Monday, September 9, 2019

Book Review: The Time of Our Lives

By Sara Steven

Luca is used to being the ‘single one’ at weddings – it happens, when all your other friends are engaged, married or taken. But when she bumps into Tom, her friend from university who broke her heart into a million pieces, she finds herself wondering what could have been.

It’s ten years later, surely she should be over that Tom by now? So why is he looking even more gorgeous than ever – and why doesn’t he seem to be able to keep his eyes off her either?

And as the champagne flows and old secrets resurface, Luca realises that perhaps the time to take a chance on love and life is…now? (Synopsis courtesy of Goodreads)

The Time of Our Lives reminded me of the TV show Friends. Luca’s friends have been in her life for over a decade, and they were all roommates, back in the day. We get to see where Luca is now in her life, with plenty of flashbacks that lend into those glory days where they were all young twenty-somethings, with loads of chaotic debaucheries and silly situations. The characters are so likable, all supporting Luca, who was well known as the one who held the glue together in her group. But time changes everything, which is well portrayed within her friendships in the present time.

I liked Luca. Female protagonists who find themselves falling back in love with a man from their past aren’t often written as strong and independent. I got the impression that Luca knows who she is and, no matter what Tom or any other man (and believe me, she finds herself in one doozy of a situation with more than one) throws at her, she’s going to be fine. The fact that Tom rattles her like he does, really showcased how deeply she felt for him, back then, and now.

Tom finds himself in some really awkward situations with former relationships, and in dealing with his feelings for Luca. This plays out in an almost pseudo love triangle, and adds a lot more tension between Tom and Luca. I got the impression that, while he’s a really nice guy, Tom needs to be a lot more assertive in what, and who, he wants out of life. It was this constant shift that helped in giving the reader the want to see these two together, yet we weren’t sure if we wanted that, too. It was a nice way to constantly shift perspectives.

Although The Time of Our Lives offers up romance, and the relationship between Luca and Tom could really draw the reader in, what had me the most hooked are the relationships Luca has with her friends, her former roommates. That Friends-like element that offered comedy, and an emotional depth to this story. While I shifted perspective on whether I wanted to see Luca end up with Tom, I had no doubts on how I wanted Luca’s friendships to end up. I wanted their friendships to last a lifetime! Overall, this was a fun, five-star read!

Thanks to Portia MacIntosh for the book in exchange for an honest review.

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