3.5/5

I did like this better than the other book I have read from this series.

I still found the characters to be a bit flat at times in this story though, but I really did like their banter and their chaotic adventures. Or misadventures, I guess.

This follows Jules as she deals with the loss of her fiancé, going on a trip around Europe that was set up by him...but there's a catch, her fiancé's best friend is also there. And the two do not get along.

So yes, that means we have a forced proximity enemies to lovers sort of situation on our hands. And that was a fun dynamic.

I did enjoy this book, but I just wanted more. More oomph, more action/drama, more something.

Thanks to NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review! My Goodreads review is up and my TikTok (Zoe_Lipman) review will be up at the end of the month with my monthly reading wrap-up.

This book had so much emotional weight packed into it, and I genuinely felt it in more than one scene. Grief, guilt, longing, unresolved tension—it’s all here. The premise is undeniably compelling: a woman forced to confront her greatest heartbreak alongside the one man she can’t forgive. That’s a setup made for drama and slow-burn tension, and it delivers on that front.
Jules is a complex protagonist, and I appreciated how the book didn’t try to make her too likable or too “put together.” She’s angry, grieving, confused—and that made her feel real. Silas, meanwhile, hits a lot of familiar billionaire romance beats, but there’s vulnerability beneath the surface that worked for me. He’s patient in a way that never felt performative, and I liked that his love for Jules wasn’t framed as something that magically fixes her. It lingers, aches, waits.
The travel settings were gorgeous. Spain, Amalfi, Paris… each location was described with just enough texture to make the emotional backdrop even richer. The romance really started clicking for me midway through the trip—before that, some of the tension felt a bit too cyclical (Jules lashes out, Silas takes it, repeat). I would've loved a bit more narrative surprise in their dynamic early on. There were moments where I wished the emotional pacing had a little more bite or unpredictability.
Also: the “he falls first” trope was lovely in theory, but I wish we had seen more internal struggle from him, not just devotion. Give me a little mess in my MMC too!
That said, the writing is warm, emotionally textured, and the final act hit just the right note—without becoming overly sentimental. It’s romantic without losing its emotional grounding.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. This was a thoughtful, heartfelt read—and while it didn’t hit full five-star impact for me, it came pretty close.

Jules never expected her life to be upended by grief. When her fiancé Grant passes away, she’s left shattered—and even more confused when she discovers he’s left behind a series of letters and an itinerary for a trip across Europe. But there’s one catch: she’s not taking the journey alone. Silas, Grant’s best friend—and the man she’s barely tolerated for years—is coming with her.

Tension crackles from the very beginning as Jules and Silas are thrust into forced proximity, with old wounds and simmering resentment rising to the surface. But as they travel from city to city, guided by the promise of Grant’s heartfelt letters, something slowly shifts. “Enemies” begin to understand each other. And under the weight of shared memories and unexpected moments of vulnerability, a second chance at love starts to take root.

Silas is the classic “he falls first” hero—quietly devoted, aching beneath the surface, and holding secrets of his own. The slow burn between him and Jules is exquisite, packed with emotional depth and the kind of longing that makes your chest ache.

Perfect for fans of emotional, character-driven romances with heart-wrenching setups and healing arcs, this book is a poignant reminder that love can grow in the most unexpected places—and sometimes, even in the shadow of loss, we can find our way back to something beautiful. Reading Grant’s letters broke me! It takes a lot to make me cry while reading and about 56% of the way through I was in tears!

This was such a deeply emotional, beautifully written story about grief, healing, and second chances. When Jules loses her fiancé Grant, the last person she wants to lean on is Silas—the best friend she’s blamed for everything that went wrong. But Grant has other plans. His final wish? That Silas take Jules on the adventure of a lifetime, one she’d always dreamed of… with the man she blames for his death.

If you like emotional journeys, complicated relationships, and love that grows out of heartbreak, this one will hit you right in the feels.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC and exchange from my honest opinion