⭐⭐⭐

Keeley is very grateful to be alive, and taking great care of the kidney she received after the accident that took her sister’s life. She was also feeling a bit managed living at home with her parents, and having to check in with them over everything. Out of the blue, she receives an invitation to go to Paris, just before Christmas. An all-expenses-paid kind of trip and Keeley decides to take her best friend, Rach, with her. But there is a catch – the mother of Keeley’s kidney donor wants to meet her and get to know her a bit.

On the other side of the English Channel, Ethan is struggling to come to grips with Ferne’s death, even though it has been a year already. And he is definitely not interested in meeting the woman who is now in possession of Ferne’s kidney. And to make things even more complicated, Ferne’s brother is flying in from the United States, and he and Ethan are not exactly on the best of terms.

Ethan and Keeley meet during a funny incident, and they become friends, and more, without realizing their mutual connection through Ferne.

I loved Keeley. She is kind, and strong, but maybe a bit unsure of herself. With Ethan’s help, she rediscovers who she is without being “kidney girl”, as Rach constantly calls her. Ethan has been flowing along with Ferne’s dreams, and now he has to figure out what it is that he wants, all on his own, as a separate being. I enjoyed Keeley and Ethan together. Rach is a wonderfully fun character.

The story did move a bit slow at times. And it did take a long time before Ethan and Keeley finally had their meeting. The references to COVID-19 didn’t bother me at all. It felt a bit strange to read a book that is set just slightly in the future, and the assumption that by Christmas the situation would have improved that much. It was a fun, light read, and I enjoyed it.

Thank you to Aria and Netgalley for providing me with an ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Was I hooked by this book? Yes.

Genre: Contemporary Romance