Before reading this fourth book I had only read Jericho (the first installment in the series) and I read it maybe a decade ago.

That said, I believe this is not a standalone novel and should definitely be read in the context of the whole series. Missing information certainly made this book far less enjoyable as a reader.

McMan writes very smart characters, which I appreciate, and it’s refreshing to see a bit of diverse personalities and perspectives in a rural setting.

I especially loved how many sapphic characters there were. Ha!

This book was not romance or mystery, though there were elements of mystery (a murder?) and light themes of romance (a budding sapphic attraction, and a sapphic wedding). Mostly, it read like a diary of the everyday lives of the folks of Jericho…which means it’s best appreciated with full context of the series.