New York Times bestselling author Jenny Colgan takes us on a quirky journey to answer a question that I am sure many of us have asked ourselves: What would have happened if I had stayed with an ex?

Posy Fairweather is happy when Matt, a personal trainer and her boyfriend of many years, proposes to her on top of a mountain. However, as in love with him as she is, she feels a small hesitation. What if Matt isn't The One? Led by doubt, she decides to revisit her exes to see where they are in life, and to fully close the door on her past. Driven especially by an anti-marriage psychotherapist mother and a rocky relationship with her father, Posy doesn’t know if she’s ready to commit to a lifelong partnership with Matt and wants to ensure that he is Mr. Right.

"THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE DUMPED is a funny and lightly thought-provoking novel that takes us down a common hypothetical train of thought about exes."

As she travels to Scandinavia and beyond, Posy is heartbroken when she learns that Matt has called off the engagement. But her despair causes her to lean into her past even more. Why did her relationships fail? Readers will wonder if curiosity killed the cat (or, in this case, the engagement).

It was fascinating to discover that each of Posy's boyfriends was a reflection of her at the time, a realization that helps her gain a better sense of what she’s looking for in a relationship. I adored this trip down memory lane and appreciated her introspection. People change over time, and Colgan does a superb job of illustrating how they develop to be more of themselves as they grow older.

While I enjoyed the concept and the journey, I was a bit disappointed in the relationship between Posy and Matt. In the first few pages, Posy talks about how they were an unlikely match. There seemed to be doubt and awkwardness even at the beginning, and this stayed with me for the duration of the book. I didn’t feel as emotionally invested in their love story as I thought I would be, and I wished that there had been more romance. I still am not sure how they were ever compatible in the first place.

Overall, though, THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE DUMPED is a funny and lightly thought-provoking novel that takes us down a common hypothetical train of thought about exes. Those who enjoyed THE NOTEBOOK and TO ALL THE BOYS I’VE LOVED BEFORE will want to pay attention to this one.