I adored this book. It was really good. I loved the summer vibes that I got from it. I really felt like I was in Canada by the lake. I wish I had grown up going to a cottage by the lake every summer. It definitely felt like a childhood that you dream about. This novel definitely felt like an escape from real life every time I picked it up.
I also really, really enjoyed the 80s and 90s pop culture references. It was the perfect amount of nostalgia, which I appreciated as someone being older and grew up in that time period. It was very addictive to read. It has a then/now plot, and I found myself wanting to read more of the past than the present because I just loved it so much.
But what I enjoyed the most was the close relationship and chemistry between Percy and Sam. I loved seeing them meet for the first time and then watching their friendship evolve as they grew up and went through puberty and their teenage years. They really were a perfect fit together, and I loved how they interacted with each other and their overall dynamic together. However, they both had some growing up to do, especially Percy. There were some bad decisions made, and she had to learn her lesson. I appreciated that the grown-up version was able to see her mistakes and try to rectify them. Again, it was all about communication, and we finally got that at the end.
I would say this is both a friends-to-lovers story and a second-chance love story. I enjoyed both of them.
I also liked the side characters. Sam has a brother, Charlie, who was a bit obnoxious but offered some humor. Their mom was very cool and caring. Then Percy has a sassy best friend who is a little annoying but fun. I felt all the characters were relatable.
The writing style was easy to read and easy to get fully immersed in the story. There is some language and spicy scenes, but it wasn’t as bad as some other books that I have read.
I was really close to giving this five stars, but the ending really turned me off, as well as the spice and language. I had an idea of what happened a few chapters before the big reveal, but it was disappointing that it took that turn. But I still recommend it.
