This ended up being a very different read than what I expected, and I was initially a bit resentful of that. But I slowly got into the rhythm of it and while it wasn't a favorite, I still enjoyed myself. I expected this to be a cozy novel reminiscent of Before the Coffee Gets Cold, but it's more of a Myazaki adventure. Dreamy, borderline nonsensical at times. It may even be worth it to go back and reread down the road when I have better adjusted my expectations. There are still some critiques that hold, however, regardless of expectations. The dynamic between the two MCs felt a little insta-lovey, and their motivations felt a bit surface-level. More character development would've really taken this to the next level. Similarly, there were some moments between them that just felt a bit over the top and became cringey, just so dramatic in these scenes that lacked the emotion to give proper depth. It seems like a lot of folks are loving this so far so please feel free to take my review with a grain of salt. But as with just about every book I've read this month, this one just wasn't for me.

**I received a free ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the publisher!**