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linette's review against another edition
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
tessatumyol's review against another edition
4.0
“What if the wrong choice could lead you in the right direction?”
THIS was the perfect airport/travel read. I started reading it when we reached our gate at JFK and just finished about a half hour before landing in Hawaii. It was in one word - delicious!
The blurb on the cover perfectly describes this one, “endearing, sparkling and hilarious.” As soon as I saw the adorably illustrated map on the first few pages I knew I was in for a treat. This was so charming, perfectly paced and honestly just HI-LA-RI-OUS. Each page was perfectly delectable and the characters were written with such care. I loved the surprising and adorable Rom-Com ending, with some added depth and life lessons.
Readers note: Read the acknowledgements. I always read the acknowledgements but these were especially heartfelt. Also catch the recipe for Jersey wonders in the back of the book.
Read if:
•You’re looking for a book to read on your summer travels or at the beach
•Love learning/reading about charming towns in Europe (and are a foodie!)
•Are into the “meet-cute” trope
•Want a good laugh
•You’re looking for a low spice book
THIS was the perfect airport/travel read. I started reading it when we reached our gate at JFK and just finished about a half hour before landing in Hawaii. It was in one word - delicious!
The blurb on the cover perfectly describes this one, “endearing, sparkling and hilarious.” As soon as I saw the adorably illustrated map on the first few pages I knew I was in for a treat. This was so charming, perfectly paced and honestly just HI-LA-RI-OUS. Each page was perfectly delectable and the characters were written with such care. I loved the surprising and adorable Rom-Com ending, with some added depth and life lessons.
Readers note: Read the acknowledgements. I always read the acknowledgements but these were especially heartfelt. Also catch the recipe for Jersey wonders in the back of the book.
Read if:
•You’re looking for a book to read on your summer travels or at the beach
•Love learning/reading about charming towns in Europe (and are a foodie!)
•Are into the “meet-cute” trope
•Want a good laugh
•You’re looking for a low spice book
kluwes's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
kaikai1618's review against another edition
5.0
4.5 stars
An absolute breath of fresh air. A charming book with just the right amount of predictability to be comforting. I loved the characters and the quiet, thoughtful male lead. I think when we search for love in a sea of dating apps and disappointment, we're looking for someone who checks all the boxes. But it's never that simple.
The book balances grief while keeping a very light tone. The grief doesn't disappear, but we see Laura understand it and open up about it through meeting Ted and learning more about herself.
Props to the audiobook narrator! Charlotte Bomont sold it for me.
***MINOR SPOILERS***
There were also all these small details I enjoyed. Laura always called her friend for advice and kept in contact with her family members for support. The advice her friend gave her also reminded me of my friends. It wasn't like in books when the friend gives dismissive or strange advice that's clearly just given to advance the plot and keep the characters from getting together. It felt like a true assessment of Laura's fears.
When she picks up jewelry as a healing practice, I felt even closer to her character. I'm very much a trinket collector and a lover of jewelry making.
We also see such a sweet gesture of her making a healing gift for Ted. I think it's lovely to see grand gestures made for men in these books too. I also appreciated how much the conflicts between the characters matched in seriousness and how their differences complimented each other. Even though it had some insta-love, Ted was so charming that I fell just as hard for him.
What a light hearted, charming read about two people finding each other as they transition in their life. It will leave you smiling.
An absolute breath of fresh air. A charming book with just the right amount of predictability to be comforting. I loved the characters and the quiet, thoughtful male lead. I think when we search for love in a sea of dating apps and disappointment, we're looking for someone who checks all the boxes. But it's never that simple.
The book balances grief while keeping a very light tone. The grief doesn't disappear, but we see Laura understand it and open up about it through meeting Ted and learning more about herself.
Props to the audiobook narrator! Charlotte Bomont sold it for me.
***MINOR SPOILERS***
There were also all these small details I enjoyed. Laura always called her friend for advice and kept in contact with her family members for support. The advice her friend gave her also reminded me of my friends. It wasn't like in books when the friend gives dismissive or strange advice that's clearly just given to advance the plot and keep the characters from getting together. It felt like a true assessment of Laura's fears.
When she picks up jewelry as a healing practice, I felt even closer to her character. I'm very much a trinket collector and a lover of jewelry making.
We also see such a sweet gesture of her making a healing gift for Ted. I think it's lovely to see grand gestures made for men in these books too. I also appreciated how much the conflicts between the characters matched in seriousness and how their differences complimented each other. Even though it had some insta-love, Ted was so charming that I fell just as hard for him.
What a light hearted, charming read about two people finding each other as they transition in their life. It will leave you smiling.
spatterson12's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars. It’s enjoyable, but a bit slow and predictable for me. With it being predictable, it was easy to set this aside and read a handful of other books in the meantime. It would make for a perfect romcom between 2000-2004.
Laura is hung up on her parents’ perfect love story that her mother told her throughout the years. Her dad had passed when she was a child, so she relied on these stories to understand him better. Now nearing 30, Laura is working for an online magazine where she pitches an idea to head to Jersey and relive the magic her mother shared in her stories before she passed a few years prior.
After Laura arrives and gets situated in her hotel, she quickly realizes that in her rush, she grabbed the wrong piece of luggage at the airport. After digging through its contents, she discovers clues that lead her to believe that her perfect match is the owner and that she’ll have a love story as beautiful and wonderful as her parents.
But when your expectations are that high, things are bound to come crashing down.
Laura is hung up on her parents’ perfect love story that her mother told her throughout the years. Her dad had passed when she was a child, so she relied on these stories to understand him better. Now nearing 30, Laura is working for an online magazine where she pitches an idea to head to Jersey and relive the magic her mother shared in her stories before she passed a few years prior.
After Laura arrives and gets situated in her hotel, she quickly realizes that in her rush, she grabbed the wrong piece of luggage at the airport. After digging through its contents, she discovers clues that lead her to believe that her perfect match is the owner and that she’ll have a love story as beautiful and wonderful as her parents.
But when your expectations are that high, things are bound to come crashing down.
kdecker1's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This is a mixture of a romcom while having a good dose of seriousness that makes it feel more real than what you usually see in romcoms.
Laura travels from London to Jersey on a work trip for an article featuring her parents magical love story that started in Jersey.
She accidentally switched luggage with a mystery man and tries to find him for a perfect meet-cute of her own. She also meets Ted, her cab driver who is fun to talk to and hang out with, but has a complex past he is trying to work around. This book centers around Laura’s choosing between these two very different men, while also finding out the truth about her parents past.
There is a lot of funny banter in this book which gives it a romcom feel. But at the same time there is a lot of deep topics centered around lies from your past that change everything you know about yourself, deep discussions about hardships from past relationships and allowing yourself to find new love, and the difficulties of finding the right person for you despite your previous high expectations in a partner.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It is not lighthearted like most romcoms, but still had those vibes in a good chunk of this book. It was funny, serious, sad, hopeful, and most of all realistic to true life all in one.
keriberiii's review against another edition
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
lackema's review against another edition
3.0
after absolutely loving this time next year I was very disappointed in this one. the ending was jumbled. second half was better than the first half though.