Love Almost by Hayley Doyle

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Rating: 3 out of 5.

Love Almost by Hayley Doyle

Chloe is deliriously in love for the very first time. But when Jack, her boyfriend of five months, is killed in a tragic accident, she is left reeling. Their relationship was amazing – but it never really had the chance to get started. Grieving but determined, Chloe decides to live life for the both of them and makes her way through the list of things they’d planned to do together – this time on her own

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I received an ARC from NetGalley, and this is my honest review. I am not really sure how I feel about this book. The story follows Chloe through her grieving, acceptance, and discovery process after losing her boyfriend, Jack. I do think this is a book I wouldn’t normally pick up, so I think that contributes to my less than stellar review. However, I have both positive and negative thoughts on the story.

I like that the story was different and Chloe behaved in ways that were realistic and relatable. I did like her character for the most part, even when her doubts got a bit loud and annoying, but that is all a part of grief so no points against that. However, I absolutely hated nearly all of the other supporting characters. They were awful and they way they handled a difficult situation was belittling and demeaning, and honestly, it made me want to DNF for awhile.

*Spoiler ahead* I can’t imagine my live in boyfriend dying, and his parents whispering about me that I was probably just a lay and not involving me in the funeral process. I understand that grief can make people say things they regret, but there was no type apology or even acknowledgment later for dismissing someone’s own grief or relationship. Chloe’s mom did much of the same, and one of the first questions out of her mouth after finding out about Jack’s death is who will Chloe bring as her plus one to her brother’s wedding now? Lots of that happened throughout the book, and I was annoyed and felt so bad for Chloe.

The book is written in a strong Liverpool dialect that I wasn’t super familiar with, but I enjoyed it and was able to understand most everything. The plot was a bit slow going in the middle, but it did pick up in the end. I do think many people will enjoy this book, however I am just not one of them. Love Almost is available January 7, 2021 and you can pre-order or purchase it here.