This was hard to rate. On the one hand, the prose was really well written and the social commentary was interesting. I liked how she depicted the difference between being a successful male author vs a female one, and how Eva felt living in a wealthy neighborhood. I really liked her relationship with her daughter, who was a great side character. Eva was a three-dimensional character who jumped off the page. I also liked the omniscient narrator.

On the other hand, I didn’t believe the love story. Their history was toxic and seemed way too short and drug-laced to have developed the depth of relationship they supposedly had. The drug overdose seemed to come out of nowhere- I didn't realize she had been taking that many drugs. I felt their growth took place mainly between the week in high school and before they reconnected – and we’re not really part of that. Some themes didn’t feel fleshed out – like the cameo ring. The mystery illness was intriguing but not specific enough. The epilogue was really long and seemed like it should have been its own chapter, and I think the story would have benefitted from an epilogue that took place further into the future.

I did love the pacing and the writing so sharp (so many witty phrases here and there) that it was a pleasure to read even if I wasn’t sold on the story.

⭐ ⭐ ⭐