Full disclosure: I was given an ARC of this book from SparkPoint Studio in exchange for an honest review.
Content warning: this review discusses mental health.
Colleen Hoover is one of the most popular authors in the last five years. Readers have devoured her new adult books involving romances between troubled people, and two of them have already been made into movies. As of now, other authors are boarding the Hoover train with their own stories. One of them is Heather Cumiskey, whose latest novel, The Sooner I Go, involves similar themes. It’s a really good romance suspense novel with an excellent twist.
The Sooner I Go follows an 18-year-old woman reeling from loss as she’s drawn to a new and unexpected attraction, one that might expose her dark secrets. Seven months ago, Brynn’s parents and boyfriend died tragically on the same night. Once an aspiring singer, Brynn is now desperate for any paying gig to help her stay afloat and rebuild her shattered world. As an unpaid intern at an ad agency, she gets distracted by 20-year-old Micah – the associate creative director whose great-grandfather founded the company. Their enemies-to-lovers attraction ignites as both struggle with secrets that could jeopardize far more than their relationship. After things turn romantic, Micah’s battles with schizophrenia become harder to conceal. Living with his disorder has cost him relationships before, including with his father. Now, he fears that it will interfere with the one with Brynn. In addition, a mystery girl from Brynn’s boyfriend’s past comes forward with threatening information and unfinished business of her own.
I wasn’t invested too much in the beginning because it was playing by the numbers a bit. It begins with what readers expect from a story like this. They don’t like each other for one reason or another, and then, they fall in love after they see one another in a different light. However, when they had their romantic weekend getaway, I was on board. The author does a good job at developing the main characters and building their relationship in ways that feel natural to the story.
Cumiskey is also great at handling grief and mental health. Both Brynn and Micah have their traumas since they have lost their parents. Brynn’s through a tragic accident, while Micah’s mother died while giving birth to him, and his father essentially abandoned him to pursue his career as a musician. Brynn tries to move on despite being haunted by what happened. Additionally, Micah fears that his mental health issues will ruin his relationship with Brynn. At one point, he even flies to the other side of the country to seek treatment after a misunderstanding with Brynn. By the end of the novel, one gets the sense that Micah stepped in the right direction while acknowledging that he has a long road ahead of him.
What sends this novel into the next level is the twist. Obviously, I can’t reveal that. But, I will say that it works because Cumiskey plays with tension and the readers’ feelings for the characters extremely well. She knew exactly what she was doing. I honestly didn’t see it coming. It makes me want to reread it to pick up on any clues.
The Sooner I Go by Heather Cumiskey is a really good romantic novel involving troubled people. The main characters have their baggage, but the readers will be invested in them. Additionally, the author does a great job at depicting grief and mental health realistically. And, the twist! That’s what makes the book worth reading. I would recommend it for readers who love romantic suspense novels and Colleen Hoover, of course. The Sooner I Go is out Tuesday, March 10, so grab it whenever you get your books.
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