The Fine Art of Losing Control

by Ashley Shepherd

Willa Loveridge likes to be in control.

…of everything and everyone.

And when things start to spin out of her control, she only knows how to do one thing: panic.

So she failed her Foundations of Western Art class. Her ex-boyfriend sent her naked pictures to all of his friends. Her roommate hates her. Her mom and stepdad are having a baby. And her estranged father appeared after nineteen years of radio silence for the sole purpose of paying her college tuition.

Seriously? He couldn’t even introduce himself first?

But at least this one, she can handle. She can’t change her grades, wipe her pictures from the internet, force her roommate to love her, or stop her mom from replacing her. But the father she’s never met dropping serious cash on her floundering education? A girl can handle that.

Or so she thinks.

In an effort to regain some control of her rapidly spiralling life, Willa boards a plane to New Zealand to find the man who thinks he can just throw eighty-five grand at her and then disappear again. She’s done with the absent father act. She at least wants to meet him face-to-face before a panic attack sends her into an early grave.

But after an unexpected emergency landing and a brief encounter with a cult, Willa somehow finds herself in a caravan with a YouTuber, the star of a million Korean Dramas, and a Scottish kid with an unhealthy attachment to his guitar. Together, they navigate the backroads of New Zealand one wrong turn at a time.

Which is basically her worst nightmare.

Between some unnecessary hand-holding and a swift push out of her comfort zone, Willa soon finds herself learning the fine art of losing control.

A new adult slow burn romance!

Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Chick Lit, Young Adult, New Adult, Fiction

366 pages, ebook

Published October 7, 2019

About the author

Ashley Shepherd lives just north of Boston where she is a full-time French toast bagel connoisseur. When she’s not procrastinating about writing, she enjoys reading anything with a happy ending, blasting the music of her youth (it was never a phase–it’s a lifestyle!), and going to as many Broadway musicals as her credit cards will allow. She is a Libra sun, a Cancer moon, and a Sagittarius rising, which she believes explains a lot about her personality.

Faking Under the Mistletoe is out on November 8th, 2019

Preorder now! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07YL8L7MK

Follow me on instagram! https://www.instagram.com/ashleysheph...

Reviews

[ß · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Jacob Proffitt · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm giving up at about a quarter through. Willa is a silly idiot who magnifies every little thing into catastrophe. Which is fine when it's things happening to her. Heaven knows Shepherd larded her backstory with enough jerks. But I got so sick of her telling everyone what to do and making judgements and choices for them all the time, all based on freak-out emotion and maximum dread. I don't see why they put up with her and that goes triple for poor Ollie. She's downright mean to that guy and I have no idea why he keeps signing up for more.

It might have helped if any of the other characters had enough depth to sustain me, but they don't. Maybe they develop some later? It's possible, but I got tired of waiting...

[TARA · Rating 4 out of 5]

One week, two books and my love affair with Ashley Shepherd’s writing is now on hold until I get my hands on her next book. She brings the best BANTER!!! Ashley writes to the beat of her own drum. While I’m highly recommending her work, know that you probably won’t get exactly what you are craving from her endings. Even though I’d love to demand the directors cut, I really don't mind. Finishing, and having no other choice but to think and think and think about these characters isn't a bad way to go.

Willa currently feels alone in the world. She is on the run from a few mistakes and on a mission to New Zealand, to confront her long lost dad. I had my frustrations with Willa in this but, I tried to tell myself that I'm also-glass half empty, typically negative and desperate for control- so how about me giving her a break.

‘I’m never gonna be chill. Okay? This is me. Crazy and irrational me! Love me or leave me! This is how I am!’
‘At least you’re finally admitting you’re out of your fucking mind.’

A few wrong turns lead her to frustration, sure, but she finds: a car load of random awesome friends, adventure, courage, herself and The perfect guy.

‘Yeah, well, you annoy me Oliver.’
‘I love it when you call me Oliver.’

Ollie, once again with these dream boys, hats-off, I seriously adore him. Taking all Willa’s crap, rolling with it, with a smile no less. His family!! The best part: the jokes, the honest and obvious way he was un-apologetically into her.

‘Why’s Ollie being such a sour apple?’
‘Probably because of his perpetual state of Willa-induced blue balls.’

[Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

A few months ago I read Faking Under the Mistletoe by this author and really enjoyed it, so I decided to give her first novel a chance too.
It was fun and entertaining, I liked the road trip aspect of the novel and how this group of people came together and also how the all became such good and supportive friends.
Willa was obviously going through a lot and I'm glad that in the end she wasn't alone to face all of it.
The banter between Ollie and Willa was a lot to take in, maybe sometimes it was too much for my taste.
In the future I would love to read a story about Tosh or Daphne, I really liked them as characters.
Also, I'm pretty curious to see what Ashley Shepherd will write next.

[MaryGrace · Rating 5 out of 5]

Honestly, I'm just so heartbroken that Ollie Dunbar is not my boyfriend.

I adored this. This is such a me book. An uptight girl on an accidental road trip with a youtuber, a guy who doesn't talk, and a Scottish musician and the friends and adventures they find along the way. A group of misfits, a pleasant balance between friendship, and family, and a soft boi romance. And so much fun banter. There were so many laugh out loud moments for me, as well as plenty of moments of being teary eyed or swooning.

It was everything I was looking for. There is something I absolutely love so much about reading about the bittersweetness that comes with being somewhere and making memories where the only people who understand are the people who were there for a short time, and knowing it is going to come to an end. But I am so glad I got to be part of this journey. So far, I will read anything that Ashley Sheperd writes, but this might be a new favorite.

[Hannah’s Library · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ashley Shepherd is definitely one of my favorite authors!!!

Incredible mental illness representation
Strangers to Lovers
Van life camping across New Zealand 😍
Incredible found-family friend group
SLOWburn ❤️‍🔥🔥
Kindle Unlimited

This book was so great and deserves so much more hype. Ollie Dunbar definitely made it into the book boyfriend club

[Dilek VT]

Such an annoying heroine. I can't stand being in her mind anymore...
I might go back to this book and try again later when I am in a better and more patient mood.

[Aisha (seetheworldwithbooks) · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 STARS +++ MY ABSOLUTE FAVORITE 💕💕❤️OLIVER I LOVE LOVE LOVE YOU SO MUCH ❤️❤️

===UPDATED 02/12/2019===

Okay, time for the proper review.

What should i start? What i should i say to convince you guys that this book is so freaking amazing i want to hug this book forever and ever and eveeeerrrr! Heck, i even gonna recommend this book to EVERY. SINGLE. ONE. Even my kids, my grandkids, and then my grand grand grand kids if i live up to 100+ year. It's that amazing guys, seriously!

It's a road trip story in New Zaeland featuring bunch of misfits that seems unlikely but in the end, they complete each other!



Reading this book makes me want to pack my bags and book one ticket to New Zaeland and find my own journey with bunch of misfits!



Willa Loveridge seems like bad luck had been following her around. Not only because the plane she was in didn't crash on the way to New Zaeland like she hoped it would, she stranded in Christcruch far far away from Queensland. If you find Willa is too dramatic, well who wouldn't? Her ex showed her naked photos to all his friends, her mother was having a new baby, her roomates hated her (though i still donno the reason why until the end lol), and her father didn't want to see her.
Worse, she stuck with a crazy south-african blogger who had adventorous bones in all of her body and almost joined a cult! If you dont find it amusing, i dont know what's wrong with you lol, jk :pp

Anywhooo, her adventure didn't stop there. It actually just begun. It started when he met a japanesse star who won't speak, a scottish boy with a guitar on his back, and un ugly van who seems like it had its better days centuries ago. What started as a purpose to find Willa's father, she found many other things along the way--friends, reasons for living to the fullest, and love ❤️❤️







I proudly declare that Ollie Dunbar is the best boyfriend i have read in 2019. He is so charming. He eats Willa's bullshit with a smile. He never gives up on her until the very end. He makes my heart bursts ❤️❤️

I tell him. "I don't have anyone"
"You have me"
Five vowels.
Four consonants.
Three words.



Their Banter? Seriously the best!!

"Let's go, Love"
"Don't call me that, you baboon"
"What did i do to deserve you?" he asks
Before i can answer, he's already nudging his head.
"i'll haul you over my shoulder if i have to."
"i'll kick you in the balls if i have to"
"That's my girl," he says, "Let's go."

