Rating: 3.5 stars
Buy Link: Amazon | iBooks | Amazon UK
Length: Novella

One little note changes everything for Tyler. Just turning eighteen, with a new stepmom and two half-sisters and a father who never seems to have time for anything other than his senatorial campaign, Tyler relies on his neighbors and best friends, Alex and Gus, to get him through just about everything. When his tutoring session with Gus gets a bit intense, Alex is there to calm Tyler down and tell Gus to can the math for a while. As Tyler gets ready to leave later that same night, he notices a note, one that touches his heart deeply and makes him realize that someone “sees” him and cares and has promised to do so always. He lunges in for a kiss with Alex.

Eight years later, Alex is marrying Tyler’s sister, Marissa. Their five-year long relationship had died before it every really got a full head of steam and Tyler is mortified and angry that Alex had failed to keep his promise to love him forever. But as the wedding looms, Tyler is about to find out that the note that had changed his life was not what it seemed.

May Archer pens a sweet little novella set in the town of O’Leary called The Note, which is book 2.5 in the Love in O’Leary series. With new characters and an interesting premise, the story revolves around how one night can change the trajectory of a life. Tyler, as senior in high school, is so lost since the death of his mother and the start of his father’s campaign. He doesn’t hate his new stepmom or sisters, but he is so angry and upset about the changes they all bring with them, from the color of his mother’s bedroom to the way his father no longer has time for him. It’s as if no one sees the real him or cares to even take the time to do so. But a note in his backpack will set him on a course change that will impact his life tremendously.

Tyler will find the courage to be his own man, pursue his writing career, and date the boy next door. Too bad Tyler got it wrong, as is evidenced by the fact that said ex-boyfriend is now marrying his stepsister. Thank goodness for Gus, Alex’s older brother and Tyler’s best friend. They have kept in close contact while Gus has done his residency clear across the country. Alex’s marriage will finally bring Tyler and Gus together for the first time in over two years and once again the guy who always seems to have Tyler’s back will be front and center.

The Note is admittedly a bit convenient when it comes to finding love a second time. [spoiler] It does make one question if Alex was not the note writer, how did Tyler never find that out in the five years they were together? The author does make it clear that even though the two boys dated, it was long distance and they weren’t even always together on their summer breaks. Still, it is a bit of a stretch to think that Tyler never mentioned the note to Alex given how important it was to him in shaping his self-esteem. [/spoiler] However, beyond that I think this novella was quite nice—no big angst or tragedy, just the cosmos finally setting things right. It is light-hearted for the most part and the resolution is done well. I enjoyed meeting these characters who were merely passing through O’Leary for the wedding event and who finally found love in all its glory.

Note: The Note was originally published as a free short as part of a promotional giveaway and is now available for sale.