For Twice In My Life

Overall rating: 3.3⭐️

While this is labeled as a romance, the main focus seemed to be the main character's growth. She starts off the book very closed off from everyone. She feels like she's failing at life and keeps people at an arm's length. It was really great to see her grow and realize that people will be there for you no matter what, but also that she's not a failure to begin with.

I loved that the book was set in Seattle and its surrounding cities. I especially enjoyed that it was set in the theater world and that they put on a play. Also, Layla's mom and her journey was fantastic too. Family was really important in this book in general, both Leyla's and Ian's. I loved seeing the family dynamics, the differences between the two families, and how they impact the characters' lives and their actions. Most of what Leyla does, from her job, to her love life and even Instagram profile is mostly to fit in and find her place within her big family.

I also really liked the premise, I don't think it was as cut and dry as some of the other characters in the book made it out to be. I didn't think she was horrible for keeping up the pretense of never having broken up, but clearly different people will have different takes on it, and I love that the book will polarize the readers a bit in that sense.

I did have trouble with the pacing of this book. The first part felt slow; the third person in the love triangle doesn't even show up until about halfway through. This also leaves very little time for that relationship to develop enough for us to be fully invested in the ending.

There were a few other things that felt off to me. Like the fact that she clearly had a shopping problem, but it was never really addressed. And I thought the breakup happened too easily, after everything they go through together.

Thank you to Little, Brown and Company and NetGalley for the eARC!

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