't trust fund babies, they don't go to school, don't work, and don't pay bills. They have zero real-life responsibilities. From the moment they open their eyes everyday, everything they do, think, and breathe is just codependent romantic drama.
It is a story about grief, but it completely lacks any depth. The plot just loops through Kit’s endless pity party without offering any real healing. Honestly, it is ridiculous. It's true that Kit lost a best friend (not the one he loves), but the Briggs family lost a son and a brother! Why is their grief nonexistent? It makes zero sense that they have to coddle Kit’s melodramatic feelings instead of the other way around.
Also, the pacing and prose seriously need some heavy polishing.
When it comes to childhood backstories, do we really need a clumsy, year-by-year recap starting from age six filled with repetitive, childish filler? The middle section lacks actual plot and relies entirely on whiny internal monologues. Honestly, if I weren't trying to figure out why this book is so hyped, I would have DNF-ed early on because of how boring it is.
These characters have zero communication skills. Maybe that is too much to ask from characters stuck at age 15, but can we please not have them jump into bed for no reason? I am so over it.
Maybe I expect too much from a debut, but these are my honest, unfiltered thoughts.
The characters' emotional age never passes 15. Even though they aren't trust fund babies, they don't go to school, don't work, and don't pay bills. They have zero real-life responsibilities. From the moment they open their eyes everyday, everything they do, think, and breathe is just codependent romantic drama.
It is a story about grief, but it completely lacks any depth. The plot just loops through Kit’s endless pity party without offering any real healing. Honestly, it is ridiculous. It's true that Kit lost a best friend (not the one he loves), but the Briggs family lost a son and a brother! Why is their grief nonexistent? It makes zero sense that they have to coddle Kit’s melodramatic feelings instead of the other way around.
Also, the pacing and prose seriously need some heavy polishing.
When it comes to childhood backstories, do we really need a clumsy, year-by-year recap starting from age six filled with repetitive, childish filler? The middle section lacks actual plot and relies entirely on whiny internal monologues. Honestly, if I weren't trying to figure out why this book is so hyped, I would have DNF-ed early on because of how boring it is.
These characters have zero communication skills. Maybe that is too much to ask from characters stuck at age 15, but can we please not have them jump into bed for no reason? I am so over it.
Maybe I expect too much from a debut, but these are my honest, unfiltered thoughts.
May 28, 2026
Oh my poor heart, I don’t even know where to start with this one.
It was stunning. Devastatingly beautiful.
A symphony of loss and grief and healing. Yearning and longing personified.
Love so big and so powerful it felt absolute and made it hard to breathe.
It was honestly crazy, it’s one of the books that I call a “chokehold from the first page”.
Since the very beginning and up to at least 30% I was all over the place with anxiety and physically couldn’t tear my eyes off this book. I laughed and cried and screamed at them so many times it’s crazy.
So many emotions, so much raw and unfiltered pain, this book is the reason we all love romance, it makes you feel so much and so strongly 🖤
“I hope he can feel it in the reverent drag of my calloused hands over his body. I hope he can taste the truth I've been too cowardly to explain straight from my lips. I want him to look in my eyes and know, without a shadow of doubt, that he's all I want. Now. Then. He's all I've ever wanted.”
The writing, it is so beautiful it felt like poetry, I have so many highlights and there would probably be more had I cried less 🥲
This book honestly doesn’t need more words, just that it is a must read 🖤
It was stunning. Devastatingly beautiful.
A symphony of loss and grief and healing. Yearning and longing personified.
Love so big and so powerful it felt absolute and made it hard to breathe.
It was honestly crazy, it’s one of the books that I call a “chokehold from the first page”.
Since the very beginning and up to at least 30% I was all over the place with anxiety and physically couldn’t tear my eyes off this book. I laughed and cried and screamed at them so many times it’s crazy.
So many emotions, so much raw and unfiltered pain, this book is the reason we all love romance, it makes you feel so much and so strongly 🖤
“I hope he can feel it in the reverent drag of my calloused hands over his body. I hope he can taste the truth I've been too cowardly to explain straight from my lips. I want him to look in my eyes and know, without a shadow of doubt, that he's all I want. Now. Then. He's all I've ever wanted.”
The writing, it is so beautiful it felt like poetry, I have so many highlights and there would probably be more had I cried less 🥲
This book honestly doesn’t need more words, just that it is a must read 🖤
July 2, 2026
I seem to be picking up another romance revolving around grief, so clearly this trope has a chokehold on my heart right now.
I absolutely loved the flashbacks in this book. Watching the main characters dynamic develop starting from age 8 was incredibly sweet, and the integration of the current day letters kept me hooked to see how this was going to play out. I also really appreciated the emphasis on friendship between Brett and Kit.
