The Night We Met

Kristy (00:00)
Welcome to Books I Make My Husband Read, a self-described hilarious and heartfelt podcast where I, Kristy, the devoted book lover, curate an unexpected reading list for my husband, Jon.

Jon (00:11)
And that's me. In each episode, we dive into lively discussions, humorous debates, and unexpected insights on all the books Kristy just has to make me read.

Kristy (00:21)
We're here to explore everything from your book club favorites to quirky hidden gems, challenging our perspectives and inviting you to join in on the fun.

Jon (00:30)
So settle in, grab your favorite beverage, and get ready for another literary adventure.

Kristy (00:45)
Hello and welcome back. This is season five, episode one of Books I Make My Husband Read. And I've been really waiting to say this, but I'm your host, Kristy.

Jon (00:55)
And I'm your co-host. I'm Jon, the one that Kristy makes read all of these books. We are back. I've barely recovered from last season and I'm already nervous about what's next, but here we are.

Kristy (01:09)
Here we are.

It's a new season, new books, and we are kicking things off with one that I am very excited about. This episode, we're discussing The Night We Met by Abby Jimenez. And if that name sounds familiar, or if it doesn't, you've probably been living under a rock, but we covered both Just for the Summer and Say You'll Remember Me in our earlier seasons. And this is actually a companion novel set in the same world as Say You'll Remember Me.

You can definitely read them as standalones, but if you've read them both, you'll recognize some familiar faces in both books.

Jon (01:45)
Yeah, I didn't pick that up when I was reading this one, probably because it spend so much time in between the two. The only thing like I that I did recognize from this one was Toilet King and made me think of like the big billboard and and stuff like that. So that was the only connection that I I remembered. I l I listened to the author's note too and then there's something else. But anyways. yeah.

Kristy (02:06)
You didn't remember

that Xavier the vet was the one Samantha?

Jon (02:12)
I d I didn't actually. I didn't. I know. Yeah.

Yep.

Kristy (02:18)
this book for Jon? Obviously, I did not pick it because it would jog his memory from a past story, I guess, but here we are. No, I picked this book for Jon because he has adored, and the other Abby Jimenez books that we have read. Because you have.

And this book specifically is a meeting the right person at the wrong time. And that sounds very familiar considering that when you and I met, I was maybe or maybe not engaged to somebody else. And that's all we'll say. And here we are 15 years later.

Jon (02:55)
That's all that's all we'll say. Yeah.

Very true. yes, that did resonate with me as well, actually reading this book. but before we get into any of those meaty details, we wanted to let all of you listeners know which books are coming up next for the season five lineup. So, drum roll please. The next two books are going to be sorry.

Kristy (03:19)
I was doing the drum roll.

Jon (03:22)
Thanks for that. Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy and The Burning Side by Sarah Damoff.

Kristy (03:33)
So Wild Dark Shore was a book that I picked up.

on Book of the Month Club. I think it was re-released for Book of the Month Club, like in a special edition, because it actually was published, I'm pretty sure, in 2025, and I think was one of like Good Morning America, like one of their books of the year or something like that. One of the television shows that does a book club. So it's a thriller. It's one that I've been interested in reading. And I won't get into the details of the book here, but

I thought you would be interested in it. And And we'll talk about that in our next episode. And then The Burning Side by Sarah Damoff. That is an author that I read her debut novel, The Bright Years, and just absolutely loved it. And then when I saw this one coming out for also Book of the Month, I didn't even read the summary on it. I just was like, yep, loved her book, loved her writing, couldn't believe it was her debut novel. And so

There was so much meat in that other book that I thought would lead to good discussions that I was like, Hey, this will I feel similarly about this. It's already rated really well for those who have read it and had the early arc editions and was able to preview early.

So I will say, and I mentioned this on our Instagram and TikTok when I was announcing what books we're gonna do this season, but one thing you said to me last season was that you were happy that we did new authors. So I made an intentional effort to have some.

New authors come in. So we will be reading two books this season from authors that we previously done, including this Abby Jimenez book. So we'll actually start with an author we'll we've already done, and then we're gonna end with an author that we've already read previously, actually from season one. And I'm s like have been highly anticipating this book coming out from her. So I'm so excited for it. But then everything in the middle will be brand new authors to you and to the show.

Jon (05:26)
Cool, right on. Okay. Well, if you want to keep up with all those new authors and the full schedule for this season, make sure you follow us on all the socials like Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and of course our website, booksImakemyhusbandread dot com.

Kristy (05:44)
Yes, and if you are enjoying the show, the best free thing you can do for us, it doesn't cost you anything, is leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify or wherever you're listening. It really does help more people find our show and we appreciate every single one that we read.

Jon (06:01)
Yes, we do. All right. Are you ready for that spoiler free book summary?

Kristy (06:09)
I am.

