Queen B’s Decree: Oohhhh man, I was definitely concerned towards the beginning of Until Next Time. I believe I’ve told you in the past, but I watched Sleepless in Seattle for the first time last year and was heartily disturbed by it. And I like stalker books! Until Next Time started off with some Sleepless in Seattle vibes and I was afraid that was the road we were going down.
Thankfully, UNT went in another direction. While Autumn’s precocious daughter, Matilda, did call into a podcast/radio show, that is where the similarities end. A little soapboxing here: Persy using Matilda’s phone call/email felt like exploitation. I didn’t like how she didn’t bother getting accurate release forms for a MINOR just to make some money on her show.
We briefly met Zach in a previous story, as he was married to Persy, Nyx, and Eros’s little sister Calliope before her death. The story line in UNT bounces forward a bit, but I was worried that Zach was going to punish himself and not get any help forever. Once he hears Matilda’s call to Persy and realizes that he knows her mom, it’s like a switch flipped. He’s always been a fixer and carer, and he found someone else he can take care of and help.
The pacing on the story felt off, like there was so much unnecessary background. It felt a little disjointed but it all started to flow together once Autumn and Zach meet again. Their relationship was pretty adorable, watching them both work through their issues and work towards a life together.
Despite some of the tragic issues and pasts our Hero and Heroine had, Until Next Time felt light and happy. As the first of a new series, there were a lot of new characters to meet that took away from the overall feel of the story, but it did intrigue me enough to pick up book #2!
Book: Until Next Time by Claudia Burgoa
Series: Against All Odds: The St. James Family #1
Genre: Contemporary
Hotness: medium salsa
Plot Devices/Tropes: friends-to-lovers, Sleepless in Seattle