Willow Aster’s Maybe Maby has been on my to-read list for a long, long time. I finally felt the need to dive into this story and I can’t say how glad I am that I did! I didn’t know much about this story going into it. Only the line, “I’m having a meltdown” and that alone was enough to make me excited. I love off-kilter characters, the ones who let readers see into their minds. It makes the world feel less lonely, even if it’s just a fictional character, to know that other people struggle too. I loved Maby for this exact reason. She was far from perfect but easy to love, even if she thought she was the opposite.

BLURB:
I’m having a meltdown. Not the put-her-in-the-loony-bin kind, but the rock-in-the-corner-so-I-can-breathe kind. Maybe they’re one and the same and I really do need to be put away, but I think I just need a little air. I’m bone tired. My eyes look like I haven’t slept in weeks. I’m eating my feelings and developing a pudge that isn’t gonna go anywhere if I keep binging on chocolate, nachos and wine. 

I’m 28 and everyone has left me. I have no friends. My boyfriend left. My mom died, so technically she left me too. I hate my job. 

I get this overwhelming ‘oh my God, is this what my life is gonna be?’ feeling and I want to die. 

Curl up and die. 

And since I don’t feel my heartbeat fading or my breathing getting even slightly faint, I panic that I’m gonna have to live.

I love how realistic Willow was able to make Maby’s struggles. I’m sure most of us can relate to feeling a little crazy at times, like we simply can’t go on another minute, and our lives are not worth living. Despite that, she was able to keep on moving forward, even when it seemed impossible. She was able to draw strength from people who loved her. Speaking of those who loved her, while Maby is the star of the show, it’s impossible not to adore her friends and wish they were real-life people.

“Maybe I just remind you of who you want to be … who you are when you’re not trying to be something else.”

Not only were the characters, besides the obvious antagonists, incredible, but Willow shows she is a master of writing swoon-worthy romance. There is a bit of a love triangle going on in this story, but I was able to appreciate its significance in Maby’s life. I even loved both guys for their unique traits and was grateful for the way things worked out in the end. For me, the obvious choice was Coen. Can we just talk about this perfect book boyfriend? He was almost too good to be true, but I couldn’t help but adore his kind words and actions to follow them up. I loved their relationship and the family dynamic he brought to the table more than I can say, I could have read 200 more pages about these characters.

I can’t wait to catch up on the rest of Willow’s books I missed out on before I was avidly reading. Her love stories always make me feel all of the mushy-gushy feels.

Rating: 4 stars

Purchase on Amazon.

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