The night we met starts at five in the morning with a phone call that Chris really did not want to answer. His best friend Mike needs a favor. Drive his girlfriend Larissa to the hospital for her mother's surgery. Chris has met Larissa exactly once for about five minutes after a concert, And yet he goes. That's just who Chris is.

Jon (06:29)
And what starts as an awkward waiting room situation turns into something neither of them could have expected. Larissa is dealing with more than just her mom's surgery. When she arrives to find out her father has been using her social security number to open credit cards in her name. And it's a lot. And somewhere between the bad hospital coffee and a filthy stray dog they find wandering near the dumpsters, something starts to shift between her and Chris.

Kristy (06:57)
The dog, who Chris ends up adopting, becomes the world's most convenient excuse for them to keep seeing each other. They also discover they're both obsessed with the same obscure, out of print sci-fi novel called Cross Stitch, which is the kind of thing that only happens in romance novels and apparently fate. The problem, of course, is that Larissa is dating Mike, Chris's best friend, the person who called him that morning.

Jon (07:22)
Yeah, that should tell you about enough. The night we met is a story about what happens when you meet the right person at completely the wrong time, and what loyalty, grief, and a growing pile of feelings do to two people who are very much trying to do trying to do the right thing. If you've read Abby before, you know she writes emotional depth into her rom coms in a way that just kinda sneaks up on you. This one's no different and it kinda smacks you in the face.

Alright then folks, that's a spoiler-free summary. We are about to get into spoiler territory and talk about this book. So things are gonna get as complicated as riding home with the wrong guy after a concert. Exit stage right.

Kristy (08:06)
Alright, so now that we've warned everyone, let's give some spoilers and talk about what actually happens in the book. Larissa and Chris spend months dancing around their feelings, both of them refusing to act on anything because of Mike. Chris is loyal to a fault Larissa feels really guilty.

and Mike to his credit is not a villain here. He's just not the right person for Larissa. And somewhere deep down, everyone knows it. One of the things the book does well is show that Clarissa isn't making excuses. She genuinely cares about Mike. But what she has with Chris is different in a way she can't explain and can't ignore. The stray dog, the shared book, the hours in the waiting room, the intimacy builds quietly, which makes it feel real.

the most talked about thing about this book is a timeline. Larissa roughly takes 10 months to finally break up with Mike, which is not a quick resolution. and depending on who you are as a reader, that's either earned emotional realism or deeply frustrating pacing. For the record, I had feelings about it. When it finally does resolve, and it does, it's quiet rather than grand.

Chris and Larissa don't get a big dramatic airport moment. They get honesty, which is maybe more satisfying if you're in the right headspace for it.

Okay. So that is a spoiler recap, I will say. And let's get into the questions. No. No, let's talk about what we thought about this book.

Jon (09:27)
Right. You know.

right, sure. Okay. No no you

Kristy (09:34)
Do you wanna go first? You wanna kick off the season? No.

Okay.

I think this is my favorite Abbey book to date. Yes. I just freaking love the subject matter, obviously. I kept waiting for

Jon (09:43)
What?

Kristy (09:55)
You said Mike doesn't end up being a villain. Not really, but he does some like really thing things that are super red flags. And he's I obviously dealing with some substance abuse problems.

That cause him but I think there's more there. Like I think he's depressed. I think he has anxiety. Like I think there's things that are driving that for sure. But he makes some like really bad decisions, especially when it comes to like the health of Larissa and her allergies. But he's not a bad guy. And I kept waiting for actually a moment because a lot of times when there's like a dynamic like this, you know.

Right person, wrong time, you're dating someone else. That other person ends up showing qualities that make him the villain or her the villain, I guess, in the case, but usually it's a guy. And I kept honestly waiting for that. And I actually really love that Abby didn't that wasn't her outlet to make this thing work. Like, how is it going to work with these two best friends coming to a resolution knowing that like the person she is supposed to be with is Chris?

Like, how is that going to work? And I just thought it was really, really well crafted. It did, I mean, it it ended well for Larissa and Chris, but like the Mike thing is still not resolved and like their friendship is, I don't think, on the skirts or anything like that. But like it's going to be awkward for a while and that's going to be okay. So I just I enjoyed everything about it. The banter is, of course, top-notch. There's a dog named Woofereen. I mean, what is not to love?

Jon (11:35)
yeah, I I think I share most of what you reacted to. I it I read this one kind of choppy, so meaning like I took k in chunks. I mean it really did, just kind of the way life wove in between me reading this book. so I don't know that I fully appreciated the emotional turmoil and like angst through the whole book.

Kristy (11:45)
I read this one in chunks.

How dare you?

Jon (12:00)
I know, I know. but I mean it was clearly there. I I I kept waiting for the shoe to drop. I kept waiting for that moment to just be like finally it. I figured it probably would be something with her allergy. I figured that was probably gonna be the breaking point for Chris. and it it was. It was it was a different

Kristy (12:02)
Ha ha ha.

