By Robinne Lee
⭐⭐⭐⭐☆
Literary Fiction • July 2026 • ARC • NetGalley
Why I Picked This Up
I really liked The Idea of You, so I wanted to see what Robinne Lee would do with her second novel.
My Thoughts
This is definitely not The Idea of You. I feel like this book is controversial, but in a different way.
In this case, you have a woman who has moved across the world with her husband after he cheated on her. She has to decide if she should stay. And if she stays, can their marriage be a good one? How does she figure it out? By exploring a relationship with someone from her past whom she happens to meet when she nearly runs him over.
Overall, the book has some really interesting ideas about love and obsession. It seems that even in midlife, you can have a really good crush on someone.
I would say that if you liked The Idea of You because of the romance, you probably won’t like this book. It’s less about romance and more about choosing who you are in your life.
What I Sent the Group Chat
You know how I thought the age difference in The Idea of You was slightly ick? Her new book gave me another ick in that I still am not liking Dave Matthews.
I’d Hand This To…
- The friend who likes complicated marriages and doesn’t need anyone to make the obviously correct decision.
- The friend who wants literary fiction about midlife wrapped in a strange affair.
- The person who liked the questions about age and desire in The Idea of You, but doesn’t need another sweeping romance.
If You Liked This…
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid: Another story about love, identity, and the choices a woman makes across her life.
