Ciara Smyth

well this was an utter charmer. i loved just about everything about this, and found it so relatable and realistic, well done and well written.

saoirse overreacts and overdramaticizes so much, but it felt so true to life (especially for a 17 year old in her situation) and fit her character so well that it didn't bother me at all, when normally i think it would have. she was just so endearing, even as she was making poor and hurtful choices. i loved seeing her relationship with ruby and with show more oliver change and progress, and how her maturation was reflected in those relationships. (as well as with beth, izzy, and hannah.)

the romcom aspect of this book was pure fun. it was an homage to - while also poking soft fun at - classic romcom movies (only one of which i actually am familiar with; i'm sure this is even better if you know the quotes and scenes they're talking about) and was just so delightful. i just loved saoirse and ruby's interactions, and what they brought out in each other.

same with saoirse and oliver. their banter was even better than that between saoirse and ruby. i really loved watching that friendship grow and become something real, and seeing saoirse realize how many assumptions she'd made, first about oliver and then ruby and even about everything and everyone else as well.

this was deeper, too, though, and dealt with saoirse's mother's dementia and her own possible future diagnosis. how to move on from that - bother living if it'll be taken from you early on? should her dad be allowed to be happy with someone else or is that abandoning her mother? these are handled deeply, and well, and create the backbone of saoirse's conflicts and growth in the novel.

additionally, the relationship between saoirse and ruby is meant to be a summer fling, with no feelings and a definitive end when summer ends. of course feelings happen, and it's sweet, but they still end the relationship at the end of the summer. there is no long distance, no moving to another place for the other. it is the end. it was meaningful, and it is over. and this is both refreshing in a romcom, and perfect for this book, where the main thing that saoirse had to learn is that just because it had to end doesn't mean it wasn't important or that it shouldn't have happened. still, i didn't expect it to happen, and was so gratified when it did. the ending is just perfect, as saoirse starts to open herself to other experiences that she wasn't able to before ruby and their summer. truly, i was just charmed from beginning to end.

(also, i loved listening to the narrator's irish accent.) between 4.5 and 5 stars. show less

Part of me wants a sequel to this book. Part of me doesn't. Honestly, it's such a perfectly contained story, I don't think it needs anything else. Do I want to know what happens to the characters after it? Of course! But maybe they could just be background characters that pop up for a scene and move along, just to let us know that they're doing alright.

That said, I loved this book. It was warm and comforting in the same way that a romantic comedy should be, which makes sense given the theme show more of romantic comedies. I loved how the movies were woven in, and how they tie in so well to the Grand Gesture. Saoirse is such a funny narrator, even though at times she's incredibly selfish. Ruby is wonderful, and I think they make a great pair. I'm looking forward to reading more from Ciara Smyth in the future! show less

(I'm too old for YA; every time a parent ends the book without an apology from their cranky child I demand JUSTICE.)

Folks...this was so heartwarming. I went in thrilled to find a goofy f/f romcom, and discovered instead something very sweet, poignant, and fun, that was full of personality & energy. And it also had one of my favourite things which is teenagers written like teenagers (even if that sometimes requires no parent apologies to happen).

Saoirse was a joy. An infuriating joy, but I show more was always on her team. She was someone I truly felt like I understood and I kept finding ways where she reflected me even if she was, overall, so crazy different from anything I've ever experienced.

Sometimes it was awkward and sometimes the pacing went nuts in the very moments it shouldn't've dared, but overall I loved this for its unexpected depth and fantastic characters. Another book I am just, like, weirdly glad it exists? show less

Saoirse, an Irish teen, awaits the results of her A-levels while dealing with her father’s upcoming wedding and her feelings of his betrayal as she visits her mother, who has early onset dementia, in the nursing home. She guards her heart well after a nasty breakup with her ex-girlfriend and has strict don’t-get-attached rules, until she meets Ruby, who teaches Saoirse all the tropes of her favorite rom-coms and makes Saoirse struggle to follow those old rules.

A really cute and sweet show more sapphic romance, with just the right amount of depth. show less