Something Resembling Love tells the story of Jane Davenport, a young woman burdened by loss and a rare medical condition that shadows her every choice. After losing her parents and discovering she has hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia, her life becomes a balancing act between survival and desire. Years later, she crosses paths with Peter, a quiet researcher haunted by his own solitude. Their worlds intertwine in Chicago through mutual friends, late-night labs, and hesitant hearts. The novel moves between perspectives, revealing how two people learn to accept imperfection and find something close to love amid fear, science, and second chances.

Author Elizabeth Standish writes with a kind of honesty that sneaks up on you. The story isn’t flashy or overly romantic, it’s gentle, careful, and raw in ways that feel human. I loved how Jane’s sharp wit balances her vulnerability, how her pain never turns her bitter, only more determined. Peter’s quiet awkwardness, his devotion to science, and his fumbling affection make him real and lovable in his own hesitant way. Their chemistry builds like a slow burn, full of small gestures and unspoken emotions, the kind that make you smile and ache at the same time.

What stood out to me most was how Standish weaves science into intimacy. The clinical details of DNA, blood vessels, and soil chemistry mirror the characters’ search for connection. The writing feels almost poetic in places, but it never drifts into pretentiousness. The dialogue feels lived-in, the pacing patient but never dull. Still, there were moments when I wanted the story to push harder, to show more of Jane’s darker thoughts, or Peter’s guilt, instead of keeping things so contained. But maybe that’s the point. Love here isn’t cinematic. It’s quiet, flawed, and a little messy. Just like the people trying to hold it together.

Something Resembling Love isn’t just a romance, it’s a meditation on resilience, grief, and the fragile beauty of being known by another person. I’d recommend it to readers who enjoy character-driven stories with emotional depth, to anyone who’s ever loved someone despite fear, and to those who prefer subtle emotion over melodrama.

Pages: 317 | ASIN : B0FMP96X96