I enjoyed this bitter-sweet romance but found it a little slow in places. It may depend upon the mood of the reader. It's a carefully crafted telling of the love story of Sabrina and Tobias interwoven, alternating chapters, with a set-piece dinner party where they are joined by four other people who had an important influence upon Sabrina's life. We only ever have Sabrina's point of view and memories so it may not surprise you that I really only understood her and her motivation.
There are some really attractive images tucked away in Sabrina's recollections so you may find you fall into a reverie of your own past romances. But the one I've picked out to quote is neither scenery nor incident: "It's a familiar feeling, this one of hesitation. There were times when dating Tobias felt like playing Jenga. How much can I say? If I reveal this, will the whole tower collapse? If I tell him how I really feel, will that be my last turn? It was terrifying and exhilarating because every time I took another piece out and the tower stood, I felt like I'd won. What I didn't remember is that at some point in a game, the entire tower falls. It happens every single time. It is the only way the game ends. Why then did I keep playing, knowing that I would be left with rubble?"
This is a thoughtful and poignant novel but there are plenty of light-hearted and even comic moments to raise the mood. It has stayed in my mind.
There are some really attractive images tucked away in Sabrina's recollections so you may find you fall into a reverie of your own past romances. But the one I've picked out to quote is neither scenery nor incident: "It's a familiar feeling, this one of hesitation. There were times when dating Tobias felt like playing Jenga. How much can I say? If I reveal this, will the whole tower collapse? If I tell him how I really feel, will that be my last turn? It was terrifying and exhilarating because every time I took another piece out and the tower stood, I felt like I'd won. What I didn't remember is that at some point in a game, the entire tower falls. It happens every single time. It is the only way the game ends. Why then did I keep playing, knowing that I would be left with rubble?"
This is a thoughtful and poignant novel but there are plenty of light-hearted and even comic moments to raise the mood. It has stayed in my mind.