Stories about glimpsing the future have always sucked me in. And The Measure is no different.

One day, a little wooden box arrives for each person on the planet, no matter where they are. Inside is their name and a piece of string. It soon becomes clear that the length of the string stands for the length of their life. How will society cope with such knowledge? Will it ultimately strengthen bonds or break them apart?

First of all, what a premise! I'm sure I'm not the only one who has ever thought to myself, I wonder how long I'll live. Well, this story takes that idea, expands it into a thought experiment, and just runs with it. And the result is absolutely fascinating, if not wholly unexpected.

Where this story really shines is its focus on the characters. Even though this is speculative fiction, once the premise is established, this feels more character-driven than anything else. We have a large ensemble cast, and we slowly get to know them and watch them grow, even as their lives intertwine and touch each other.

This story is clearly an allegory, meant to teach a lesson about what happens when humanity finds yet another way to divide itself. And the author is definitely passionate about her views, imbuing meaning into every thought and interaction between the characters. Unfortunately, it does come across heavy-handed and soppy at times, with everything so clearly spelled out for the reader again and again.

The other issue I have is that by the time you reach the halfway point, it's pretty clear what's going to happen for the rest of the book. You can see how each storyline will play out, who will learn their lessons and who won't, and even how each character's life will end. All the subsequent conversations and thoughts really just spell out in long form what is already obvious, with no more surprises to be had, which does feel a bit disappointing for speculative fiction.

Still, the negatives don't take away from the emotional impact of this story. Even though it tackles a heavy subject, it does so with a never-ending optimism that I found both appealing and heartwarming. Not to mention, I walk away with some food for thought about what I'd do if faced with the choice to know the length of my life. For that, I'll round it up to 4 stars.

Readaroo Rating: 4 stars

My heartfelt thanks for the copy that was provided for my honest and unbiased review.

Huh. I guess I've finally found a Tessa Bailey book I don't like.

When I heard that one of my favorite romance authors was going to write a steamy romance and murder mystery combo, I admit I about drooled in anticipation. I imagined sparks and sizzle and detecting galore. But alas, it wasn't that. And maybe this was just a case where my expectations were too high, so reality had nowhere to go but down.

Almost from the very first page, it felt like something was a little bit off. Tessa Bailey has always had an eminently readable style, and that's part of the charm of her writing. But this story didn't have that. There were many moments where sentences felt awkward or didn't quite flow together, and scenes were repetitive and drawn out. It's as if the story was rushed out the door without going through the proper rounds of editing.

Regarding the romance, I just couldn't get jive with either of the two main characters. They both felt like caricatures instead of real people, with Taylor being timid but secretly wanting rough sex and Myles beating himself up over one teeny mistake while stalking and salivating over Taylor. I want to swoon over my romances, but this pairing only left me creeped out.

If you read Tessa Bailey, you know her steam factor is high. But the raunchiness in here is so in your face and over the top that it comes across as cartoony rather than hot. There were many moments where it felt like I was reading porn in written form (complete with keeping stolen panties in pockets and referring to the guy as "Daddy"). I enjoy a good sizzle as much as the next gal, but this wasn't it.

And when it came to that murder mystery—the reason I was so excited for this to begin with—I was disappointed there too. I wanted clues and suspects and red herrings. Instead, the story just eventually revealed the guilty party, without any sort of buildup.

After reading seven Tessa Bailey books, I guess coming across my first dud was only a matter of time. And all things considered, that's not a bad record. I'll certainly continue to read Tessa Bailey in the future, but this book is going in the donation pile posthaste.

Readaroo Rating: 2 stars