“I’m pretty sure you’re the best thing I’ve ever felt.”

Hello, friends! It’s been a hot minute since my sweet friend and brilliant author, K.L. Cottrell, has released anything. Buuuuut she’s back with a BANG!! Straight out of heaven, we are delivered this deliciously moving, thoughtful work of art. Did I cry? Yes. Was it worth it? Oh, absolutely. This is a friends to lovers romance, a single parent romance, and best friends fiancé (is that a thing?) romance. There is a lot going on in this book, but it is worth every second of your time. 

K.L. serves up the piping hot question: is there a right way to move on from loss? The two main characters in this novel are Beckett and Noelle. They are almost haunted to an extent by the loss of Beckett’s best friend and Noelle’s fiancé, Cliff. They were the three amigos until Cliff tragically died in a car accident. This novel explores the growing friendship and eventual relationship between Beckett and Noelle as they navigate their grief, romantic feelings and the guilt associated, and raising Noelle’s daughter, Theodora. This book is A LOT. I would not recommend this if you aren’t big into emotional reads. It’s not light and funny, it’s difficult and painful and heartbreaking at times. We get flashbacks from both Beckett and Noelle’s POVs from before the accident. We see them as friends. We see Noelle and Cliff in love. We see everything. This book doesn’t hold back. THAT BEING SAID – this novel moved me. It touched me in a way I haven’t been in a long time. It’s different and it’s powerful. If you want to come away thinking about these characters for days after, if you want to feel something real – read this novel. It’s sad, but it’s not depressing.  As I’m writing my review right now, I don’t feel dejected, I feel inspired. Reading about all that these incredible humans went through, and watching them come out on top? That is something else. Beckett and Noelle were perfect for each other. Their love was unmatched. Everything about this novel was poignant. 

Now we get to talk about one of my favorite parts of the novel: Theodora. How does K.L. always *win* with the children she writes? I’m not sure. You see, I’m veeeery picky about children in romance novels. They make or break the story for me, usually. In this novel, Theodora was an absolute doll. She isn’t just cute, though. She adds to the story. She understands that her father, Cliff, is dead. She understands that her “Uncle” Beckett loves her. She also makes it very obvious, multiple times, that she loves Beckett times a million and would do anything for him. There are a lot of important scenes with Theo that move the story forward, and I love that she isn’t just a prop. She is her own character and she is a star. I loved her!! 

I feel like I could continue naming all of the things I loved about this novel, but you should 100% go read it for yourself. The tension between Noelle and Beckett is delicious. Their intimate scenes are on point. The flashbacks that our author adds in are expertly written and are very easy to follow. And more than anything, all of the characters – even the minor ones – are important and add something of value to the story. You can always tell when an author has spent quality time with their characters and inside the world they’ve built – that is why I love reading K.L.’s stories. She is patient with her characters and her world building. She takes her time and it shows in her brilliant story-telling abilities. In my opinion, this is one of the best books she’s ever written. Her words speak to my soul. A huge round of applause for my dear friend, K.L. Loved this story immensely and cannot wait for you to share it with the world! 5 stars! ❤