The Last Encore

Avery Clark is an anxious mess. Her photography business isn't doing too hot, her relationship with her father sucks, and she's still reeling from the abandonment of two important men in her life. She's shit out of luck.

And to make matters worse, her ex-childhood best friend, and secret first love, reappears out of nowhere. All of the feelings she had for Josh flood back to her, the infatuation and the heartbreak. Her closed-off mind is saying to keep him away but her heart is telling her to go for it. Josh wants to make up for lost time, he admits it's always been her. (Wink wink, nudge nudge) Will she open up her heart again?

I loved watching these two fall in love. Their love for each other was palpable, both as friends and as a couple. They both cared so much for one another, it was beautiful. I enjoyed the moments between them.

What I didn't like is how cut and dry the final conflict was given and resolved. Josh getting the opportunity to leave, knowing about it so early on, and not telling Avery seems so out of character in the arc that he had throughout the novel. He was so remorseful about abandoning her when they finally reconnected, it's hard to believe that he would keep this from her. Especially with her anxiety and how he knows every piece of her. And then when it gets resolved, it's quick and fleeting.

I also feel like the other characters weren't as developed as they needed to be after they were introduced. Her father and their shitty relationship were mentioned towards the beginning and then never again. No redemption, which I get because he was an asshole when he cheated on her mother. But still, was the introduction to his character needed, or could the situation just be mentioned? And then her mother was sort of mentioned in the beginning and then added towards the end in the redemption of her love story with Josh. I would have appreciated seeing her more. And Brooke, her best friend, they had a strong relationship in the beginning and it was fun to read but it felt like she was forgotten about towards the end.

However, I did really appreciate the mention and depiction of anxiety in this novel. It gave me the words that I needed to describe how I feel about my anxiety.

In the end, this was great in the beginning and middle, but ultimately fell flat for me in the end.