Book Smart Kate

Book: 🌟🌟🌟🌟 Spice: 🌶️

by Rebecca Serle (March 19, 2024) – Many thanks to @atriabooks and @netgalley for the opportunity to review this fun book. Below is my honest review.

Some of my favorite books of the last few years have been romances with a splash of magical realism, and I think they are becoming my favorite comfort reads.

Daphne’s love life is far from ordinary. She possesses a peculiar ability to foresee the duration of her relationships. The moment she steps into a new relationship, the universe sends her a cryptic message. It could be on a receipt, a fortune cookie, or a piece of paper tucked under her windshield wiper. The message is always the same – a name and a time frame. Martin, 3 days. Noah, five weeks. One day, 2 years, 3 months. Every relationship has a predetermined end. The three months was with Hugo, who transitioned into her best friend and the only person privy to her secret. Then, on the day of her first date with Jake, she receives a note. Just his name, no end date. Could this be her chance at a forever love? As she settles into the comfort of an undefined end date, she begins to question the paper’s prediction.

Unfolding in a series of flashbacks, we dive back into Daphne’s past relationships and see how Daphne’s life and career have also evolved. Even knowing the conclusion of each relationship didn’t save her the heartbreak. It was interesting to see things unfold in her past relationship, feel her connection to different men, and form my own opinions of which was best for her. I’ve heard several people say they didn’t like the ending. I strongly disagree. I thought Daphne’s realizations in the final chapters and the direction her life took after were perfect.

This story is not only about Daphne’s love life but also about her relationships with family and friends. Daphne’s parents are kind, funny, and sometimes frustrating as she transitions from a teenager to an adult. As often happens with co-workers, her boss and former colleague have become her chosen family. Her best friend Hugo is fun, charming, and always watching out for Daphne, even though she may not always appreciate how he does it. Overall, there is much to enjoy in this story.