by Alicia Thompson
(June 23, 2026) Thank you, @berkleyromance for the gifted digital copy!
Thirty-seven-year-old Jess has just finished yet another disastrous date – at least this one had an Irish accent – when she’s mugged and knocked unconscious in the parking lot. When she wakes, she’s not in Florida but in Ireland, with nothing but the clothes she wore on her date and absolutely no memory of how she got there. With no money, no passport, and no phone, she’s in a bit of a mess. The first person she encounters is Eamonn, a very grumpy mechanic who reluctantly agrees to help Jess navigate Ireland and reach the US Embassy. Over the course of 48 hours, Eamonn shows Jess Ireland, and they share surprising connections, deeply held truths, and thoughts they’ve never shared with anyone before. But underneath it all, Jess wonders if this is real or some sort of dream.
Ok, to be fair, I should not have read three magical realism books in a row (this, Tropesick, and The Someday Garden) because, like when a contestant on Top Chef makes three dishes with the same ingredient, that are inevitably going to be compared. Here’s what I’ll say – I don’t think we needed the magical realism in this book. I think the story would have been great without it. Also, there is an age gap: she’s 37 and he’s 29, but Eamonn definitely feels like the more mature of the two. That being said, the time in Ireland, traveling and the components of Eamonn’s journey to healing are really lovely.
🎧 Audio Performance: (10 hrs and 23 mins) I listened to this one on audio and that may have been part of the issue. The narrator of Jess delivered the performance in a way that made her feel very whispery and young. I think if I had only eyeball read, the experience might have been better. I recommend print or digital for this one.
Book: 🌟🌟🌟💫
🎧 Audio performance: 🌟🌟🌟
🔥 Spice: 🌶️🌶️In Every Possible Way by Alicia Thompson (June 23, 2026) Thank you, @berkleyromance for the gifted digital copy!
Thirty-seven-year-old Jess has just finished yet another disastrous date – at least this one had an Irish accent – when she’s mugged and knocked unconscious in the parking lot. When she wakes, she’s not in Florida but in Ireland, with nothing but the clothes she wore on her date and absolutely no memory of how she got there. With no money, no passport, and no phone, she’s in a bit of a mess. The first person she encounters is Eamonn, a very grumpy mechanic who reluctantly agrees to help Jess navigate Ireland and reach the US Embassy. Over the course of 48 hours, Eamonn shows Jess Ireland, and they share surprising connections, deeply held truths, and thoughts they’ve never shared with anyone before. But underneath it all, Jess wonders if this is real or some sort of dream.
Ok, to be fair, I should not have read three magical realism books in a row (this, Tropesick, and The Someday Garden) because, like when a contestant on Top Chef makes three dishes with the same ingredient, that are inevitably going to be compared. Here’s what I’ll say – I don’t think we needed the magical realism in this book. I think the story would have been great without it. Also, there is an age gap: she’s 37 and he’s 29, but Eamonn definitely feels like the more mature of the two. That being said, the time in Ireland, traveling and the components of Eamonn’s journey to healing are really lovely.
🎧 Audio Performance: (10 hrs and 23 mins) I listened to this one on audio and that may have been part of the issue. The narrator of Jess delivered the performance in a way that made her feel very whispery and young. I think if I had only eyeball read, the experience might have been better. I recommend print or digital for this one.
Book: 🌟🌟🌟💫
🎧 Audio performance: 🌟🌟🌟
🔥 Spice: 🌶️🌶️
Book Smart Kate 