That said, the second half lost me a bit. There was too much internal dialogue for my taste, and the plot seemed to stall, making it a struggle to stay fully invested. It had a strong build up, but it didn't deliver the emotional punch I was hoping for with this type of story. I also found some of their younger interactions didn’t seem super realistic for their ages.
I can see why this book is working for so many people, and I would definitely be interested in picking up this author's future work.
I absolutely loved the flashbacks in this book. Watching the main characters dynamic develop starting from age 8 was incredibly sweet, and the integration of the current day letters kept me hooked to see how this was going to play out. I also really appreciated the emphasis on friendship between Brett and Kit.
That said, the second half lost me a bit. There was too much internal dialogue for my taste, and the plot seemed to stall, making it a struggle to stay fully invested. It had a strong build up, but it didn't deliver the emotional punch I was hoping for with this type of story. I also found some of their younger interactions didn’t seem super realistic for their ages.
I can see why this book is working for so many people, and I would definitely be interested in picking up this author's future work.
May 11, 2026
”He's here; he wouldn't have missed this.”
For some reason, it’s hard to gather my thoughts on this book. The beginning and the end were absolutely perfect. But then, I feel like something was missing in the middle (well, we know what was missing😭).
I love, LOVE books that take you into the story right from the start—in this case, from the age of 6. This quickly draws the reader into the lives of Kit, Bowen, and Brett. At some point, though, you start to get this underlying feeling that you have to brace yourself for something.
I was ready for this book to tear me apart and then put me back together, but it didn't turn out quite that way—I was surprised that it wasn't as heartbreaking and devastating as it could have been. Don’t get me wrong, it does make you cry, but also at the same time it was kind of lighthearted and humorous too? But I think I liked it this way.
“You cannot look at me like that over breakfast.”
”Like what?”
”Like you're the feral raccoon and I'm a strawberry Pop-Tart.”
So yeah, my initial feelings (I had a feeling this would be 5 star read) about the book faded a bit after a really promising start, but maybe in a way, this reading experience of mine also reflected the fact that things were no longer the same after what had happened. But the book wasn't bad by any means; it was still really good, a touching story that dealt with grief and its impact on people and relationships, and about finding the way back to oneself and to one another. For me, this just didn't quite reach the 5-star level, more towards 4, maybe 4.5.
I just felt like the connection to and with the characters kind of faltered in the middle, and a lot of important issues were left unaddressed or unspoken between the characters. I wouldn't have minded if the book had been a little longer to get there.
I’d like to talk a lot more about this book and its characters, but I want to keep this review spoiler-free, so I'll leave it at that.
For a debut, this was absolutely amazing, and I'll definitely be reading more from the author in the future (hopefully).
For some reason, it’s hard to gather my thoughts on this book. The beginning and the end were absolutely perfect. But then, I feel like something was missing in the middle (well, we know what was missing😭).
I love, LOVE books that take you into the story right from the start—in this case, from the age of 6. This quickly draws the reader into the lives of Kit, Bowen, and Brett. At some point, though, you start to get this underlying feeling that you have to brace yourself for something.
I was ready for this book to tear me apart and then put me back together, but it didn't turn out quite that way—I was surprised that it wasn't as heartbreaking and devastating as it could have been. Don’t get me wrong, it does make you cry, but also at the same time it was kind of lighthearted and humorous too? But I think I liked it this way.
“You cannot look at me like that over breakfast.”
”Like what?”
”Like you're the feral raccoon and I'm a strawberry Pop-Tart.”
So yeah, my initial feelings (I had a feeling this would be 5 star read) about the book faded a bit after a really promising start, but maybe in a way, this reading experience of mine also reflected the fact that things were no longer the same after what had happened. But the book wasn't bad by any means; it was still really good, a touching story that dealt with grief and its impact on people and relationships, and about finding the way back to oneself and to one another. For me, this just didn't quite reach the 5-star level, more towards 4, maybe 4.5.
I just felt like the connection to and with the characters kind of faltered in the middle, and a lot of important issues were left unaddressed or unspoken between the characters. I wouldn't have minded if the book had been a little longer to get there.
I’d like to talk a lot more about this book and its characters, but I want to keep this review spoiler-free, so I'll leave it at that.
For a debut, this was absolutely amazing, and I'll definitely be reading more from the author in the future (hopefully).
July 8, 2026
This was a good enjoyable book.
But good god did Brett have the right idea trying to lock these two into a room together because omg their communication skills are literally the worst. I wouldn’t call it miscommunication because it’s basically noncommunication. They spent years refusing to communicate and it was frustrating to read. If I ask someone a question and they give me a weird vague answer or I didn’t know what they meant I would ask a follow up question, but not these two. Not just the lack of communication but how long it went on, practically the entire book.
