Jessa Hastings returns with Time of Your Life, a standalone novel that feels like a fever dream dipped in champagne and rolled in cigarette ash. Following her previous work The Conditions of Will, Hastings proves once again that she possesses an uncanny ability to dissect the darker corners of love, fame, and human nature with surgical precision. Set against the backdrop of 1995 London, this story delivers exactly what the blurb promises—a love that doesn’t end because it destroys you first.
A Tale of Two Stars Burning Out
The story centers on Joah Harrigan, the brash frontman of Fallow, the biggest band in the world, and Ysolde Featherstonhaugh, the iconic supermodel who represents everything beautiful and unattainable about the mid-90s. When these two luminaries collide at London’s exclusive Groucho Club, the result is immediate combustion—the kind of attraction that feels both inevitable and catastrophic.
Hastings masterfully establishes her protagonists as equally matched forces of nature. Joah, with his Mancunian swagger and devastating blue eyes, embodies the archetypal rock god with a twist—beneath his confident exterior lies a man terrified of vulnerability. Ysolde, meanwhile, is no mere muse; she’s a force unto herself, carrying the weight of her own stardom with grace while harboring depths that even she doesn’t fully understand.
The Poison of Fame and Public Scrutiny
What elevates Time of Your Life beyond typical rock star romance is Hastings’ unflinching examination of how fame corrodes intimacy. The constant tabloid speculation, the manufactured narratives, and the public’s sense of ownership over their relationship create a pressure cooker environment where genuine connection becomes nearly impossible.
The novel’s structure, alternating between Joah and Ysolde’s perspectives, allows readers to witness how differently they process the same moments. Joah’s chapters, written in his distinctive Mancunian dialect, reveal a man struggling with his need for control in a situation where he has none. His internal monologue, raw and often contradictory, exposes the frightening intensity of loving someone who shines as brightly as he does.
Ysolde’s voice provides the counterpoint—polished, articulate, yet equally vulnerable. Her sections reveal the exhausting nature of maintaining her public persona while navigating a relationship that threatens to consume her. The juxtaposition of their voices creates a symphony of miscommunication and missed connections that feels painfully authentic.
Prose That Matches Its Subject Matter
Hastings’ writing style deserves particular praise. She captures Joah’s voice with remarkable authenticity—his Mancunian dialect never feels forced or performative. The rhythm of his speech, peppered with “dunnit,” “innit,” and “fuck” used as punctuation, creates an immediacy that places readers directly inside his chaotic headspace. Meanwhile, Ysolde’s more refined narrative voice reflects her polished exterior while allowing glimpses of the vulnerability beneath.
The author’s ability to write desire is particularly noteworthy. The physical attraction between Joah and Ysolde crackles off the page without relying on explicit content. Instead, Hastings focuses on the emotional intimacy that makes their physical connection so devastating. Their relationship feels lived-in and real, complete with the mundane moments that make love feel both ordinary and extraordinary.
The Supporting Cast and World Building
The secondary characters serve as both enablers and observers of the central tragedy. Richie Harrigan, Joah’s brother and the band’s primary songwriter, provides a fascinating contrast to Joah’s volatility. Their relationship dynamics add layers to Joah’s character while highlighting his insecurities about his own talent and worth.
Lala, Ysolde’s best friend and fellow model, serves as both confidante and voice of reason. Through her, Hastings explores the specific pressures faced by women in the public eye and the way female friendships can provide both support and honest reflection.
The 1995 London setting feels meticulously researched and lovingly rendered. From the Groucho Club to Claridge’s, from Abbey Road Studios to the tabloid culture that thrived in pre-internet Britain, Hastings creates a world that feels both glamorous and suffocating.
Structural Strengths and Minor Weaknesses
The novel’s strength lies in its emotional honesty. Hastings doesn’t shy away from the uglier aspects of her characters—Joah’s possessiveness and need for control, Ysolde’s moments of manipulation and self-preservation. These flaws make them human rather than mythological, even as they operate in a world that seems larger than life.
However, the book’s abbreviated length occasionally works against it. While the intense pace mirrors the whirlwind nature of Joah and Ysolde’s relationship, some plot developments feel rushed. The infamous Rolling Stone interview that serves as a turning point could have benefited from more buildup, and certain supporting characters feel underdeveloped.
The ending, which hints at a continuation in “Part Two: Probably Never,” feels both satisfying and frustrating. While it suits the novel’s themes about impossible love, readers invested in these characters may find themselves wanting more closure.
Themes That Resonate Beyond the 90s
Despite its period setting, Time of Your Life addresses themes that remain painfully relevant in our social media age. The public’s sense of ownership over celebrities, the way fame distorts genuine human connection, and the impossible standards placed on public figures all feel remarkably contemporary.
The novel also explores how trauma—both personal and professional—can shape relationships. Ysolde’s past experiences with stalking and Joah’s struggles with his working-class background in a posh world add depth to their characterizations while explaining some of their more destructive patterns.
Critical Assessment
Time of Your Life succeeds as both a period piece and a universal story about the impossibility of sustaining love under extreme circumstances. Hastings’ greatest achievement is making readers care deeply about characters who, on paper, might seem unsympathetic—wealthy, beautiful people whose problems stem from too much attention rather than too little.
The novel’s exploration of masculinity, particularly through Joah’s character, feels nuanced and modern. His struggles with vulnerability, control, and emotional expression ring true without excusing his more problematic behaviors. Similarly, Ysolde’s navigation of agency within a relationship with an equally powerful partner feels authentic and complex.
For Readers Who Enjoyed
Fans of Taylor Jenkins Reid’s Daisy Jones & The Six will find much to love here, though Hastings’ approach is grittier and more psychologically complex. Readers who enjoyed Sally Rooney’s exploration of toxic attraction in Normal People might appreciate the similar emotional brutality, albeit in a more glamorous setting. The book also shares DNA with classic rock romances like Almost Famous, but with a decidedly more cynical view of fame’s cost.
Final Verdict
Time of Your Life is a beautiful, brutal examination of what happens when two people burn too bright for their own good. Hastings has crafted a love story that feels both epic and intimate, mythological and heartbreakingly human. While it may leave readers emotionally wrung out, it’s the kind of book that lingers long after the final page, much like the love it describes.
The novel stands as a worthy follow-up to The Conditions of Will and establishes Hastings as a major voice in contemporary romance fiction. For readers seeking a story that doesn’t shy away from love’s capacity for destruction, Time of Your Life delivers with unflinching honesty and remarkable prose.
This is not a romance for those seeking comfort—it’s for those brave enough to confront the reality that sometimes the most powerful love stories are the ones that end in beautiful ruin.
Recommended for fans of contemporary romance, rock star romance, and literary fiction exploring fame and relationships. Content warnings include discussions of stalking, substance use, and emotionally intense relationships.