Mm.

Jon (12:24)
narrative or I mean narrative's not the right word, but like a a different architecture to a story like this from the other Abbey books that we've read. There wasn't that big moment at the end, like you pointed out. which I think I was okay with. I because I was waiting for it, I like I don't know. Okay, my my real gut reaction at first was just like

Wait, that's it? Like we're at the end. Kind of like in a movie where it's like, wait, that it that's how it's gonna end. It just stopped right there. But when I sat with it for, you know, five minutes after the fact, after I was like realized that, like, okay, that's it. Five minutes, I was like, okay, that's feels way more realistic. And

Kristy (13:01)
contemplated for hours, I mean five minutes.

Jon (13:12)
The the scene at the end where Mike and Chris were sitting on the park bench and actually finally had the conversation that they've been avoiding for however long, like that was a real tear-jerker moment. and when and at that same time, like Larissa comes in to the scene and engages with Mike really for the first time, like

that she f forgave him or whatever it was, right? yeah. It it was a very it it was a very realistic story. The Chris was a character which I know we'll get into, that again just can't these are my reactions. and

Kristy (13:47)
I'm like, are you just gonna just keep talking about the whole book?

I'm just kidding.

Jon (13:55)
Yeah, okay, I'll hold the rest of my thoughts. You're right. Cause I will probably just start getting into into the rest of the the questions. but I did really enjoy it. I think I would if I were to read it again, I'd definitely want to like read it in less broken up so I could like feel the feel the feelings.

Kristy (13:58)
mean to stop you. I'm just joking.

Feel the feelings.

Jon (14:18)
anyway.

It was another win by Abby. it's the first book of the season though, so I can't call it my I I I can call it my favorite of the season so far. so we'll see how the rest of it goes. But anyway, let's get into the meteor questions before I just keep rambling.

Kristy (14:25)
Ha ha ha.

Okay. So the book opens with Chris doing a favor for a friend at five AM with zero obligation to say yes. First impressions. Did you like Chris right away or did it take some time?

Jon (14:47)
I liked Chris right away. I I think that's probably something I would do if I had like a close knit friend group like that. I could just see myself being like, All right, sure, man, you know, if that's what you need. and I think he's a person who even just from that opening scene, like

sacrifices his own sort of comfort and happiness for the happiness of others, which is something I can absolutely relate to. so I yeah. I liked Chris out of the way right away. Maybe because I could see some of myself in him and shit resonated, decisions that he would make or whatever. So what about you?

Kristy (15:27)
Yeah.

I mean, who doesn't like a friend who or a person, I guess it's a y it doesn't even have to be a friend who's just willing to do that for their other friends. I mean, doesn't ask a lot of questions, just gets up and does it.

Jon (15:43)
Whose cow are gonna take? Yeah, yeah.

Kristy (15:45)
Whose car are we gonna take? Yeah.

we talked about this a little already, but this book is a companion novel to Say You'll Remember Me. So you don't have to read the books one after the other, but they're set in the same universe, I'll say, world, right? Like with characters, but you don't have to know the other. So you said you noticed some overlap with Toilet King, but you had not put together that Xavier and Sam.

who is Xavier is Chris and Mike's friend, was from Say You'll Remember Me, even though that was your favorite novel from that season. Do you know how many books I've read since then?

Jon (16:23)
That was so long ago. That was like seriously.

yeah, I mean no, I clearly did not pick up on that. That seemed that that seemed like that just implanted into my brain. Yes, absolutely.

Kristy (16:35)
I mean you remember George Cooney though, and that was season one. Is burn.

Jon (16:46)
Yeah, the Toilet King billboard was really like the only thing and they went driving around looking for these these billboards too. So like that was the only thing that kind of stood out to me. I did not pick up on Xavier and Sam. Yeah, Samantha. Yeah.

Kristy (16:52)
Yeah.

Samantha. Yeah.

Jon (17:01)
you obviously I it's been equally as long for you, but do you picked up on the characters and I mean, you read way more than me, so

Kristy (17:06)
yeah. I mean I r I remember the characters.

Yeah, I just I n I also knew it was set and so also the next book that she writes will be Mike's story. Right.

Jon (17:16)
that'll be interesting.

Kristy (17:18)
All right, so speaking of, and we touched on this a little bit, but the wrong person trope is all over romance, but this one handles it differently. Mike isn't a bad guy, nor is he really made out to be that way in the book, which a lot of other novels I feel like that have this trope do that. So did that make it harder or easier to root for Chris and Larissa?

