What’s to like: A love story set in Italy - one of the most romantic backdrops for a story like this - with characters so self-aware of their flaws that it feels like you know them personally.
As a big fan of Ali Hazelwood’s writing, it was really hard to write this review without bias… but she truly deserves every bit of praise. We see the story through Maya Killgore’s perspective, a Physics grad student dreading her trip to Italy for the wedding of her elder brother Eli and his partner Rue. The ceremony is set in a magnificent villa overlooking Mount Etna and the Ionian coast — breathtaking in every sense — but Maya’s reluctance stems from something far more personal: her unresolved crush on Eli’s best friend and business partner, Conor Harkness. She is twenty-three. He is thirty-eight. While the age gap may feel uncomfortable to some romance readers at first, this book both examines and reinforces how maturity and emotional awareness can make such a relationship feel thoughtful and deeply respectful. We meet a lively cast of characters — closest friends, their extended circles, cousins, exes hoping to rekindle something, and the cutest little furry friend, who is arguably the most adored guest, second only to a cuddly toddler. While Maya tries to act normal around Conor in front of the only family they’ve ever known, behind closed doors they grapple with a love that began three years earlier, when she was studying in Edinburgh.
Three years ago, Maya called Eli after discovering her boyfriend had cheated on her. Conor answered instead, remembering her only as his friend’s baby sister (though she was twenty at the time). Trying to assert herself but failing spectacularly, she broke down, and Conor stepped in — flying to Scotland and posing as her fake boyfriend to help her face the situation. Over the three days they spend together, and in every moment that follows, they fall in love — while stubbornly insisting they are nothing more than friends. Everything comes to a head ten months before the wedding, after which they stop speaking… until they meet again in Italy.
Through the back-and-forth between past and present, we understand their family dynamics: Maya, once a troublesome brat to the brother who became her sole caregiver after their parents’ deaths; Conor, shaped by a family driven by property disputes and conditional affection, leaving him convinced he isn't capable of being loved. Conor is one of the rare gentlemen in romance fiction — aware he is falling for someone perfect for him, yet determined to protect her from a world that might perceive their relationship as a power imbalance. His restraint — never letting his own needs take precedence while constantly caring for her — is both frustrating and sickeningly sweet. Knowing he never viewed her romantically while she was growing up makes his caution feel even more intentional and tender. Add to that his worry about how their friends might interpret the relationship, and this entire book becomes a yearning fest. While Maya and Conor’s story takes center stage, the love between Eli and Rue, the friendships, and the equations within this group elevate the story further. They may be wildly different people, but when everything falls apart, they prove that true friends show up, stand beside you, and celebrate your happiness no matter what. Other than feeling that the final chapters stretched a bit longer than necessary, I loved every dialogue, gesture, and — of course — the spicy moments between Maya and Conor. More love to Ali Hazelwood and her academia-themed romances.
Favourite line (one of many I annotated): "Because if we end up in an accident, I’d rather die than survive you."
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