Elsie and Ben have a whirlwind romance after meeting on a rainy New Year’s Day in a pizza shop. Only six months after meeting they elope and are literally in their happy honeymoon period when Ben is involved in a tragic accident and dies.

As if that wasn’t sad enough, if turns out Elsie and Ben hadn’t involved their families in their relationship and nobody really knew they were married, and to make matters worse their marriage certificate hasn’t arrived yet. Which leads people to question Elsie’s authenticity and whether they were even really married or if she is out for her own good.

This story is all about dealing with grief and the value of any relationship regardless of length. I was expecting Elsie to meet somebody knew and have that difficult dynamic but I’m actually really glad she didn’t. There were definitely times when I just wanted to shake her to get her act together but as somebody who has been dealing with my own grief for the past 4 months I found it very relatable.

As per usual TJR’s writing was perfect and although it still wasn’t written in that Seven Husbands/Daisy Jones’ style which has you wondering whether it’s a true story. It is a difficult and emotional book at times but it is also really beautiful. Don’t read it if you’re in an emotional state but if you’re feeling good you will appreciate it.