Jon (17:39)
definitely harder. I mean well yes, I'll stick with that. I I think harder because you knew or you could at least start to see that he was struggling with a substance abuse problem, which was masking

And I'm asking, but impacting a lot of his choices and his behaviors toward Larissa. so I think there was an like I had some empathy for that and an understanding for that. And

Yeah, I n I never disliked I actually there's no one in this book, like a lot of the other ones where you're just like, that person drove me fucking bonkers. And I don't think that there wasn't really a single character like that here. Like, yeah, some of the decisions Mike made you you know, just like how did you let that h like

Kristy (18:30)
I think there's

a recurring theme. Speaking of people who drove me nuts, sorry to interrupt your train of thought, but there's like a recurring theme in Abbey books of mother characters who do some unhinged things and like the dynamic between the the mom and the well, even in some, it's been the mom and son. I was like, what's that word for a guy?

Jon (18:52)
Yeah. The

male character the male lead. Yeah.

Kristy (18:55)
Yes. The

male leads. but there's been several where it's mother-daughter and in this in this one her mom does make some funny comments, but for all intents and purposes, she was a little like, my gosh, you gotta be kidding me at times as well.

Jon (19:10)
like when she said, Hey, let's go to eat at this incredibly expensive restaurant. Like, who does that? yeah and just expects

Kristy (19:13)
Yes.

Right. And then orders a bunch of things. And then who texts someone randomly

and asks them that she doesn't even know and asks them for their password. However, I will say she makes a brilliant point. So when she when she does that, Larissa's like, that's wrong. Like we shouldn't be asking people for their login. And she's like, like sticking it to these large corporations and still

And that is like really gonna affect them. And I'm like, my gosh, she's so right. Like, I have also felt that way, and we've been really stingy, I'll say, about sharing our thing. Like, pay for your own freaking thing. It's $15 or $20. Now it's like $25. But I felt that way. And I'm like, no, we should be handing that thing out and getting ones back. Like, let's as many people as can be on our. I'm actually

Jon (20:05)
I know.

Kristy (20:11)
We're freeloading off our my brother's Netflix right now. So I'm like, why do we care?

Jon (20:16)
Yeah. back to the question at hand.

Kristy (20:19)
That was important.

Jon (20:23)
Anyway, I don't know that I have a point. to your question about whether it was easier or harder to root for Chris and Larissa. I I think it did make it a little bit harder because you you didn't hate Mike. You didn't really like loathe him. You understood he was struggling with something. And and what he said at the end to Chris, he's like, Larissa wasn't the one for me. Like you you are talking to Chris is like the one I was like Woo

Kristy (20:33)
Yeah.

Yeah, I know. I'm

I'm like tearing up right now thinking about it. Excuse me.

Jon (20:53)
A little lump Yes just a dab a little dabbing. yeah,

so yeah, those are my thoughts on on that.

Kristy (21:07)
Yeah, I agree. I think it made it a little trickier, even though obviously new is headed in that direction. They were so obviously meant to be together. But there were times in the book where

what I took issues with were the friends. Like I think it was extremely tricky for Chris to have a conversation with Mike because it would probably been impacted by his feelings for Larissa. But like Jesse and Xavier, like, why weren't they having conversations with his about his behavior?

Jon (21:41)
yeah.

Kristy (21:43)
Yeah, like calling him out on his shit. Like these are four guys who were like legit best friends, the way they're described in the book, calling each other out on their shit, but yet n they were not calling each other or they were not calling Mike out on his behavior. And it was very apparent, I felt like.

Jon (22:00)
Yeah, that's fair. you're you're right though. They could have jumped in also, but maybe they also I don't know, maybe they didn't see it until

Kristy (22:09)
I mean Xavier

also lived in California. I mean the book's sat in Minnesota and there he's living in California, but still he's still present enough, I f I felt like.

Jon (22:13)
Yeah. So he's not there all the time to see Yeah. Yeah.

Fair point.

Kristy (22:23)
So the stray dog that they name Woofereen and the out of print sci fi novel are two things that keep bringing Chris and Larissa together. Did those feel like organic plot devices or a little too convenient?

Jon (22:37)
I thought the dog was a a little too convenient, but it was a great storyline. I mean she used it throughout, taxing pictures of back and forth of it and I think the book piece felt

realistic. not that that not that people couldn't have found a dog behind a dumpster and decided to adopt it. Not something that never happens, but I could see like a connection being made with with the book sharing thing. Kinda like this little podcast here sharing books with me. but I mean it was like it was a comic relief mechanism. I I I think it was cute. It was fun. I

Kristy (22:59)
Yeah.

Jon (23:19)
Just it's fine. It's a great name.

Kristy (23:22)
That's all you have to say.

Jon (23:24)
That's all

I gotta say. I mean, what did you think as a book connoisseur?

Kristy (23:30)
I didn't necessarily think they were convenient. I thought that they were used the way like as or as plot devices, as things that seemed realistic to me.

