Pam

Abby Jimenez has become an auto-read author for me. I’ve enjoyed reading all of her books thus far, and The Night We Met is no different. Honestly, I was surprised to get it from my library so soon after its release. Jimenez isn’t a best-selling author for no reason.

The premise of The Night We Met actually had me more curious than any of her other books. I mean, how do you write a romance where the main characters can’t be together? That said, this one is definitely a slow-burning romance if ever there was one. But the slow burn made sense, and the chemistry between Larissa and Chris was palpable from the beginning.

It was obvious from the moment you met Mike that he was not the man for Larissa. I could explain my thoughts and reasoning for saying that, but I feel like that would spoil the book. I hate that it took Larissa so long to see it. Of course, if she had seen it sooner, the book wouldn’t have been as long. And no, that’s not a bad thing. I never want a Jimenez book to end.

My biggest issue with the book was the last chapter. I’m not sure if a friendship group that had been together as long as the one in this book would move on so easily. I feel like if I say more, it would be a spoiler, and I really strive not to spoil books.

If you are concerned that this is part of a series, don’t be. Like all of Jimenez’s books, you can read them as standalones. That said, there are occasionally characters and settings that overlap from previous books, so there may be some spoilers.

Overall, The Night We Met is another fantastic book from Abby Jimenez, and I can’t wait to read more from her. Sadly, it’ll be a while before we get book three in this series.

A super easy read! Although if you're used to the TV show, these characters are only 10% like those.

I want to thank Atria Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of Cleo Dang Would Rather Be Dead. However, all opinions expressed here are solely mine.

Cleo Dang Would Rather Be Dead is a look at one woman’s loss and grief. It’s a look at how she processes the world around her and strives to survive. Is this book for everyone? No, but that doesn’t mean people shouldn’t read it.

I debated adding Cleo Dang Would Rather Be Dead to my TBR due to its subject matter. Twenty-six years ago, I was a young woman, excited to be madly in love and shocked to find out I was pregnant. Unfortunately, only a few days later, I lost the baby. It destroyed me and left me questioning so much. A couple of years later, when I found myself pregnant again, I was a mess until I got to hold my baby in my arms. As discussed in the book, this kind of loss never really leaves you; it just hurts a little less each day.

Setting my concerns aside, I decided to give Nguyen’s sophomore novel a read. And I’m glad I did. While reading it, you can feel she cares for Cleo and those around her. In the pages of this book, you will find sadness and sorrow. There’s no way around that. You may also question Cleo’s actions. But as you read, you find yourself understanding her actions.

My biggest issue with the book is one of the side characters, Dr. Posey. It’s scary to think there are doctors like that in the world. One willing to push medication onto their patients without really listening to their concerns. One willing to let patients medicate without restraint. Don’t get me wrong, I know doctors like that do exist. But I found myself screaming at her to stop, and actually to look at the woman in front of her.

Overall, I believe everyone can relate to Cleo Dang and her pain, even if you’ve never lost a child. While it may not be an easy read, it is one that everyone can benefit from.