3.75 stars! 
 "There once was a boy and a girl . . ." 
 When I heard about this book, I was: 
 When I saw who it was by, I: 
 When I ordered it, I (ordered it months before It was out): 
 When I received it, I (not literally but I'm surprised I didn't): 
 When I started it, I: 
 When I finished it, I was like: 
 Renee Carlino is one of my favorite authors and killed me and brought me back to life with the masterpiece, Before We Were Strangers (IF YOU HAVEN'T READ IT, YOU NEED IT RIGHT FREAKING NOW!!!). So, after hearing she had a new book coming out I was pumped and ready for tissues and my heart exploding from all the FEELS I was hoping to feel but in reality, I was just 'ok' about the book. I was expecting a WHOLE lot, and that's probably why the book didn't have me reacting the way I thought I was going to. One of the things I was mad at was that I didn't feel emotionally connected with the heroine or hero. The hero, Jase writes a book remotely on his and Emiline's past, and it gives us all the details of their lives, but Jase writes the book from Emiline's POV. We got to see them grow up and fall in love, but most importantly we get to see the damages that happen throughout their lives and with each other. Don't get me wrong they were adorable and the fact that Jason wrote a book about their past would have made any girl swoon and reading from their past and present was a good idea but I NEEDED more present for me to get emotionally invested with Emiline and Jase. I honestly was more connected with Emerson more than Emiline and Jackson more than Jason (their character names in the book Jason wrote). I felt like I knew Emerson and Jackson more than I did Emiline and Jason and I didn't want that. I wanted to feel ALL the feels and to be able to fall deeply in love with their love story and who they were, but I just couldn't force myself to do so. 
 Some of us will look back on our lives and recall events that were a bit too perfect, but until you know the whole story, it's important to see the universe at work, or even admit that there is something bigger than us, making sure everything that should happen does happen. If you can surrender to the idea that there might be a plan, instead of reducing every magical moment to a coincidence, then love will find you. He found me. 
 I'm sad to be rating this story a '3.7' stars, but I wouldn't be surprised if Renee's next book ends up being another one of my top favorites. I would say that everyone should give this book a try because It was readable and likable but it wasn't what the hype made it to be (secretly wished I read this before I read Before We Were Strangers ). 
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