I know that when we met, there were some uncanny coincidences between the two of us that I tried to ignore and just like couldn't. And I felt like that drew us together, that caused us to like continue to like have conversations and things like that. And I think it's the same with Larissa and Chris. Like the book and the dog are like drawing them together. And the difference between like what drew us together and what drew them together is.

There's was actually there's end up being hilarious because you have a dog in the mix, so he's doing all these crazy things. But I I really enjoyed it. I mean, I I love all the dogs that are present in Abby's books and I like the addition of, you know, the novel that they both are able to relate to and geek out over.

Jon (24:31)
And I think there is the also the shared trauma piece a little bit as well with Mike's sorry, Chris's mom. and having never like shared that trauma that he's been sort of like dealing with internally himself because his friend Mike wasn't there to help him like through that. So and then with what Lis Larissa's going through financially and with her dad and and even with her her mom currently still in her life, like there was that trauma bonding,

Kristy (24:38)
Hm, yep.

Mm-hmm.

Jon (24:59)
Which actually I think is a label that they use in the in the book.

Kristy (25:05)
Yeah. So

speaking of all those things, our next question is that Larissa's dealing with a lot outside of that love triangle. Her mom's health, financial trauma from her dad, and the general instability that comes with poverty. Did that context make her easy to understand or did it feel like too much piled on?

Jon (25:26)
I thought it was pretty easy to understand. I I I never I mean it felt like a lot, but it felt like an absolute realistic scenario for an individual, especially in like today's modern times. having to work multiple jobs just to like make it and pay rent and you know it's so hard to get out.

Kristy (25:41)
Yeah. And once you're in poverty, like h or generationally

in poverty, like how hard it is. Even when you're doing all the right things, you're doing all the right things, it's hard to get out.

Jon (25:57)
Yep. Yep.

it was just easy to empathize with her and like with that struggle or sympathize with her and with that struggle and and root for her, you know, want her to be successful because she is doing the right things and making the right decisions and trying to dig herself dig herself out and taking the stand with her dad, sta taking the stand with her her mom and the guy that she brings back. I don't remember what his name was, the deadbeat guy.

and like not going with them when they moved out of state and so

I assume you probably feel the same way. What was your take on Larissa dealing with all the things?

Kristy (26:37)
Yeah,

no, I I absolutely agree with your take. I think it felt very realistic. I mean, it's really hard to dig yourself out when those are the things you're dealing with, when you're doing the right things, when you can't catch a break, when people like her dad takes advantage of her enough, so now she's like having to pay off this debt that is in no way hers or her fault. And

She's trying to be a good daughter, but her mom is making bad choices and it just keeps piling on. I mean, and s I actually felt I I f thought that was very realistic because that is how it is for a lot of people. I mean

Jon (27:16)
The constant struggle, like every day having to make a choice of like I'm I don't want to turn out like her, I have to make different choices, like every single day, that would just be it would be exhausting.

Kristy (27:16)
And then

Yeah.

Yep. And Larissa, besides some of the Mike things, which I think we'll talk about in a few minutes, is making really good choices for herself and for her life. And she's really trying to work hard and like I keep saying, do the right things. And it just like nothing seems to be clicking for her. And that's really frustrating. It was it was frustrating to you know read.

But also knowing that so many people deal with that on a regular basis. So

Jon (27:56)
Yeah. It's hard to get out on your own. And yes, in this particular story it's Chris who really helps with that, but really it's about having someone just believe in you and supporting in you to it's hard to do on your own.

Kristy (28:03)
Mm-hmm.

Well,

and financially he gives her a little bit of money to get started, which it's it wasn't a lot of money. You know what I mean? It was like a thousand dollars or something, which I'm not saying is not for nothing. Like for Larissa was like a million dollars. You know, like she doesn't have a thousand dollars to just like play around with and bet and gamble on. So it show it just shows you like.

Jon (28:25)
Right. Unreachable.

Kristy (28:35)
how bad some people are struggling that like that small amount of money can make a huge difference to just get them over the like the little hump and get them to where they need to go so they can actually start say taking care of themselves because that's not what what it was here at all, but like right, supporting themselves and like doing something that like they want to do.

Jon (28:51)
Supporting themselves or yeah, yeah.

And building her confidence back up. Or not back up, but just building her confidence that she can do it. You know, when you hit a wall around so many corners that it seemed like she had been, getting a win can really expedite progress.

Kristy (28:58)
Yeah.

Absolutely. Yep.

Yep.

Right, Larissa takes about ten months to break up with Mike.

Was that a realistic slow burn? Or did you want to reach through the pages and Shaketh her.

Jon (29:25)
Shake, shake, shake, shake your booty. Shake Sonora. there's Shake It Off. Shake It Off. I mean there's a whole bunch of Shake songs. It was I there was definitely moments where I wanted to reach into the pages and like

Kristy (29:26)
Hm. I thought you were doing shake, shake, shake, sonora.

Yeah.