If you’re able to get over the noncommunication the book isn’t bad and I had a good time reading. A lot of good funny parts. Very good for a debut as well.
But good god did Brett have the right idea trying to lock these two into a room together because omg their communication skills are literally the worst. I wouldn’t call it miscommunication because it’s basically noncommunication. They spent years refusing to communicate and it was frustrating to read. If I ask someone a question and they give me a weird vague answer or I didn’t know what they meant I would ask a follow up question, but not these two. Not just the lack of communication but how long it went on, practically the entire book.
If you’re able to get over the noncommunication the book isn’t bad and I had a good time reading. A lot of good funny parts. Very good for a debut as well.
June 19, 2026
A beautiful, heartbreaking story. Absolutely breathtaking. What a debut novel!
Kit is a sweet, sky, skittish kid who grows up with two best friends, Brett and Bowen, and he falls in love with one while he loses the other.
This was a romance, first and foremost, of course - seeing Kit and Bowen stumble along to getting their HEA was a struggle but so worth it in the end. The heartbreak and angst was immense. Not only because both boys - especially Bowen, let's be real - couldn't get their heads out of their asses, but also everything that happens After and how they have to make their way back to each other.
But also, it's a story about love and loss, as well. Brett is ever present, ever there just wanting his bother and best friend to get their heads out of their asses and be together. And it takes even longer because of his loss.
Of course the book takes it time to let you get to know Brett too, and he's practically a third main character, just to take him away. It wouldn't have hit as hard if we didn't get to know him, and the sad, soft moments of remembering him later on. The very end being it absolutely broke my heart, especially after . The waterworks couldn't be helped at that point.
In a way, I'm most heartbroken for Brett. He was such a beautiful soul, so alive and sweet and optimistic, and he didn't get live a full life like he should have. He didn't get to be there for the things he want to later in life. It's so very tragic.
But also, what do the people still alive, still living do, when someone they love so much, someone so precious to them, is no longer there?
This is also, aside from the romance at the heart of it, is a story about grief and how you awful it is to go through and how you learn to live again on the other side of it. That person never forgotten or erased, and it's still hard at times, but how do you find the will to live again and be happy.
I loved Brett, but I loved Kit and Bowen too. Brett was their ultimate cheerleader, and I loved how this book never went the route of Kit and Brett ever having anything romantic between them. Brett and Bowen are twins, but they couldn't be more different, and even to Kit by the time he's older, he sees differences in their faces in order to tell them apart.
But for Kit, it's always been Bowen Briggs. He's the love of his life. And I love, love, LOVED how this took the time to show exactly why he fell for him. All the sweet, cute little moments as they grew up showing Bowen being an absolute sweetheart to Kit and being so gentle and kind, and so tactile too.
Brett was Kit's platonic soulmate, but Bowen is the love of his life. Yes, Kit loses someone so so important to him, but Bowen is still there, he's still alive, and he's just as important.
That's what takes Kit some time to work through. He completely drowns in his grief and doesn't handle it well at all. This story is full of what ifs. Like what Bowen had got over his shit and took that leap with Kit when they were 15? What if Brett never died and these two finally figured out their shit, and got together and got to live happily ever after with their brother and best friend by their side for the rest of their lives, or what if Kit had handled losing him differently and shared his grief with Bowen instead of shutting him out? What if, what if, what if...
But it didn't go like that, so these two had to climb through the muck and the grime to get back to each other.
Life doesn't always go as planned, but it's what you make of what you've got that matters.
Honestly, both Bowen and Kit screw up several times in several different ways throughout this book it almost feel like they cancel each other out with their stupid teenage boy-ness. And adult man...ness? Whatever, the point is, these two both say and do stupid things and truly the only way they heal is by coming back together. It's a long, hard journey, but they get there.
It was so, so sweet and wonderful once they get there. They have a fierce, passionate love that didn't go away even after 5 years of pain and suffering.
I also love how I got to laugh in this story as well. Usually books that make me cry don't make me laugh as well. I LOVED that this book did both. Life is full of pain and suffering but also laughter and happiness too, a balance, if you will. Sometimes you lose your best friend but also sometimes you have a raccoon eating your poptart in your van while you try to escape. Life is full of those contradictions.
And it beautifully, beautifully done. I was crying, I was melancholy, then hopeful, than laughing, then happy, then sad, happy, sad...I felt it all while reading this and that's a mark of an amazing book, when it can evoke all these emotions in you.
This is definitely a highlight for me for this year, one of my top books. Everything everyone is praising this book for? It's true, it's deserved.
Absolutely can't wait for for the Bennett Brothers series, that is sure to be a fun one - all the brothers seem fun (although why one of them is gone, I'm curious to know!) - and man I hope they're all MM. I know, I'm greedy! But I just want more of this author's writing.
