If you had the chance to see how your love story ended before it even began would you take it? In the book “Skip To The End” by Molly James, Amy Daniels has the power to see how her relationships will end when she kisses someone. While it might seem like a nice power, it is not as great as it seems. For the last 20 years of her life, most of Amy’s relationships have never lasted past her first kiss.
The story starts with Amy flirting with Matt the mattress salesman, whom she is afraid to kiss for fear of his premonition. When they do kiss, she sees the relationship ending with the revelation of his pregnant girlfriend. Amy walks away disappointed and less hopeful of finding “the one.” The premonition only makes her more upset as she was hoping to go to her best friend’s wedding with news of a possible relationship. The night before the wedding, one of Amy’s best friends and fellow bridesmaid, May, dares Amy to kiss at least three guys at the wedding. While Amy blows it off at first as a joke saying it won’t happen, she decides that she needs a little liquid courage after the wedding ceremony. The next morning Amy wakes up with a hangover and three premonitons: two disastrous, one spectacular.
Amy is thrilled to have finally found “the one.” The problem is, she does not remember who she kissed the night before. Amy and her friends: Charlotte, May, Jay and Garieth, go on a mission to find Amy’s true love. They believe that they have found two of the guys she kissed that night, but kiss number three is still missing. While looking for the other mystery man, Amy, encouraged by her friends, gets close to both of her love interests to see if either of them is “the one.”
Most of the characters in the book are likable. Charlotte is organized and determined to help her friend find happiness. Jay is funny, creative and the life of the party. May is tough and hard-headed, but wants what’s best for her friends. Overall I like Amy. I admire her determination, but she is very single-minded and set in her ways. She is also a little bit of a pushover, and I can’t help but feel like she is ignoring her gut feeling for an idea of true love. Out of all the characters, Garieth is my favorite. He is strong and silent on the outside, and a fluffy teddy bear on the inside. It is clear that he cares deeply for his friends, comes through when they need him and is the calm one in any situation. He is the first one Amy thinks of when her mother gets hurt, and he drops everything to help and be there for Amy. Throughout the book, the author connects Garieth to a sense of peace and tranquility that Amy feels when she is with him.
Amy’s main love interests are Ben and Tristan. Ben is a waiter Amy met at the wedding whom she immediately felt a connection with. The two are at very different points in their lives. Amy has a steady job and is ready to settle down, but Ben has big dreams and doesn’t seem like he is where he wants to be in life.
Amy’s other love interest is Tristan, a man she met at the wedding. Tristan is spoiled, pushy, narcissistic and egotistical. There are moments when Amy feels uncomfortable around Tristan and wants to leave the dates as soon as she gets there. One of my least favorite scenes in the book is when Amy gets dressed up for a date with Tristan, but when she arrives he is very obvious in his distaste for her outfit and looks at other women in more suggestive clothing.
There is a touching scene between Amy and her mother, who shares her power of premonition. Amy always wondered why her mother chose to be with her father when she knew he would leave them in the end. Amy finds out that her mother chose to be with her father because he gave her her true love, Amy. The authors’ poignant words in the scene between Amy and her mother was a beautiful moment that truly shows the love a parent feels for their child and everything they are willing to go through. This very sweet moment between Amy and her mother shows Amy that there is more to life than finding “the one.”
The story shares some good messages. Sometimes relationships end in heartbreak, but that does not mean that the time spent was wasted. Some relationships will end in pain, but there is more to relationships than a happily ever after. Not everyone is meant to be in our lives forever; sometimes people are only in our lives to help us learn, grow and be better people. Don’t run from the pain, learn from it.
This story of Amy finding her true love is a great one to read. It is light-hearted and funny while also having moments that will make the reader cry. Amy has some breakthroughs throughout the book that lead her to her true love and also give her a new perspective on other relationships in her life. There were a few unexpected twists in the book, but for the most part, I saw the ending coming from a mile away. This book is perfect for anyone who is looking for a classic love story with a bit of a magical twist.
by Haley Shepherd
