This book felt like summer. There were a lot of cute summer scenes and nice family moments. Unlike most YA contemporaries, this one focused on family moreso than the romance. The romance was still there, but took a back seat compared to everything else. It wasn't exactly a happy book, but it was not dreadful and depressing either, despite the reason why they were even at the lake house that summer. I was afraid it was going to be a sad "cancer book" and while it definitely had sad and poignant moments, it never felt sappy or manipulative.
The family story was well balanced with Taylor's YA life. Taylor bothered me a bit sometimes because she was so afraid and was not just able to communicate or talk things out, but it was also super relatable. She definitely grew over the course of the book, and I enjoyed watching her become more confident, more courageous, and open up to people. I also really enjoyed the parts with her friendship with Lucy - that was probably the highlight of the book, moreso than the romance.