I’m not original when I say that Alicia Thompson’s latest is definitely for fans of the Before Sunrise trilogy, but I’m also don’t usually reach for romance (or magical realism). Jess’ story begins on her birthday with an app-assisted date so terrible that being knocked out in the parking lot after honestly seems like an improvement, even if she didn’t end up in Ireland. She wakes up, confused and a bit chilly, only to meet her bad date’s brother. She’s stuck in Dublin with a single outfit and no purse; he’s a bit confused at an American popping by who knows his brother. Eamonn ends up showing Jess the city and they have the kinds of deep conversations you can only have with a stranger … or maybe a hallucination.
Jess feels very real and grounded during that first date, and she deals surprisingly well with her new teleportation skills. She can’t figure out what happened, so she might as well go with it. Jess can’t panic about losing her passport because she never had one in the first place, and she can’t figure out how she got here so she doesn’t have to explain it to Eamonn. It’s forced proximity, strangers-to-lovers, and I personally felt like I was more anxious about how and when the bubble would suddenly burst than Jess was. She’s much better than I am at living in the moment.
The initial bad date was painful, so it took me a little to get into the book, but that’s over quickly enough. I think I spent too much time trying to figure out what the heck was happening rather than going along with Jess’ more free-spirited experience. It’s a very sweet story, and the sprinkling of Irish myths and hints at real-life magic help make it all make sense (at least, as much sense as it’s going to make) in the end.
Rebecca Frost 