Pew pew pew. Slap her a little? I mean I mean nudge her.

Jon (29:52)
I think her friend, I wish I remember her name, was trying to you know, she was like one of the first things she said after her and Mike were dating for like a couple of months, where are the sparks or, you know, where is the

Kristy (30:05)
Yeah.

Jon (30:07)
the inferno or w whatever metaphor she was trying to use and she's just like we're taking it slow and blah blah blah and so they were just like little nuggets like that. But some of the scenes again like I realize Mike had a substance problem. but some of those scenes where I'm just surprised she put up with it for for that long.

Kristy (30:28)
Yeah.

Jon (30:29)
Knowing the background and knowing what she had gone through and knowing the decisions that her mom was making and the how many times throughout the book she's like, I don't want to turn out like my mother. so it it I was a little surprised that it took that long for her to just call it quits. but at the same time there was also a passage in the book somewhere where she's just like

If I do that, I lose all these other things too. I lose these other friends that I made. I lose Chris. I lose Woofereen. I lose like this other friend group that she doesn't have. And so I think like the weight of losing all of that also, I'm sure played a decision into just be like, I'm just gonna keep powering through and something will click at some point.

Kristy (31:02)
Yeah.

Yeah.

The weight of that plus everything else that she's also going through, which we mentioned in our last question with poverty and know, trying to get back on her feet and like all those things. So I I feel like that was just compounded for her. And it's hard to make good decisions when you have that like all piling on.

But on top of that, so I know that Mike is dealing with a substance abuse problem, which I I really think is more he's dealing with depression and probably anxiety. I'm not a medical professional, but I would venture that those two things are both present for him.

And he's masking it with alcohol. But regardless of that, I mean, that's something he needs to to deal with. Like, he he has so many red flags surrounding that that I'm like, girl, run for the hills. Are you kidding me? I mean, like, once, okay, twice, get out of here. mean, like you said, like she doesn't want to make some of those, you know, quote unquote same mistakes that her mother did. She doesn't want to be stuck.

and this like cycle and yet she's sticking herself in this cycle.

Jon (32:29)
Yeah, like the fact that he lives in house in the backyard of his mother's house, essentially yet. it doesn't he's not working. She thinks he's like gonna do this gym thing or will ultimately go back to the plumbing thing, but they never talk about it. Like they never really have any serious conversations, it it appeared anyways. a lot of surface level conversations.

Kristy (32:36)
He's not working.

Jon (32:55)
So a lot of flags.

Kristy (32:57)
I do wonder, so we get

we get chapters from Larissa and Chris. I wonder in the next book when we're learning about whatever is next for Mike, if we'll maybe get some of those feelings that from him that we miss. Because you're right, like we don't get any serious indep serious in-depth conversations from them. Like if you thought he was gonna take over the plumbing business, then what made you think that?

We what conversations led, was it something he was actually saying? Or were you just assuming that because his dad's the plumber king? Right. Or I mean, I don't I don't even actually think Chris said that because Chris has had to Chris knows he doesn't want to do it. Chris is like, too bad you don't want to fucking do it, bro. Like there's a lot of things you don't want to do, but you need money to survive. So until you figure out what you want to do, you need to do the plumbing thing. Like

Jon (33:31)
That's what Chris said. Yeah.

Kristy (33:53)
You're a master plumber. Like you gotta do it.

any anyway, like back to the original, like I I do think there were a lot of red flags. There were a lot of things that I was

Jon (34:05)
He wanted to reach through the pages and shake off. Shooketh.

Kristy (34:07)
I wanted to reach to the pages and sh sh shooketh her.

So Chris is very much a quiet acts of service guy. Is that romantic to you or did you wish he pushed back?

Jon (34:25)
Is it romantic to me? I mean, I think the correct answer to that is yes, because you are also a acts of service person.

Kristy (34:28)
Isn't it?

Yeah.

I hope that it's not doesn't turn into a clip

Jon (34:44)
So we c we have the power to control that. yeah, it's true. yeah, I I think I could relate to the acts of service for for Chris where

Kristy (34:48)
We actually really don't. Once you put it on the internet, it's forever.

Jon (35:04)
He does things out of his own kind of sacrificing a lot of times for his own happiness or his own well being or his own preference of what he'd rather want to do I get that. I feel I have that trait, often to a detriment at times, I'm not standing up for myself enough. So

Kristy (35:22)
Hm.

Jon (35:23)
yeah, of course through the book I wish there were moments where he would have stood up more. He acknowledged it towards the end. He's like, I'm not doing Mike any favors, like I'm really enabling him to continue this behavior and that sort of thing. But for as long as they'd known each other, he he was just seeing that as like an act of service. Like he's helping his friend, or he thought he was helping his friend. But

Kristy (35:45)
Yeah.