AND DAPHNE. SERIOUSLY THIS CHICK IS SO FUCKING AMAZING. SHE IS THE BEST SECONDARY CHARACTER IN A NOVEL I HAVE EVER READ IN MY LIFE. AND TRUST ME, I HAVE READ MANY.

I can't stop laughing everytime she came up with crazy ideas, like the hitchhike when they adopted Gus into the group. She is so fucking hilarious! Thank you Ashley, for writing this amazing novel. I love it to death❤️❤️❤️❤️

[keira · Rating 3 out of 5]

this book took me so long to finish even though i really enjoyed the whole road trip/travel aspect of it and the friendships made along the way

apart from that, i got a tad bored and skimmed halfway through which i hate doing but HEY HO

[Melody · Rating 4 out of 5]

*ARC was provided by author for an honest review*

Torn between a 4/4.5

This was my second book in the #contemporaryathon and I wasn't disappointed at all. We follow Willa's journey to confronting her father in a country she has never been in. In her journey she comes across 3 people a famous YouTuber (Daphne), a quiet lovable guy (Tosh), and an annoying musician (Ollie) who like getting under her skin every chance he gets. Together travel New Zealand.

I love the feeling that the book gave me when I first started. It gave me a vibe of earlier romcom films. The girl looking for something and finding challenges along the way. Loved that. I really liked how the book handle how a person can over think too much and being scared of doing things out of the norm. It's something that people struggle. It's hard to break free from something that you are use to doing to something that is a risk.

I did love the banter between the characters. It always brought a smile to my face.

Will completely recommend if you would love to read friendship and rode trip journey.

Triggers for harassment, online bullying and mental health.

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 STARS

I loved Faking Under the Mistletoe so much I had to read more from this author. Overall, it was a sweet coming of age story. Willa tended to annoy me at times, but in the end, I enjoyed the journey. Ollie was adorable, but I did not feel the romance between he and Willa. The friendships were well done and easily my favorite aspect of the book.

For a debut, this was a well done book. I am now a huge fan of Ashley Shepherd and can't wait for more.

[Rupali · Rating 5 out of 5]

[4.5 stars]

Omg, I loved this book, and - dare I say it- it was better than Asher's story. I loved the banter, and the story! Just,, everything.

"You're a pest. Someone should exterminate you."
"There's my girl!"

[Bruna Oliveira · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5
Eu amo o humor da autora! Pena que a protagonista é um saco

[Cait | GoodeyReads · Rating 4 out of 5]

I NEED TO TAKE A TRIP TO NEW ZEALAND.

BLOG || INSTAGRAM

One of my favorite parts of someone traveling in a contemporary book is getting a feel for the location. Shepherd’s writing had me convinced to buy a plain ticket for a trip ASAP [and I hate planes y’all].

Okay okay, back to the story. I enjoyed this! Not to the fanaticism level of Faking Under the Mistletoe (which is you’re reading this ADD TO YOUR TBR NOW), but still a solid read where I highly look forward to whatever book she writes next.

There was a lot of self-deprecating and darker humor (I should jump off this bridge right now, wish that car had ran me over, etc.). I definitely did not appreciate the amount of times this was used. I think it did shed light on what Willa was going through though. I was upset and angry for her and the horrid awfulness that was her ex-boyfriend.

I loved watching Willa slowly take hold of what this book is titled, losing control. Willa focused a lot on having things go exactly as planned and if not she would have control issues over it (which I can really relate too). Hanging out with the hodge-podge of friends that she did allowed her to loosen up as time went on. I thought her character arc was great as Willa accepted alternate routes on her life plans.

Ollie and Willa’s romance was cute. I loved all of the banter and slight flirtations. Ollie was clearly smitten with her and it took Willa awhile to realize that (with reason, of course). It was a slower build and didn’t shoot past its mark by the end. I liked how there story ended (for this book, I promise there’s a HEA!).

Many deeper lines in this story were involved too. Appreciating and finding family. Learning about one’s past. Accepting help and opening up about being harassed. These are all incredibly hard topics to approach and I like the way Shepherd went about it.

