This is my third of her books, and Annabell continues to impress me more and more. Yet again, Annabel creates a story that leaves you yearning for summer (and ice cream, beaches, bike rides, and family) and a love story that leaves you completely charmed.
Here, we have a story about accepting the other day messy parts of someone. Don’t we all crave that? Someone to love the part we most want to hide.
Dan, a cinematographer, and Jane, a hopeful producer, are determined to create their film. When Jane panics and states that she knows a famous singer and could get him on the soundtrack, they embark on a trip to a music fest in Dan’s hometown.
Jane was a complicated yet loveable lead. Her self-doubt was consistent and authentic, and I found her fear of being seen to match her history. She frustrated Dan (and, at times, me), but I particularly loved how Annabel wrote her growth. Also, the arc with her mother was so well done, and I enjoyed seeing how they comforted and confronted each other.
Dan’s upbringing differs from Jane’s. He has a big family and parents who are deeply in love, yet he feels misunderstood by his family. He speaks openly about how he feels and who he is. Jane falls for all of him.
Jane and Dan somehow see each other raw and messy and still fall madly for each other. While mostly closed-door, the tension here is sexy, and as the reader, I appreciated how their intimacy grew (both in the bedroom and how they opened up to each other).
What I particularly enjoyed about her writing here is how much the details add to the plot. The intentionality of her words is evident—the ill-fitting swimsuit when Jane typically selects her clothing with precision, Dan’s dad giving Jane his number, and the texts between Jane and her best friend. They create so many layers that her characters cannot help but come off the page.
Also, as wonderful as her writing is, Annabel is even more delightful in person, so if you can see this book tour, absolutely go!
I loved this one and cannot wait to read what she writes next!