Jon (35:46)
Yeah, I

Kristy (35:47)
I think I think

your your point is like there has to be a balance because you can be an active service person and that can be your love language. But at the end of the day, you also have to be a good friend to someone and continuing to do things for that person and give them and the people that are surrounding like a false narrative about.

Them and what is really going on? Cause that's what was happening. Like he was doing things for Mike that affected Larissa. And then Larissa had this false impression of Mike, which is why it took her so long to freaking break up with Mike, because she has no idea that these things that are happening are really being done by Chris. And I get Chris was in a tricky situation because he knows if he

Jon (36:28)
Very true.

Kristy (36:38)
doesn't do these things, Clarissa's not gonna get what she deserves. Dang it, why do I can't? I I've I've in my head, I'm like, don't say Clarissa. And I yeah, and then right, exactly. Okay, so Larissa I'm an elder millennial. Clarissa explains it all is a big part of my upbringing.

Jon (36:41)
Larissa. That's that's why. There it is.

Kristy (37:00)
Yeah, so Larissa is going to be affected by these things and he doesn't want to disappoint Larissa. So he's doing them because he's in love with Larissa and he knows Mike is in like a bad place. But reality is he should have been calling out Mike a lot sooner. And regardless of how he felt about Larissa, like just letting the chips fall where they may. But I just felt or I just think that he felt so guilty.

Jon (37:28)
Yeah.

Kristy (37:29)
That

he felt like if I do that, it's going to look like I'm trying to sabotage their relationship. So yeah, he's in a really tricky spot, but I do think that like he agree with you. Like there had to be a balance. Like he he had to say things like, I will do this, but once I do this, you have to do X. Like he did with the car. Like, you need to get her car out.

Jon (37:35)
Sabotage. Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah.

Right.

Kristy (37:57)
But but it had to be an a but also that was one that helped Larissa, but it had to be like, I will do it this time, but you need to have an honest conversation with her about X, Y, Z.

Jon (38:07)
I think he was trying to do that with him in a handful of moments and I think that he just got tired of it 'cause he wasn't doing it. Like the n like the nut thing. Like how many times did he tell him like you have to be mindful of that and he just wouldn't Mike would just forget to do it. so

Kristy (38:21)
I know. It's hard to babysit

someone when they're in a spot like that and like really str like he's in deep depression. He's really struggling. He's masking with alcohol. But that's what being a friend is. I mean, it's a it's exhausting at times, but think about all the effort that he was putting into like the Larissa piece of it.

Jon (38:26)
Yeah.

Kristy (38:43)
But I also think that there was parts of the book where Chris failed Mike as a friend. Or could have done a better job.

Jon (38:48)
Yeah, yeah. It's hard to tell who

Yeah, I agree. I mean it's hard to tell who Mike is. I don't think Mike knows who Mike is.

Kristy (38:56)
Yeah. I mean, I think that

he's holding on things from the past that he thought were gonna go a different way from him or for him with the sports thing. And that that's really unfortunate and really sucks. But you have to be able to move forward and he has to be able to figure that out. And I think he's probably been struggling through this depressive state for longer than he wants to admit, and he needs to like really do the work.

Jon (39:20)
Maybe whenever the the mic book comes out I'll reread this one so I have like better context.

Kristy (39:28)
You're gonna reread it?

Jon (39:30)
Just to have the context of the thing.

Kristy (39:32)
I know you said that earlier

in the episode, but I really didn't think you would because you're not a rereader.

Jon (39:35)
I I know I'm not. I probably won't. But

I'm just I'm putting it out there. It's it's on record. so if it happens I can say I called it.

Kristy (39:41)
Okay. I think you should do

s all of them.

Jon (39:45)
Y you would say that. That is something you would say. Moving on.

Kristy (39:47)
Yeah.

Right. So the we've talked about this already a little bit. I feel like I've started off every question with that, but the ending is a bit low key compared to some of Abby's other books, specifically the ones you've read. Did it feel earned or did you want more?

Jon (40:07)
I wanted more, honestly, but I also understood I I understood like I said, the five minutes after I stopped and realized like I wanted more. The contemplation that the the five minutes of contemplation. Yeah. I I realized that it I realized that it it couldn't have really gone any other way. Like there there was no

Kristy (40:18)
The long the long five minute contemplation. Me thinking about it three weeks later.

Mm.

Jon (40:34)
big moment for them. That's not how their stories were crafted. And I don't think there ever would have been, just given the dynamic and the triangle and and that they were both really trying to do right by Mike through the whole way. There w just wasn't it just wasn't possible. I mean the biggest moment that they got was her living with him after the allergic reaction moment at the cabin and

them finding a rhythm that way. Like that was really kind of the biggest moment. where they finally like spilled the beans for each other, but

Kristy (41:05)
I mean but

Yeah, think about what Chris has to sacrifice to do that.