Overall audience notes:
- Contemporary romance
- Language: strong throughout
- Romance: kisses, some implied scenes but nothing detailed (at the very end)
- Trigger warnings: abusive relationship (emotional/verbal), ex-boyfriend posted/shared naked photos of Willa to friends then repeatedly harassed her online

[Miramanee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn't expect to love this book SO much! Now I might need to read everything Ashley Shepherd wrote and will write!

[hayaat ♥ · Rating 4 out of 5]

crying hours [OPEN]

[Lindsay]

I SIMPLY CANNOT DO IT ✨ the main character was brutal to read about all she did is complain and treat people around her like garbage who literally gave her a place to stay!!! I know she was meant to be dramatic bc of what she has been through but it was intolerable for me!!! Kissing under the mistletoe still holds a very dear place in my heart though !!!!

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book -- For some reason 3 stars always feels mean, but I enjoyed the story and the adventure around New Zealand and the slow burn romance. I think my main “issue” with it was that it felt a bit disjointed. Sometimes a chapter ended not on a cliffhanger, but kind of in the middle of a big/action scene, and then the following chapter jumped a few hours which made it feel like I missed out on the rest of the scene. I also think we jumped into the friendship between all the characters too quickly - it didn’t feel completely authentic that they’d be so close with each other in the time since they’d met. But with all this being said, I’d still recommend this book for a fun escapist read on a New Zealand road trip.

[Denise · Rating 2 out of 5]

I struggled to relate to the main character. I didn't understand her decision making process or why she seemed to go out of her way to be difficult to some of the other characters. It wasn't terrible, but I enjoyed Faking Under the Mistletoe much more.

[Trianna/Treereads · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5

I am trash for the road trip trope and thus highly enjoyed this one.

TW: slut shaming (a ton), victim blaming, manic/panic episodes, anxiety, emotional abuse, mention of past cancer

[Sanne]

dnf

[flavia · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5

I am so very sorry to give this book this rating since I absolutely love Faking Under the Mistletoe by the same author and I went into this one thinking it would be as good... sadly it wasn't the case. I was excited for this book since we get to see glimpses of Willa in Faking Under the Mistletoe but it was not the book I was hoping for. The thing is that this was dragging for me and I didn't dnf because I saw so many good reviews that I wanted to know how things turned up in the end.

Let's start with the main character, Willa. She's a teenager on her way through New Zealand in order to find answers from his father. The book starts with her on the plane in her way to New Zealand and her plans are changed when she encounters weather problems. What does she do next? She decides it's a good idea to follow Daphne (a girl she just met on the plane). After a while they both end up with two guys on a van, these two being Tosh and Ollie, in search for adventures and eventually to find Willa's father.

Maybe it was just me but I felt like the whole book didn't make sense. This were some of the things I didn't like or felt like they didn't have a place in the book (whether it was because they were not well explained or any other reason):
- Willa is constantly complaining about anything and yeah we know she struggles and she doesn't like things not being under control but... she was too much. I get that she is a teenager but she came as really immature and when she talked about the baby her mom was supposed to have she sounded like a 10 year old.
- The instant friendship they all claim to share. I mean I get they have some sort of connection but they've been together for nearly three weeks and they haven't really shared personal stuff with each other, they've just been in the same space, sharing it and going on adventures together.
- Tosh communicating by notes only because he was embarrassed of his English and he starts talking nearly the end of the book and I think it was a subplot that was not well developed.
- Daphne and her medication was a plot that was introduced suddenly and the explanation is given in the end just like that...

Now what I did like:
- Loved the mother-daughter moments between Willa and Ana.
- The whole last 10% of the book was really good, it felt good to see Willa kind of making decisions and finally feeling good about her life.

I would say don't bother to read the book but that's not fair of me since I'm one of the few that didn't like the book.

