The Time of Our Lives by Portia Macintosh

3*

This is billed as a romance, but it’s really more of an ensemble piece with an under-developed second-chance romance. Ten years after graduation, our heroine Luca is invited to the wedding of her best guy friend from college. Lo and behold, Tom, the guy who broke her heart is the groom’s best man and one of the bridesmaids is the women he broke her heart for…and the sister of the bride. Although there is witty banter and a nice combination of relationship issues with the supporting characters, the book has a number of problems that make it just an okay read, not a stand-out. The major issue is the low self-esteem of the female lead, Luca. She even admits that she’s one of those women who apologizes for everything. She is hanging on to a 10-year-old crush when nothing ever came of the college relationship but friendship. Tom took up with another woman and stayed with her for years despite a very rocky relationship. He rejected Luca twice, yet she’s willing to give him a 3rd try…after the guy she’s ready to hook up with turns out to be married and Tom gives her a lame excuse for why he stayed with Cleo after realizing his mistake. The author’s choice of using chapter-to- chapter flashbacks also disrupts the flow of the story. Conclusion: Boring story with an odd, preachy ending.

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from HQ Digital through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.