Finishing this book was such a bittersweet feeling. It left me feeling so complete, brimming with so many emotions, and—honestly, I could just sob. That’s how full I felt after flipping that last page. It’s the feeling you get after clicking the last piece of a massive puzzle in place. The feeling when you step back to look at the final picture and admire its beauty. It’s the moment you realise that all the frustration at seeking scattered pieces was worth everything. This book—this duology—was an indescribably beautiful experience.
I love how Jewel E Ann took topics that are never written about and tropes that are mentioned, but hardly used, (soul-mates, reincarnation) and put her own unique spin on them. It was refreshing and mind blowing and I doubt I’ll ever find another book that measures up to how special this one was. It teetered on a fine line between what’s real and what’s not, but it felt real, with the way it was written. And that’s the part that struck me so deeply.
One of the reasons I know this book was an exceptionally good one is that I had a hunch as to where the plot was going (the main one at least). Slowly, I was clicking together the pieces as they came—storing them away in the back of my mind. And yet when all came to light and I was shown that my guess was right? I was still left speechless. THAT is how I know this was a story done right. Because I might have caught on to the clues, but the way the characters reacted when everything was revealed still had an impact on my reaction.
And forget any other love triangle trope, because THIS, the way it was done in this book? This was a whole different experience. This was… this was the only kind of love triangle I’ll ever find acceptable from here on out. It wasn’t just Swayze who was at war with herself on which guy to pick—I WAS AT WAR WITH MYSELF ON WHO TO ROOT FOR. I went back and forth so many times about whether Nate or Griffin would be better for her, but they’re both such amazing men and they both deserved the world. Hell, SWAYZE deserved the world.
Consciously, I didn’t know who I wanted her to end up with more. But subconsciously? I think I knew deep down (just like they did), who she was meant to be with. Seeing her get to that realisation? Seeing how it all clicked together as all the stars aligned and the story fell into place, exactly as it was meant to all along? That was worth more than gold. That was priceless.
And don’t get me wrong. This book was devastating in its own right on the journey to the happily ever after. It peeled back my emotions, layer by layer, until I was raw and hurting all over. It knocked the air out of my lungs and left me gasping with anguish on more than one occasion. But the way it put me back together? That was beautiful. Every single second of it.
I’ll carry pieces of this story with me for the rest of my life—of that, I’m certain.
And who knows?
Maybe it’ll be part of me even beyond that.
One True Daydreamer 