[Kei · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is just very much not for me.
It almost gave me an ulcer with all its awkwardness and anxiety.
Apparently that's the opposite of control--awkwardness and anxiety-inducing stupidity.
I have no idea how any of these events that the main character was subjected to were supposed to be even remotely funny or 'liberating', or whatever they were supposed to be, other than deeply disturbing and violating.
That's exactly what the story here seems to me: the main character was violated before the trip, she is constantly violated on the trip, and the moral is 'you can't be violated if you stop caring about your dignity or safety and "live a little"'.
But you can't even feel bad for her, because she is judgemental and constantly mean to people for no other reason but to hide her own insecurities, and is incapable of caring about anything but herself.
(And if you didn't already get this impression, she will literally tell you all about 'Ollie and his perpetual need to aggravate me' and how 'Ollie's thoughts, opinions, and feelings will have to wait because I have more important things to think about'.)
How are we supposed to feel positive about this character and accept her 'story of growth' after listening to her selfish bitching for the most of the book, I have no idea...
I don't even know whom I hated more, Daphne or Willa.
Daphne though... I don't think I've seen a more disgusting character in a while. Some books have villains that make you want murder them in violent ways every time they open their mouths, this book has Daphne. The sentiment is the same.
Less than 50 pages in, and all I could think was 'If I have to read the phrase "live a little" one more time, I'm literally going to throw up'.
Making myself not give up on this book right away and still finish it, even if skipping some parts when they got increasingly annoying, mostly felt like torture.

Mostly though, after seeing the title and cover I just expected so much more. Very different, and more.

[Meg · Rating 5 out of 5]

*ARC was provided by author for an honest review*

4.5 out of 5 Stars

As a debut novel, Ashley Shepherd is coming out swinging with some of my favorite romance tropes. I would consider this to be a slow burn, coming of age, romantic comedy. Willa, a college student takes a trip to New Zealand in search of answers from her absentee father, while also escaping personal turmoils that are haunting her from back in the United States. She begins her quest for truth by joining a van full of misfits: Daphne - the social media blogger, Ollie - the quirky musician, and Tosh - the selective mute. Along the journey to her father, Willa and company experience many life lessons that I found very relatable to: the idea of feeling like you don't belong, and that decisions that have occurred in the past feel like they have control over you. Shepherd stays current by addressing topics like sexual harassment and mental health issues (especially among teens) - I think it really creates a discussion on how should one handle those types of topics and situations. I could not put this novel down for the life of me when I was reading it, and I know you will want to binge it too!

The only reason I'm giving it a 4.5 / 5 stars is because I really don't like the use of hashtags when it comes to dialogue. Daphne used them frequently and to me personally YouTube vloggers in reality don't really use them that often in a video - likely more Twitter and Instagram.

Overall, all the angst and feels have been fulfilled and I am one happy camper. Can't wait for your next book Ashley!!

[E]

I HATE to mark this as a DNF, because the writing is so good 😭💔 But ugh, the characters. The lead girl, Willa, semi reminds me of a person I don't really talk to anymore :/

Then there's the youtuber, Daphne, whose personality is just grating... One of those people that refuse to understand anxiety or other mental disorders and just thinks you're uptight. Constantly makes fun of you to your face and in front of others as well.

I really wanted to like Ollie, but the fact that he played along with Daphne making fun of Willa and sang about her being "uptight" is just effed up.

I SOOOOO wanted to like this, but the characters personalities just ruined it for me.

Not writing this author off, because I've read other stuff by her before and really enjoyed it. This one just wasn't for me.

Also not giving it a rating, because this book could be really awesome for someone else 😊

[Stephanie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Lots of skimming. Willa was very immature. The teenager who needs to grow up and thinks her life is awful can be fun but this just wasn’t. So much angst!!

[P.J. · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

After reading Faking Under the Mistletoe, I wanted to read this to get more of Willa's backstory (ok, and get the details on Ana destroying Willa's ex which didn't really happen). Willa's not having a great time. She's left NY to go to college in CA but her roommate hates her, her ex has shared her topless photos on the internet and with his friends and now she's being harassed, her mom's having a baby with her stepdad, and now the father that she's never met shows up at her college to create a scholarship for her but doesn't even stick around to meet her. Willa tends to be dramatic when things don't go her way and likes things to be done in a certain way - safe and with a plan. So she decides to head to New Zealand so she can meet her father and give him a piece of her mind. The plane has to have an emergency landing and won't get her to her destination when expected. She has met a carefree, spontaneous vlogger on the plane who decides she's going to find an alternate route (she's headed there for a music festival) and Willa tags along. Of course, Willa's dad isn't at his art exhibit where she'd expected to meet him so she and her new comrades go on a road trip looking for clues to find him.

