Introduction:
Since it's fall, I couldn’t think of a better time to read this book with my book club. This was my first Ashley Poston book, and I can’t deny that I adored it from the very first page. I think she’s going to be an auto-buy author for me, and I can’t wait to read more of her work.
Plot Overview:
Clementine is an overworked book publicist who wants to keep her life simple. She lives by the two principles her aunt taught her:
- Always leave your shoes at the door of the apartment.
- Never fall in love with someone in the apartment.
But following the second rule becomes difficult when she moves into her aunt’s magical apartment and finds herself slipping back seven years to meet Iwan, a charming, sweet man who bakes incredible lemon pies. Time changes everything, though—people grow, evolve, and aren't the same as they were seven years ago. Will Iwan still be the same person when Clementine returns to the present? Or will life have changed him in ways that make what they had impossible?
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Magical Realism.
My Review:
This book is beautifully written, and it’s honestly been a long time since I’ve read a romcom as intriguing as this one. Set in New York, the story mirrors the fast-paced life of the city, with Clementine deeply wrapped up in her work, burning herself out. She’s also navigating her grief after losing her aunt Analea. Admist of all these chaos she meets Iwan in her apartment who makes her life so much better.
Analea is such a breath of fresh air, an upbeat character who dearly loves her niece. Their bond is heartwarming, and their summer trips together brought tears to my eyes at times—I just loved their relationship.
Clementine grows so much over the course of the book. She has great friends she can rely on (I loved the "wine and whine" nights), a passion for painting in her travel journals, and of course, her love for books.
"I loved how a book, a story, a set of words in a sentence, organized in just the right way, made you miss places you’ve never visited, and people you’ve never met."
The introduction of Iwan made me laugh out loud—it was quirky and funny. Iwan is such a sweetheart. Yes, the romance is a bit insta-love, but I enjoyed it all the same. Their moments together are so sacred, and he’s an absolute gentleman. Plus, HE CAN COOK! What more could you want? Every time he talked about food or started cooking, I got hungry. He even has a cute nickname for Clementine, which I found absolutely adorable. The story is a bit predictable, I mean all the rom-coms are but we are in it for the long term.
The moments between Iwan and Clementine were heartwarming and swoon-worthy. I mean it's the little moments we all want, isn't it? Dancing in the kitchen, eating our favorite food, cooking, walking down familiar streets.
There are also some really good quotes in the books that I couldn't get over. Sometimes you finish a book and sometimes it finishes you. I guess it is the latter with this book.
And it's for you to find out what happens when they meet in the real world!
I gave this book 4.25 stars instead of 5 because I wanted more of their story in the present and felt like a few questions were left unanswered.
But if you have this book on your TBR, now is the time to pick it up and change your Goodreads status to currently reading!
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