Review of Okay Days by Jenny Mustard

A love story like no other, this novel is masterful in detailing what it's like to navigate messy relationships and finding a home in the person you love. Sam is in London for the summer, 10 idle weeks, where she reunites with old acquaintance Luc. They spark up a conversation which leads to a summer fling. But their days are numbered until Sam returns to Stockholm, Sweden. They're happy to have a brief relationship, no string attached. But when they break their no communication pact when Sam has left, she is brought back to London as she realises how much she wants a life in the city she's become to love, with the man she's infatuated with.

But even in the same city, living under the same roof, Sam and Luc can't escape their differences. While love conquers all, they are confronted with the fact they both want different futures, which makes them question whether they are meant to be together. 

There were so many themes and topics discussed within this novel, speaking to readers in their twenties who feel lost and confused about building a career for themselves with financial and ethical barriers. This conflict between keeping a dead end job to pay the bills or gain underpaid experience was a constant torment for Luc. His physical and mental health took a toll as he battled with an unhealthy obsession with food and exercise, pushing his body to the limit. 

For lovers of literary fiction who exclusively read books about complicated relationships, then prepare for this book to be your new Sally Rooney obsession.

Review by Victoria.

Okay Days was published on 29/06/23 by Sceptre.