A masterful debut novel, and I'm sure there are many more amazing ones to come. Can't wait to see Bowen and Kit happy as can be in the Bennett Brothers books, as I'm sure they'll pop in from time to time.
Until then! 😍
Kit is a sweet, sky, skittish kid who grows up with two best friends, Brett and Bowen, and he falls in love with one while he loses the other.
This was a romance, first and foremost, of course - seeing Kit and Bowen stumble along to getting their HEA was a struggle but so worth it in the end. The heartbreak and angst was immense. Not only because both boys - especially Bowen, let's be real - couldn't get their heads out of their asses, but also everything that happens After and how they have to make their way back to each other.
But also, it's a story about love and loss, as well. Brett is ever present, ever there just wanting his bother and best friend to get their heads out of their asses and be together. And it takes even longer because of his loss.
Of course the book takes it time to let you get to know Brett too, and he's practically a third main character, just to take him away. It wouldn't have hit as hard if we didn't get to know him, and the sad, soft moments of remembering him later on. The very end being it absolutely broke my heart, especially after . The waterworks couldn't be helped at that point.
In a way, I'm most heartbroken for Brett. He was such a beautiful soul, so alive and sweet and optimistic, and he didn't get live a full life like he should have. He didn't get to be there for the things he want to later in life. It's so very tragic.
But also, what do the people still alive, still living do, when someone they love so much, someone so precious to them, is no longer there?
This is also, aside from the romance at the heart of it, is a story about grief and how you awful it is to go through and how you learn to live again on the other side of it. That person never forgotten or erased, and it's still hard at times, but how do you find the will to live again and be happy.
I loved Brett, but I loved Kit and Bowen too. Brett was their ultimate cheerleader, and I loved how this book never went the route of Kit and Brett ever having anything romantic between them. Brett and Bowen are twins, but they couldn't be more different, and even to Kit by the time he's older, he sees differences in their faces in order to tell them apart.
But for Kit, it's always been Bowen Briggs. He's the love of his life. And I love, love, LOVED how this took the time to show exactly why he fell for him. All the sweet, cute little moments as they grew up showing Bowen being an absolute sweetheart to Kit and being so gentle and kind, and so tactile too.
Brett was Kit's platonic soulmate, but Bowen is the love of his life. Yes, Kit loses someone so so important to him, but Bowen is still there, he's still alive, and he's just as important.
That's what takes Kit some time to work through. He completely drowns in his grief and doesn't handle it well at all. This story is full of what ifs. Like what Bowen had got over his shit and took that leap with Kit when they were 15? What if Brett never died and these two finally figured out their shit, and got together and got to live happily ever after with their brother and best friend by their side for the rest of their lives, or what if Kit had handled losing him differently and shared his grief with Bowen instead of shutting him out? What if, what if, what if...
But it didn't go like that, so these two had to climb through the muck and the grime to get back to each other.
Life doesn't always go as planned, but it's what you make of what you've got that matters.
Honestly, both Bowen and Kit screw up several times in several different ways throughout this book it almost feel like they cancel each other out with their stupid teenage boy-ness. And adult man...ness? Whatever, the point is, these two both say and do stupid things and truly the only way they heal is by coming back together. It's a long, hard journey, but they get there.
It was so, so sweet and wonderful once they get there. They have a fierce, passionate love that didn't go away even after 5 years of pain and suffering.
I also love how I got to laugh in this story as well. Usually books that make me cry don't make me laugh as well. I LOVED that this book did both. Life is full of pain and suffering but also laughter and happiness too, a balance, if you will. Sometimes you lose your best friend but also sometimes you have a raccoon eating your poptart in your van while you try to escape. Life is full of those contradictions.
And it beautifully, beautifully done. I was crying, I was melancholy, then hopeful, than laughing, then happy, then sad, happy, sad...I felt it all while reading this and that's a mark of an amazing book, when it can evoke all these emotions in you.
This is definitely a highlight for me for this year, one of my top books. Everything everyone is praising this book for? It's true, it's deserved.
Absolutely can't wait for for the Bennett Brothers series, that is sure to be a fun one - all the brothers seem fun (although why one of them is gone, I'm curious to know!) - and man I hope they're all MM. I know, I'm greedy! But I just want more of this author's writing.
A masterful debut novel, and I'm sure there are many more amazing ones to come. Can't wait to see Bowen and Kit happy as can be in the Bennett Brothers books, as I'm sure they'll pop in from time to time.
Until then! 😍
May 18, 2026
I'll need a couple of days to recover.
Listen, I am not new to heartbreaking MM books. But this book did something to me that only a select few were ever be able to do.
It consumed my thoughts from the moment I picked it up till long after finishing it. I SOBBED an unhealthy amount of times, while rooting for these two characters to just be happy.
