The Bride

I must say, Sophie and Neil are very good at this relationship thing. They went through some stuff, they fight like every couple does, but they always find their way back to each other. It is both heart-warming and fun to see them navigating through all of it, because it surely can't be easy. Luckily, they are perfect for each other.

By now I am quite used to Abigail Barnette's writing so it came as a shock to me how I could expect something to happen and then still be surprised even when I am right. There are some events you simply expect at some point, there's no way around it, so I appreciate Abigail Barnette even more knowing she manages to capture my attention so much that I am completely captivated by what's happening, experiencing it at the same time Sophie does.

And oh, Sophie. I feel like some of the readers misunderstand her and judge her harsher than necessary. I get it, in a way, but that doesn't make me feel okay about it. It's simply sad. She is experiencing things she could only dream of before and that is a shock to her. She tries to prove herself and yes, sometimes she doesn't do that in the best ways, but she is reacting the only way she knows how to. What I appreciate about her is the ability to admit when she's wrong and her actively trying to make things right, not afraid to make the first and sometimes the second step.

Neil is not far behind and I am proud of him, of how far he came. I can only imagine how scary and unreal it all must be for him. He's still struggling with the remnants of his illness at the same time he's facing changes in his life, both adjusting to his life with Sophie (as much as he wants it, that's still a big change) and his daughter sharing her life with Michael. I'm afraid the challenges are not over for Neil and I keep my fingers crossed.

I haven't mentioned Holli in my previous reviews, but I feel like I just have to say something about her now since she played such a big role in the third part of the series. She is a great friend, she is, but I don't feel strongly about her as I do about Emma or even Deja. I am glad Sophie has her and can talk about anything to her, and she is the type of person I would be friends with too, but there's something about her that makes me keep some distance. I can't really put my finger on it, I hope I'll get some enlightenment later in the series. If not, oh well.

I'm off reading what happened between Neil and Emir when they met in London and then I'm looking forward to the next part of the series. So far this series was a delight and I have my hopes up for the next books as well, despite the titles that make me feel a little anxious.