This book strongly captured that familiar “wait…is this
adulthood?” feeling. It speaks to the season of life where you have checked the
boxes you believed you were supposed to check, yet still feel unsettled. As a
working mom who raised five wonderful humans and who still feels like I am
figuring things out, I connected with the pressure the story places on having
life mapped out and neatly planned. Stephanie Mack’s writing is approachable
and easy to sink into.
That said, this was a mixed reading experience overall.
While the premise is engaging, the story takes time to fully settle into
itself, and my engagement fluctuated as a result. The pacing is uneven. The
middle portion lingers longer than necessary, causing the narrative to lose
momentum, while other moments that deserved deeper exploration moved too
quickly. Several plot threads were introduced with promise but not developed as
fully as they could have been, leaving parts of the story feeling underexplored.
I listened to the audiobook, and the narrator was a notable
strength of the experience. Her performance added nuance to the characters and
helped maintain momentum during slower sections. Emotional scenes were handled
effectively, and the dialogue felt natural and engaging through her delivery.
Overall, this is a solid, character‑driven novel with humor
and heart that did not fully come together at the level I hoped for. Readers
who enjoy reflective stories centered on personal growth and evolving
relationships will likely appreciate it more than I did. While it is not a
standout favorite for me, it was still a worthwhile experience.
★★
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance review copy. All opinions are my own.
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