Still hurting after finishing The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden. Need recs that fill the hole it left behind. (Spoilers)
Hey everyone,
I just finished The Safekeep and I am genuinely devastated. Don't get me wrong, the book is absolutely captivating; the atmosphere, the tension, the prose, everything was incredible. But I feel like there’s this massive, aching hole in my heart now and I don't know how to move past it.
I was so deeply invested in Isabel and Eva. That "bubble phase" they had in the middle of the book where they just couldn't stay away from each other? It was pure oxygen. But it felt so fleeting. Even when they were together, it was in secret, with this constant cloud of impending doom and uncertainty hanging over them. Louis was still an obstacle, they were literally counting down the days they had left, and it only lasted a few weeks before the twist happened, the angst hit, and they were torn apart.
By the time we get the final confrontation and they actually choose each other, we only get the tiniest, briefest glimpse into their actual life together. I wanted so badly to see them just exist in their love you know building a life, cuddling, talking, and being domestic without the world ending around them, even if it was just for one full chapter.
I’m desperate for a book that gives me that exact same feeling as The Safekeep. I want something serious, atmospheric, and high-stakes where the two women are completely obsessed with each other and become each other's entire world. But please, I need it to actually check the box of them having more moments together. I want the desperate physical touch, the pillow talk, the caressing, and the soft domesticity in the middle of a serious story, without leaving me feeling this empty at the end.
Ideally looking for femme/femme dynamics, no massive 20+ year age gaps, and a guaranteed happy ending where we actually get to see them enjoy each other.
Has anyone found a cure for this specific post-Safekeep depression? Please help!