A cute, feel-good story. Chai was down on her luck, and a couple of chance encounters put her in Kaizi’s orbit. It didn’t take long for them to strike up a friendship that eventually turned into more.
I really admired Chai’s tenacity. She had a terrible hand dealt to her and though she did let it bring her down, there was still a strength in her that kept her going day by day. I also appreciated the reciprocity in their relationship. Situations like this could easily start to feel imbalanced, but they encouraged one another, supported each other’s dreams, and provided a safe space for each other during moments of vulnerability.
I do wish a few things had been fleshed out a bit more, particularly Chai’s complicated family history. I would’ve liked more insight into what led to the strain in those relationships and what it took to begin repairing them. I also would’ve liked a little more closure on the storylines involving Jojo and Tycelyn, as those left me with some unanswered questions.
Overall, this was a pretty low-angst read. There was some drama, but thankfully, none of it came from unnecessary conflict between the couple. While the story itself was fairly simple, I enjoyed the friendship, mutual support, and sweet romance between Chai and Kaizi.