The Conditions of Will

I started The Conditions of Will this morning and I genuinely don’t have words. This book? Stunning. Jessa Hastings really outdid herself. The writing is so beautiful and raw, it felt like I was being punched in the chest and hugged at the same time. Every sentence had weight. Every emotion felt real.The story itself is layered and heartbreaking. You’ve got this deeply toxic family dynamic, generational trauma, childhood wounds, and somehow Hastings makes you feel all of it without ever making it overwhelming. It’s about how much your upbringing impacts the way you love, trust, and see yourself. And it doesn’t shy away from the ugly parts—addiction, grief, emotional manipulation—it’s all there, and it’s done so well.And then there’s Georgia and Sam. I could write an essay on them alone. Their love wasn’t perfect, but it was real. It was the kind of love that forces growth. Georgia is sharp and observant and so deeply hurt, and Sam? Sam is just everything. He saw her. He understood her. He gave love the way she never got to experience it before.This book was not just a love story. It was about survival, healing, and figuring out how to live when everything around you has failed you. I closed the book feeling shattered and whole at the same time. Easily a top read of the year.

I have a lot of feelings about this one. I both loved it and thought it was terribly cringey. I don’t know that I have ever made so many highlights in a book before.

Jessa Hastings has done it again. Her writing is a masterclass in emotional nuance, so poetic, so raw, it lingers like a lyric you can’t stop humming. This book? It wrecked me in the best way.Georgia, our FMC, is unforgettable. She’s fierce and fragile, observant and emotionally intelligent. I learned so much just being in her head. Watching her navigate trauma, identity, and the slow unraveling of love felt like witnessing a soul rediscover itself.And Sam Penny… holy swoon. A rare gem of a MMC—emotionally intelligent, mature, communicative, stable, and absolutely smitten with Georgia from the jump. The way he sees her, chooses her, loves her? Chef’s kiss. It’s insta-love done right.This isn’t just a romance—it’s a slow dance in the rain, a reminder that sometimes the most tender love stories are built in the quietest moments.“His kisses are commas.”“For all my fellow adjectives… keep modifying those nouns.”“And it’s me. I’m the subtext.”“Staying up all night talking. Getting hooked on a Netflix show. Reading a book next to him…”Every quote felt like it was underlining my heart. This book is for the feelers, the deep thinkers, the ones who crave love that doesn’t ask to be forgive.. it simply arrives and stays.Jessa Hastings, you have me on my knees for your words. Again.

4.5 Stars⭐️This book is a real, raw exploration of grief, trauma, addiction and the human experience and it absolutely wrecked me in the best way. Jessa Hastings has this incredibly distinct stream of consciousness writing style that makes her stories feel intimate and immersive. You don’t just read about her characters you feel them, sit with them, and ache with them.The family dynamic here is so layered and interesting. Georgia, Tennyson, Maryanne, and Oliver are all navigating life in such drastically different ways, shaped by their pasts and pain. They come together for their fathers funeral and the story unravels from there. Jessa Hastings captures that complex, messy reality of family relationships so well.While this novel does have a subplot of romance, it leans more toward literary fiction in tone and style (which is true for all of Hastings’ books, in my opinion). The connection between Georgia and Sam Penny felt so genuine. Their relationship builds quietly, organically, and there’s something tender about watching two people come together in the wake of brokenness.Jessa Hastings continues to be an auto-read author for me because of how she writes with such emotional depth. She doesn’t shy away from discomfort, she leans into it and the result is a story with characters that you’ll never forget.

I have to say, when Jessa first announced this book I was disappointed. I was sad it wasn’t the next Magnolia Parks book. I only bought it because I love Jessa as a writer and I am so glad I gave this book a chance!It was way more than I expected and was really well done! Highly recommend this book!

I had no idea what to expect going into this, but wow, what an emotional ride. This family was so messy & raw, with many complex, layered elements. The trauma for both Georgia and Oliver ran deep, and there was so much for these characters to unpack. I loved Georgia’s ability to read people, & I honestly felt like I learned so much with the descriptions of all the physical tells. Sam Penny. Total perfection🤌🏼 His character was patient & kind, with such a strong, mature sense of understanding. I’m 100% convinced it would be completely impossible not to fall for him. I loved how Jessa really dived into how complicated and oftentimes hurtful family relationships can be (as well as just life in general) in such a real way. This definitely hit on some heavy topics, as it navigated the sad & awful parts of humanity, but ended with such a feeling of hope.I just loved it.🫶🏼

Wow. I'm blown away. I read this book because I LOVED the Magnolia Parks series, and a booktuber I follow recommended it. I couldn't put it down!!! Like, read in less that a day. I laughed, I cried. Like more than once. 😭 Jessa Hastings has a way of knowing how to make you fall in love with characters and despise them, empathize with them, wonder about them, and be hopeful for them. SO GOOD. Highly recommend!