I took a chance on When We Blinked and it definitely paid off. I say chance because I never want to leave a bad review and feel strongly I should review everything I read. But Stephnie Mack is an entirely unknown author to me. She could have been terrible. Thankfully, she is the opposite of that, and I have a new author to follow and read. Winner.

I was at first drawn in by the premise of the book – a divorced couple reconnecting via a no photos dating app. The ex-husband on there with an assumed name, the ex-wife as herself. I loved that from the outset it was clear both Sera and Connor had moved on, but neither had fully let go either.

Both parties had been terribly wounded more by circumstance than each other and the author didn’t hold back in letting reads know the tough issues they’d battled. But she did that sensitively. And I applaud the balance she struck. The broader plot of Sera rebuilding her career and parenting a challenging child is widely relateable. Connor’s desire to repair and build from what was broken, laudable and encouraging.

If the rest of Mack’s other books have this blend of light and depth then she’s going to become one of my absolute favorites. higlhy recommended.

I recevied a copy of When We Blinked from the publisher, via NetGalley. The enjoyment is all my own.