9 Days and 9 Nights by Katie Cotugno | Rating: ★★★☆☆ (3.5)

As a note, an e-galley of this novel was sent to me via Edelweiss by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not effect my opinions in any way.

I really wanted to like this book more than I did. I loved, loved, loved 99 Days. Katie Cotugno just, typically, knows her way into my heart with her books. While 9 Days and 9 Nights was far from bad--and, in truth, quite enjoyable--it just left me with this feeling of being utterly underwhelmed. There were plenty of good moments in the story--the complexities of emotion that Cotugno is so keen on exploring in her stories, the sheer awkwardness of specific moments, the sweet moments in other portions.

We've got a bit of a catch up to explore in Molly's life that readers will be familiar with. Looking back to where she was in the previous book, readers will be faced with a character who has changed in many ways. This is what makes Katie Cotugno's stories so special. Her characters are developed in a way that is visible to readers. For fans who cannot seem to recall the happenings of 99 Days, we are given a bit of a refresher at the start.




In the case of development, when it comes to Molly, it's more or less of the, "I want to move forward and reinvent myself," variety. And you get the picture that she really, really wants to try and grow. I liked Molly just fine in the previous book, but I liked her even more in this installment.

Which is refreshing because it contrasts against one, giant thing:

Her past being, well, her past with Gabe.

There's this crushing sense of a secret past romance that threatens the little vacation that Molly and her boyfriend have set up and this makes up (almost) the entire premise of 9 Days and 9 Nights.

Most of the novel was a balance of readers holding their breaths with Molly as she finds her past and present colliding in a way that will surely make you pause. You might ask yourself, how would you react if you were in their shoes?

Readers will be quick to note the ties to the previous installment. They'll love seeing Molly as she is now and comparing her to the past. They'll appreciate the reappearance of Gabe, despite the general sense of awkward tension he brings to the story as Molly and her new boyfriend, Ian, run into him and his girlfriend while traveling.

There's a lot of tension that comes with the dynamic as the couples are joined together. I couldn't look away from it, really.

Then, there's the beautiful setting. I love books that take us to another place. In particular, real life settings. And 9 Days and 9 Nights is full of that vivid, traveled out vibe that is perfect for this time of the year. My biggest complaint is that we didn't get more of a story--it was just too short!

Still, I had a lot of fun reading it.