Willa is described as the "dark cloud" or "mom" of the group and is ALWAYS complaining about things not going according to plan or her new friends not being safe. It is mentioned several times that she lost her medication and has gone off it cold turkey during this trip so part of her obnoxious behavior can be attributed to that. She's young, having a rough time, and feels like she's being replaced by her mom's new baby. While I didn't like this as much as Faking Under the Mistletoe, I loved the banter between the characters and how they quickly become their own weirdo little family.

[Tina · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted something fun and light since my past few reads have been kind of heavy. I think this accomplished my goal...?? I’m just not really sure how I feel about it. Honestly, Willa drove me flippin’ nuts the majority of the book. I mean... just answer the bleeping emails! Especially from her mother! Who also happens to be a publicist that could’ve helped with Mason before it snowballed into an even worse disaster. And it’s email! Block Mason and all those other asshats and call it a day! But really, why email instead of texts/messaging apps..?? It’s 2019! I didn’t get the roommate situation AT ALL. Who acts like that!? I still can’t comprehend how she walked away from EVERY opportunity she had to ask questions about Benji or get to know her family. What the..?? And don’t even get me started on the whole debit card debacle. It’s 2019! I’ll be dammed if my bank pulls some bs about me having to go to my local branch to resolve an issue. Especially while out of the country. Do what!? Her clap backs were pretty great, though. She was just too much for me.

There were a couple of scenes that literally had me laugh-out-loud which was refreshing. Ollie and Tosh, I loved... Gus, too, but Daphne was irritating as all get out. Ashley Shepherd did pretty well trying to explain Willa and Daphne’s reasons behind their over-the-top personalities, but I just couldn’t relate to Willa and while I empathized with Daphne, she still got on my nerves. I didn’t hate it but I didn’t like it, either. Damn...

[arielle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Admittedly, I'm not someone who generally gives self-published books the time of day. Not because I'm a snob or anything. But because I don't usually hear a lot about them. However, after seeing some reviews and recommendations for Ashley Shepherd's Faking Under the Mistletoe, I thought, "Why not?" And I'm glad I did because that was easily my favorite read of the holiday season.

Because I enjoyed that one so much, I obviously had to pick up her only other release.

However, the author's debut - The Fine Art of Losing Control - didn't quite live up to her second novel. And that's okay! It makes me feel pretty optimistic about her third! And also, simply because I preferred the other one doesn't mean I didn't enjoy this. There was definitely more good than bad, if you ask me.

The story follows Willa, a young girl who is abroad to confront her absentee father. His recent attempt to provide financial assistance for college, alongside her mother's new pregnancy, has Willa feeling out of sorts. And as someone who is accustomed to doing things a certain way, these two unexpected changes are difficult for her to cope with. To make matters worse, her ex-boyfriend posted private photos of her on the internet, unleashing a hell storm of virtual slut shaming and harassment upon her.

During her travels, she encounters a few new friends who challenge her to let go and experience the world differently. Among them is Ollie, a carefree musician, who Willa instantly clashes with. However, it is through these heated exchanges with Ollie that Willa is forced to reckon with some of the problems she's tried leaving behind. And ultimately, she learns to appreciate having new faces standing in her corner.

It took me a bit to get into this story, but once I did, I really appreciated Willa's character trajectory. The representation in this book felt important and I truly empathized with many of Willa's struggles. Aside from some pacing issues, I really enjoyed the story. Can't wait to see what else is to come from this author!

[rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

it's been a hot minute since i read this but definitely while reading i felt it was very flimsy with how it dealt with the main character's anxiety. other characters downplay it regularly. i also felt that the main character is the only one who has to face consequences or get called out. the social media friend gets excused for being actively inconsiderate and when other characters dislike that they're treated like uptight assholes. the love interest tries to pick up someone else after one (1) fight and again she's treated like 'well you don't get to be mad because you're not a couple' but they were on the verge of being one and human emotions aren't that black and white. the couple are way better in ashley shepherd's other book and they're much cuter in that one. the whole only she can be blamed for her actions thing was very annoying. and the end felt lowkey 'you're anxious and an overthinker? well just don't be :) and then you'll be happier :))))' as if its that simple. i'm exaggerating a little but it honestly read so simplified.