The Man I Never Met

I saw this as a must-read recommendation on Bookstagram and was noted as similar to Josie Silver's writing. Now, I enjoy Josie Silver so I had to check this book out, and it definitely did not disappoint! I loved the insta-love trope as well as the main characters. Hannah reminds me of myself in the sense that she's kind-hearted, falls easily, and is willing to go the extra mile for those she loves. Davey is swoon-worthy upon first meeting him, tackles a life-changing illness, and - in complete opposition to Hannah - turns inward, pushing away those he loves. This story was a roller coaster that kept me craving more. I loved Hannah and Davey's initial relationship - until Davey pushed Hannah away. I felt for Hannah - and tried to sympathize with Davey's struggle - mentally and physically. Fortunately, I have not personally gone through this situation, but I have, unfortunately, witnessed someone I love go through that struggle. (I don't want to name exactly what this struggle is, as it's kind of a little bit of a shock to the reader). The one grievance I do have is that Hannah is half-ass-committed to George for a year!! There's severe lack of vulnerability, communication and expression within the relationship, and I literally - the whole span of the relationship - thought we'd discover that George was a big ‘ole cheater. Besides that, I was relieved when the relationship (FINALLY) ends - rightfully so (long-time coming). I overall was settling on a 4-star rating, but after reading the Author's Note at the end, my heart couldn't resist bumping it to a 4.5.

I very much enjoyed this book. However, I could not give it 5 stars as the pacing seemed a bit off. As the story progressed, it seemed as if the climax would be happening quite quickly. Some of the events that progressed the story felt gratuitous at times and a bit much. I quite liked the progression of the story after what felt to be the initial climax. I enjoyed the resolution as well. The characters were well written and quirky.