Jon (41:14)
Yeah. And he pushed

that was another thing I could relate to. Okay. sidebar. I mean kinda related but still like a parallel track.

Kristy (41:18)
Yeah.

Jon (41:23)
So my ex wife, right? Like a perfect example of that. When we started dating, I w I pushed so many people away, including my family, because just to prove like I was gonna make that work. And so when Chris was dealing with that, I was like, that hit a pretty close cord for me as well, because I

I'm like, yeah, I that sucks. Like that just really sucks that you you can't share this part that feels so important to you at the moment with the other people in your circle.

Kristy (41:54)
Don't think I I hear what you're saying. It's like similar, but it's not a one for one because like I don't think he wants to push them away. He's just like, I love this person and I'm willing to give up these other things if it's not going to if it's gonna be awkward or whatever because she was dating my best friend. Like I feel bad for him.

Jon (41:57)
It's not a one for one. Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah. So did I. I felt bad for me too.

Kristy (42:18)
Yeah, so.

You're just a you were just a guy making bad choices though. Chris is making good choices for the most part.

Jon (42:26)
That's true. Yeah, that's that's true.

Choice I was making choices for the wrong reasons, yeah. Yeah.

Kristy (42:33)
You were making choices. Period.

Jon (42:37)
Moving on again.

Kristy (42:41)
so if someone asks you whether they should read this book or Say You'll Remember Me, what would you say?

Jon (42:49)
Ooh.

think I would say Say You'll Remember Me. not necessarily because I liked that one so much more than this one or anything like that. I think it it just hits different. and I I think it's funnier than this book was. Like there are moments in this book, but I I think Say You'll Remember Me has more laugh out loud moments. and so I think

Kristy (43:07)
Say You'll Remember Me? Yeah.

I would agree with that.

Jon (43:15)
For that reason I would probably say that one.

Kristy (43:18)
Yeah. I think I'd probably ask them a few questions about like what what's true.

Jon (43:23)
That checks for you.

Kristy (43:28)
I would pull out my notebook and ask him 50 questions. Come up with a summary of why they should read this one.

Jon (43:34)
Interview them before you recommend

such a thing. Yeah.

Kristy (43:39)
Yes, I would probably ask a few questions about maybe what other type of rom-coms they like or dynamics they like and then suggest one based on that. But I do agree with you that Say You'll Remember Me has more laugh out loud moments. So if that's important to you in a rom-com, I would say go with that one. But if you're looking for like a quiet, established friends to lovers, like

Slow burn romance, then this is the one for you.

Jon (44:11)
That's probably the right approach. instead of what you do f with me is just like, here, read this book.

Kristy (44:18)
Well, this person is asking you whether they should read them. Again, just because you didn't read the fine print on our marriage license is not my fault.

Jon (44:26)
Okay.

Kristy (44:29)
Your dad signed it.

Jon (44:32)
I know he did... curse you.

Kristy (44:38)
All right, your favorite question. Do you have any final thoughts on this book and would you recommend this one to our listeners?

Jon (44:48)
Well, I think we just touched on w if I'd rec well, no, I guess it's a little different. Yeah, I would recommend it. Do I have any final thoughts? No. I think I gave all my final thoughts and my first thoughts on what I thought about this book in the opening section. So

Kristy (45:05)
The opening section mean the whole dialogue or I see. Final thoughts. Maybe they're not about the book. Maybe something popped up in your head during the episode. You just need to get out.

Jon (45:08)
Well, no, like all right, let's talk about what we thought about this book. I think those are those are all my thoughts. So

Nope, I'm good.

Kristy (45:25)
Okay.

Jon (45:27)
Let's hear your final thoughts.

Kristy (45:29)
My final thoughts are I got a lot of shit to do for the rest of the day.

Yes.

And I would absolutely recommend this one to our listeners. As I mentioned, I think this, this is my favorite Abby to date. But specifically, I think it's subject matter specific for me because of the wrong time, right person, tropey trope. So It's different.

I don't even know.

Jon (46:06)
We'll get feedback on that. Anyway.

Kristy (46:08)
Yes.

All right, well don't forget that a free way to support our show is by leaving us a review and rating us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. If you'd rather just say hi, you can email us at booksimakemyhusbandread at gmail.com. We would love to hear from you.

Jon (46:23)
Yeah. And we'll send you some swag if you do. We got some bookmarks and stickers and all kinds of fun stuff. So shoot us a note. Or and tell another book lover in your speaking of inner circles. if you got someone who you think you think might enjoy our little banter, share the show. We'd appreciate it.

Kristy (46:41)
Yes. Well, I guess that's it.

Jon (46:43)
That is Kristy, the first episode of season five in the books.

Kristy (46:48)
Yes.

Well, who knows? Maybe this will be the one your husband reads.

Jon (46:53)
Maybe. TTFN.

Kristy (46:56)
See ya. Curse you, Perry the Platypus.

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