I enjoyed every second of this book, Ashley Manley has stuck to her standard of writing characters with real depth and that are also relatable, The detail in the vineyard as we as the glass blowing gives the entire story depth,

Ashley Manley once again delivers with this heartfelt and entertaining tale of one 40-year-old woman’s journey to living her best and most excellent life. The morning that I received this ARC, I fully read the entire prologue sitting on the edge of my bathtub when I was supposed to be showering. I was late to work that day (something Reese would have abhorred) but it was totally worth it. So Reese is kind of a psycho who puts the capital A in Type A, but in the best way. The more I read about her being an overachieving bitch (I do mean that in the nicest way possible), the more I couldn’t wait to see what Ashley Manley would do with her character arc. I was not disappointed. Reese is A LOT. And kind of a hot mess. And kind of reminded me of one of my friends, if I’m being honest. As an overachiever, she always has to learn things the hard way, but that just made every breakthrough more rewarding to read. I know she won’t be everyone’s favourite character, but I find that I often have a soft spot for characters who are a lot.

Gavin is everything that every hot mess woman wants in a man. Someone who gets that, yes, she might be a little crazy, but the crazy is driven by a good heart. And a certain amount of crippling insecurity disguised behind bravado. Despite her repeatedly pushing him away, he repeatedly shows up, fights for her, and quietly supports her. Granted, this is done with a side of dad jokes and him often challenging her as she deserves to be challenged. I liked that her finally figuring out all the pieces of Gavin’s past and present helped Reese allow herself to let go and figure out what it was that she actually wanted.

Once again, supporting characters were all stars. As much as I loved revisiting the rest of the Conway family, Banyan might be the best supporting character ever. Every time he was on page, I couldn’t wait to see what crazy thing he would do or say. And no, he never knocks. On one final note… Like any self-respecting elder millennial, I definitely approved of teenage Reese’s infatuation with Joshua Jackson.

Thank you to Ashley Manley and NetGalley for the ARC.

This was my first Ashley Manley novel, and it definitely won't be my last.

Reese is feisty, ambitious, and determined in both her career and personal life. She isn't the kind of character I naturally rooted for, though. Her questionable morals and the way she treated Gavin often made her difficult to like. At the same time, I kept wondering what had happened to make her completely disconnect from her family, hometown, and friends. She came from a family that loved deeply and spoke honestly, yet she seemed to have no memory of learning about the accidental death of the best friend she had shared so many dreams with as a teenager.

The supporting characters are wonderful, quirky, and full of heart. Even when I grew frustrated with Reese, they seemed to understand and accept her, reminding us that beneath her sharp edges was someone struggling with loss and longing for the family she wanted.

One of my favorite parts of the book was actually the acknowledgments. Ashley Manley shared that she "hit a wall" while writing and jokingly blamed Reese for being "a pain in the ass to deal with." Instead of giving up, she took the time to figure out why. I loved that glimpse into the writing process, and it made me appreciate Reese's complexity even more.