Hart can’t let go of Ruby either…. Due to some divine intervention, he’s offered a second chance. Only it won’t be as simple as bringing him back to life—instead, Hart’s soul is transferred to the body of local bad boy.
When Hart returns to town as Jameson, he realizes that winning Ruby back will be more challenging than he’d imagined. For one, he’s forbidden from telling Ruby the truth. And with each day he spends as Jameson, memories of his life as Hart begin to fade away.
Though Ruby still mourns Hart, she can’t deny that something is drawing her to Jameson. As much as she doesn’t understand the sudden pull, it can’t be ignored. And why does he remind her so much of Hart? Desperate to see if the connection she feels is real, Ruby begins to open her heart to Jameson—but will their love be enough to bridge the distance between them? (Pub Date: Jun 06 2023)
This is a heartwarming story about Hart who dies too young getting a second chance in life when an angel allows him to take the body of another young man who is moments from dying. Even though he gets to live in the same town as before, he can't tell anyone who he really is, plus in less than a month he will lose all his memories of dying. His essence will be the same, but he won't remember he was ever himself.
3+
I was looking forward to reading this story. I love magical realism, and I think it's been some time since I had any to read. And the cover is super pretty! The story is cute at least. But the rules for how Hart's condition (going back to life as someone else) worked felt like... the author was making them as they went along. It made me not trust it much. I'm not sure how to explain this better, but that made the story lose a little of its magic.
The premise too made me anxious. I couldn't think what was best if Hart was going to lose his memories (and anyone who figured out who he is would also lose their memories in around two days). I wasn't sure what I cheering for. You'd usually just wish for the living to get through their grief, but by the time Hart comes back to life, months have passed, his girlfriend Ruby is already getting over it, so him being back felt more like reopening the wound only for it to hurt again.
There is a good ending, but was the plot necessary? What was there to gain? It made my reading a little tense.
The prose is still pretty, their romance is also sweet. This could have gotten very dramatic, but it isn't at all. I think this was my first book by this author, but it made me curious for the next releases.
Honest review based on an ARC provided by Netgalley. Many thanks to the publisher for this opportunity.
Rating: 3 out of 5.
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