It unbelievable to think that this is a debut novel. Cause not only the plot and character development was spot on for me, the writing style with beautiful prose made me want to highlight almost every sentence.
Is it heartbreaking? Yes, a 100% but through the hurt, pain and sadness there is still that focus on hope, on trying again and to give love a chance again.
Dear author, please never stop writing. You just gained a longlife fan.
Listen, I am not new to heartbreaking MM books. But this book did something to me that only a select few were ever be able to do.
It consumed my thoughts from the moment I picked it up till long after finishing it. I SOBBED an unhealthy amount of times, while rooting for these two characters to just be happy.
It unbelievable to think that this is a debut novel. Cause not only the plot and character development was spot on for me, the writing style with beautiful prose made me want to highlight almost every sentence.
Is it heartbreaking? Yes, a 100% but through the hurt, pain and sadness there is still that focus on hope, on trying again and to give love a chance again.
Dear author, please never stop writing. You just gained a longlife fan.
June 11, 2026
4.5 ⭐️ 2.5🌶️
Second Chance
Friends to lovers to brudding and angst
Hurt/comfort
Tragic loss and how they get through it
Addiction rep
Coming of age
Hard fought HEA
The beginning hooked me in immediately. The middle was def a different vibe and that was intentional but the author.
I loved all these characters. The beginning gave me 6 star vibes and the rest was good but the beginning gave me such a high of euphoria that when the tragedy hit, I was craving for the beginning parts and wants that more but I understood the beginning vibes and the characters couldn’t go back to the way things were. and that changed some of the characters relationships too. Everything was intentional by the author! But my goodness this author can write some build up. The beginning had me on the edge of my seat! And it kept me wanting them together to badly.
Brett and Bowen are twins. Kit is Their best friend. Kit had a crush on Bowen. It’s really cute at first and so nostalgic and beautiful and funny! I fell in love with them. I was fighting for them! And so was Brett. Brett wanted them together too! Bowen basically fights it for years and that created a lot of angst later down the road.
Then the tragedy hits and everything changes. It shows how everyone handles grief differently and I felt the addiction rep was handled beautifully. Also the dynamics changed. It wasn’t sweet anymore, there was a lot of anger and I was feeling so saaaaaaaadddddd😫.
This is def a mix of Every Breath After and That One Moment but what I loved is that there was no crossing of dating involved. Brett was just the brother and best friend that’s it! Loved that! There’s no guilt involved.
I can tell this debut author wrote many times before. It was written so well! I could picture myself with them and felt everything they felt. I found a new author I’ll be reading from but PLEASE DON’T hurt my feelings like that again!!!!
Second Chance
Friends to lovers to brudding and angst
Hurt/comfort
Tragic loss and how they get through it
Addiction rep
Coming of age
Hard fought HEA
The beginning hooked me in immediately. The middle was def a different vibe and that was intentional but the author.
I loved all these characters. The beginning gave me 6 star vibes and the rest was good but the beginning gave me such a high of euphoria that when the tragedy hit, I was craving for the beginning parts and wants that more but I understood the beginning vibes and the characters couldn’t go back to the way things were. and that changed some of the characters relationships too. Everything was intentional by the author! But my goodness this author can write some build up. The beginning had me on the edge of my seat! And it kept me wanting them together to badly.
Brett and Bowen are twins. Kit is Their best friend. Kit had a crush on Bowen. It’s really cute at first and so nostalgic and beautiful and funny! I fell in love with them. I was fighting for them! And so was Brett. Brett wanted them together too! Bowen basically fights it for years and that created a lot of angst later down the road.
Then the tragedy hits and everything changes. It shows how everyone handles grief differently and I felt the addiction rep was handled beautifully. Also the dynamics changed. It wasn’t sweet anymore, there was a lot of anger and I was feeling so saaaaaaaadddddd😫.
This is def a mix of Every Breath After and That One Moment but what I loved is that there was no crossing of dating involved. Brett was just the brother and best friend that’s it! Loved that! There’s no guilt involved.
I can tell this debut author wrote many times before. It was written so well! I could picture myself with them and felt everything they felt. I found a new author I’ll be reading from but PLEASE DON’T hurt my feelings like that again!!!!
July 8, 2026
there isn’t much I can say that hasn’t already been said.
this…wow.
this hurt in places that i haven’t felt in a while, and it was worth every second.
this…wow.
this hurt in places that i haven’t felt in a while, and it was worth every second.
June 16, 2026
I finished this book (or should I say it finished me) 2 days ago and I am returning to write a review.
🗣 I LOVED THIS SO MUCH 🗣
To start with, I am a sucker for the best friends trope. I will always go so soft for it.
