I was and remain a superfan of Elissa Sussman's Funny You Should Ask, a story that runs parallel to this one (the respective main characters are siblings). Unfortunately her other work has not quite hit the high bar that one set. I did enjoy returning to the world of FYSA, and loved the unique characterization of Lauren, a single mom and young widow. Sussman is so good at dual timelines that aren't confusing, but I wasn't quiiiiite as engaged by the past timeline here as I would have liked. The fits and starts of the romance were constantly teetering between intriguing and infuriating. Overall, this was easy to fly through and I appreciated the sometimes surprising, always tender ways that the cast of characters interacted and the way their stories resolved.