But besides that, this book was just ✨ stunning ✨. The writing was beautiful, the characters (although exteremely frustrating at times) were lovable and the happily ever after was well and truely HARD FOUGHT for 😭 I cried on and off from 29% and sobbed after the epilogue.
Will be re-reading and recommending to anyone who wants to be broken and put back together 💖
And this is a debut! Well done Kat Marowe 👏🏼 can't wait to read more works you will grace us with.
🗣 I LOVED THIS SO MUCH 🗣
To start with, I am a sucker for the best friends trope. I will always go so soft for it.
But besides that, this book was just ✨ stunning ✨. The writing was beautiful, the characters (although exteremely frustrating at times) were lovable and the happily ever after was well and truely HARD FOUGHT for 😭 I cried on and off from 29% and sobbed after the epilogue.
Will be re-reading and recommending to anyone who wants to be broken and put back together 💖
And this is a debut! Well done Kat Marowe 👏🏼 can't wait to read more works you will grace us with.
June 13, 2026
2,5 ⭐️ Let’s start with the positives- the first half of the book was absolutely beautiful. I loved the writing, it was very poetic. Watching the boys growing up, spending time together in the cabin at the lake. The dynamic- Kit shy and awkward, Brett the funny and easygoing and Bowen the protector. Then it got angsty when they became teens. Actually we never got to know Bowen that much, he never really acknowledged his feelings for Kit, like he is confused. Kit on the other hand is always pining for this boy, but never tells him how he feels. Brain development ends at age of 25 and it really shows.
- “He didn't reach out.
Didn't call.
And still, he won't call. Won't text.”
“I was caught off guard this morning, Kit. All I saw was your ticket out, and I knew you'd take it.”
“You didn't ask me not to leave.”
After the 50% I just got mad. Zero communication. Kit acts like a doormat and Bowen is emotionally constipated! Just when things feel like they might get better, enter ex girlfriend 🤷♀️it felt like the author just threw things at the reader to get a reaction and stave off the inevitable. After Kit finally tells Bowen “I love you” it still took a lot for that man to say it back! What a coward, I swear I am so mad at him! There are 10 pages of them being happy and in love. This book is total miss for me. I always hated when so many people love a certain book and there a few low ratings and I’m like “why??” I guess it’s me this time.
- “He didn't reach out.
Didn't call.
And still, he won't call. Won't text.”
“I was caught off guard this morning, Kit. All I saw was your ticket out, and I knew you'd take it.”
“You didn't ask me not to leave.”
After the 50% I just got mad. Zero communication. Kit acts like a doormat and Bowen is emotionally constipated! Just when things feel like they might get better, enter ex girlfriend 🤷♀️it felt like the author just threw things at the reader to get a reaction and stave off the inevitable. After Kit finally tells Bowen “I love you” it still took a lot for that man to say it back! What a coward, I swear I am so mad at him! There are 10 pages of them being happy and in love. This book is total miss for me. I always hated when so many people love a certain book and there a few low ratings and I’m like “why??” I guess it’s me this time.
May 24, 2026
4.5⭐️ This was such a great debut! Emotional, well-written, and heart-wrenching. Coming-of-age love story. Angsty best friends to lovers.
I loved the flow of her storytelling, weaving the past and the present.
This is definitely an author to watch!
This felt like a mashup of You’re My Home by Katie Moore and Without You by Marley Valentine.
It’s almost 400 pages and I read it in one sitting. Could not put it down. I even cried at the epilogue… and I usually dislike or skip epilogues!
The only thing I didn’t like were the cheesy nicknames. But I’ll give the author a pass because everything else shined.
I loved the flow of her storytelling, weaving the past and the present.
This is definitely an author to watch!
This felt like a mashup of You’re My Home by Katie Moore and Without You by Marley Valentine.
It’s almost 400 pages and I read it in one sitting. Could not put it down. I even cried at the epilogue… and I usually dislike or skip epilogues!
The only thing I didn’t like were the cheesy nicknames. But I’ll give the author a pass because everything else shined.
June 20, 2026
Wow, what a debut. I really lack the words to even begin to describe how amazing this book is. I can only say, I love it. The story is really beautifully written. I laughed, cried, was annoyed, sometimes frustrated, but in the end I was happy and so satisfied that it was worth every heartbreaking second. I am already looking forward to more publications from the author.
June 20, 2026
Beautiful
Wow. This was fantastic. Hurty. Angsty. Needy. Pining. Yearning. Filled with joy laughter love and grief and pain
We get a beautiful hea though
A fantastic redemption of these characters
A hurty slow burn hea
Wow
This was fantastic
Lived up to the hype
Beautiful story for sure
That final letter though... my heart
Full Circle
Wow. This was fantastic. Hurty. Angsty. Needy. Pining. Yearning. Filled with joy laughter love and grief and pain
We get a beautiful hea though
A fantastic redemption of these characters
A hurty slow burn hea
Wow
This was fantastic
Lived up to the hype
Beautiful story for sure
That final letter though... my heart
Full Circle
July 8, 2026
NOTHING AGAINST THE AUTHOR!! They did a great job and this is a debut? Fantastic! It was probably a me thing, not the book.
Am I the problem? Is it me? Because this book has been raging all over my socials and like the FOMO person I am, I had to read it.
Uhm… excuse me? This is what we cry about nowadays? AND YES, IT WAS FUCKING SAD, don’t get me wrong. Up until 30%, I felt that good ol’ “oh, this is gonna hurt me so good, I can’t fucking wait” and then…. Flop. OBVIOUSLY, it was sad but is it believable that a 17 year old turns into an alcoholic? When his parents are right there? And excuse me, yes, you lost your best friend but what about Bowen and his mom? They lost their twin brother/son, can you be anymore self absorbed?
Also, the back and forth gave me a fucking whiplash. Bowen FINALLY admits his feelings, “you’re mine” and all that and Kit still doesn’t KNOW if Bowen wants him?? Wake the fuck up!
One thing that absolutely takes me out of a story is having the start of a dialogue on page A, only to throw in four pages on inner monologue and have me wait for the answer to said conversation until page G. How am I supposed to remember what was said? I can’t, which is why I had to turn back the pages and reread it and ergo: pulls me out of the story.
I saw someone saying this was painted with purple prose and I couldn’t agree more.
Yes, grief if a fucking bitch and we all deal with it in our own way but Kit cried all the time.
Also, tell me how he, without a job, could get a van and live in it for two years??
I’m never trusting TikTok again.
3 ⭐️ is basically just for Brett. He was hilarious. The texts? 👏🏼
Am I the problem? Is it me? Because this book has been raging all over my socials and like the FOMO person I am, I had to read it.
Uhm… excuse me? This is what we cry about nowadays? AND YES, IT WAS FUCKING SAD, don’t get me wrong. Up until 30%, I felt that good ol’ “oh, this is gonna hurt me so good, I can’t fucking wait” and then…. Flop. OBVIOUSLY, it was sad but is it believable that a 17 year old turns into an alcoholic? When his parents are right there? And excuse me, yes, you lost your best friend but what about Bowen and his mom? They lost their twin brother/son, can you be anymore self absorbed?
Also, the back and forth gave me a fucking whiplash. Bowen FINALLY admits his feelings, “you’re mine” and all that and Kit still doesn’t KNOW if Bowen wants him?? Wake the fuck up!
One thing that absolutely takes me out of a story is having the start of a dialogue on page A, only to throw in four pages on inner monologue and have me wait for the answer to said conversation until page G. How am I supposed to remember what was said? I can’t, which is why I had to turn back the pages and reread it and ergo: pulls me out of the story.
I saw someone saying this was painted with purple prose and I couldn’t agree more.
Yes, grief if a fucking bitch and we all deal with it in our own way but Kit cried all the time.
Also, tell me how he, without a job, could get a van and live in it for two years??
I’m never trusting TikTok again.
3 ⭐️ is basically just for Brett. He was hilarious. The texts? 👏🏼
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 14, 2026
• m/m • childhood friends to lovers • grief •
I have mixed feelings about this one 🎭
Only mildly spoilery(?) 🤔 I’ll hide it anyway just in case 😇
This book has major emotional themes -> death of a sibling, grief spiral including substance abuse and self-imposed isolation and withdrawal from family and supports.
I found the MMC to be totally selfish the way he chose to shut out the person he ‘loved’ when he thought his romantic feelings would be unrequited 🤦♀️ AND THEN I just couldn’t get past the way he was so self absorbed in his grief and barely acknowledged anyone else who was grieving (the dead boy’s identical twin ffs).
It was like reading a lesson in defence against possible physical rejection AND a lesson in grief and it just felt legitimately laborious to get through the majority of that.
I don’t do self pity well (in fiction and irl!) 😬🫣🥴
Things I liked
> on page childhood friendship development (from 6y). It was a bit long maybe but overall I liked this part and it did add to the story.
> slow burn
> genuine-feeling of reconnection between the two MMCs
> entertaining side characters (although not featured as much as I’d like?)
Things I didn’t like much
> selfishness of one of the MMCs (hated!)
> spiral into alcoholism felt… idk…? In a way unconvincing to me? I felt that I only got part of that story and it left me frustrated by it rather than empathetic.
> miscommunication/lack of communication THROUGHOUT the entire book once they hit teen years. Even to the point that they talked about something then LEGITIMATELY did the same thing all over again but in reverse (!?) and I was like for real?! It annoyed me an unreasonable amount 😅
This was a book club read 🤗 Overall I’m certainly not mad I read it, there were parts I enjoyed. I really did enjoy the reconnection and there were lots of lovely moments 🥹 but the continued communication issues just grated my nerves by the end 😬
This could be an emotional read for the right reader. But I’m going to give pity parties a wide berth for a bit 😆
3.5 ⭐️
2🌶️
I really wish GR allowed half star ratings! I’m rounding down because I normally round up if I enjoyed the book enough that I’d generally recommend to others. But I usually round down if I thought it was ok/good but I’d only really recommend to someone if it was a known favourite genre or theme.
I have mixed feelings about this one 🎭
Only mildly spoilery(?) 🤔 I’ll hide it anyway just in case 😇
This book has major emotional themes -> death of a sibling, grief spiral including substance abuse and self-imposed isolation and withdrawal from family and supports.
I found the MMC to be totally selfish the way he chose to shut out the person he ‘loved’ when he thought his romantic feelings would be unrequited 🤦♀️ AND THEN I just couldn’t get past the way he was so self absorbed in his grief and barely acknowledged anyone else who was grieving (the dead boy’s identical twin ffs).
It was like reading a lesson in defence against possible physical rejection AND a lesson in grief and it just felt legitimately laborious to get through the majority of that.
I don’t do self pity well (in fiction and irl!) 😬🫣🥴
Things I liked
> on page childhood friendship development (from 6y). It was a bit long maybe but overall I liked this part and it did add to the story.
> slow burn
> genuine-feeling of reconnection between the two MMCs
> entertaining side characters (although not featured as much as I’d like?)
Things I didn’t like much
> selfishness of one of the MMCs (hated!)
> spiral into alcoholism felt… idk…? In a way unconvincing to me? I felt that I only got part of that story and it left me frustrated by it rather than empathetic.
> miscommunication/lack of communication THROUGHOUT the entire book once they hit teen years. Even to the point that they talked about something then LEGITIMATELY did the same thing all over again but in reverse (!?) and I was like for real?! It annoyed me an unreasonable amount 😅
This was a book club read 🤗 Overall I’m certainly not mad I read it, there were parts I enjoyed. I really did enjoy the reconnection and there were lots of lovely moments 🥹 but the continued communication issues just grated my nerves by the end 😬
This could be an emotional read for the right reader. But I’m going to give pity parties a wide berth for a bit 😆
3.5 ⭐️
2🌶️
I really wish GR allowed half star ratings! I’m rounding down because I normally round up if I enjoyed the book enough that I’d generally recommend to others. But I usually round down if I thought it was ok/good but I’d only really recommend to someone if it was a known favourite genre or theme.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 26, 2026
It took me 12 days to write this review after finishing this book. This is a book like no other. It's emotional (although I didn't cry as much as I usually do); it's HEAVY with grief. It's filled with trauma, sentimentality, multiple love stories, addiction and healing. I am not intellectual enough to write a review that explains how my heart and soul feel about this book, but I will say I was dragged through it while reading this book and every emotion was conjured up while in the midst of my read - even the emotions I've suppressed for a number of years.
B, Bowen and Kit (omg, Kitten), weaved their way into my heart and left an indelible mark on it. The story flowed perfectly. The depth of the storytelling is oft experienced, and I never once got bored while reading it. In fact, I almost couldn't put the book down (sleep, work, all the things got in the way). Some people may chalk this up to a miscommunication trope, but for me, it's way bigger than that. This is a tale of grief, the toll it takes on you and the journey (a very long journey) to heal from said grief. An exquisite story that I will never have the strength to reread.
B, Bowen and Kit (omg, Kitten), weaved their way into my heart and left an indelible mark on it. The story flowed perfectly. The depth of the storytelling is oft experienced, and I never once got bored while reading it. In fact, I almost couldn't put the book down (sleep, work, all the things got in the way). Some people may chalk this up to a miscommunication trope, but for me, it's way bigger than that. This is a tale of grief, the toll it takes on you and the journey (a very long journey) to heal from said grief. An exquisite story that I will never have the strength to reread.
June 11, 2026
I have goose bumps writing this review.
INFINITY STARS!! It's a masterpiece. It's beyond beautiful and heartbreaking and breathtaking. Please read this book. I am beyond shocked that this is a debut novel. I will absolutely read anything Kat puts out next. These characters have my heart. This is my top MM read of the year absolutely without a doubt.
INFINITY STARS!! It's a masterpiece. It's beyond beautiful and heartbreaking and breathtaking. Please read this book. I am beyond shocked that this is a debut novel. I will absolutely read anything Kat puts out next. These characters have my heart. This is my top MM read of the year absolutely without a doubt.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 301 reviews