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everread_nicolesversion's review
4.0
perfectly wholesome and adorably cute
This was my first epistolary story and as much as I enjoyed it I was so happy it switched when it did! I needed the extra details and it definitely delivered where it needed to. This book is the perfect bookish girls dream without spice. Haha it’s very wholesome but a perfect lighthearted read that hits all the feels.
This was my first epistolary story and as much as I enjoyed it I was so happy it switched when it did! I needed the extra details and it definitely delivered where it needed to. This book is the perfect bookish girls dream without spice. Haha it’s very wholesome but a perfect lighthearted read that hits all the feels.
bookwormkkj's review
5.0
As a notorious mood reader, I started this book several months ago and am only finishing it now. I loved the book as soon as I started it, so it was no fault of the book that I delayed it’s completion. In fact, I am thoroughly impressed with this writing. Picking it up again months later, the characters where just as alive to me as they were when I first started reading. I could still hear their voices and recognize their individual quirks.
I relate to Izzy in so many ways - her love of books and her struggles to be authentically herself no matter what. I’m in love with Brodie and would love to find my own real life version.
I relate to Izzy in so many ways - her love of books and her struggles to be authentically herself no matter what. I’m in love with Brodie and would love to find my own real life version.
belleand_books's review
3.0
Izzy was a little too whiny for me, a little too “I’m not like other girls”. If I put this book down, I didn’t necessarily feel the draw to pick it back up- I was just bored and I didn’t necessarily like all the email exchanges when text messaging was also available? Who emails anymore??
mawitty's review
3.0
I read Pepper Basham's [b:Hope Between the Pages|57201709|Hope Between the Pages (Doors to the Past)|Pepper D. Basham|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1614223207l/57201709._SY75_.jpg|85296416] in late 2021/early 2022 and LOVED it. So, I was excited to read another one of her books. This one sounded cute. The cover looked cute. I thought I would give it a try.
There were parts of this book I absolutely loved. There really were. That's why this is a 3-star book for me, instead of a 2-star or less book. Overall, though, I just didn't care at all for a few things about this book:
1. The length - this book is VERY LOOONNNNGG. I understand the author wanted time to set up the romance, or whatever you want to call this. But it felt like this one book could have been fleshed out more (inserting more third-person narrative between the texts and emails throughout the beginning) and split up into two or three books, creating a charming Izzy/Brodie series.
2. The style - I love a good epistolary novel (see [b:Things We Didn't Say|51268588|Things We Didn't Say|Amy Lynn Green|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1582806030l/51268588._SY75_.jpg|75989481] by Amy Lynn Green for a FABULOUS, although not as lighthearted, example). This book, however, felt to me like it couldn't decide what it wanted to be (not unlike its heroine?). Epistolary novel, or straight narrative? Both were contained inside the pages of this book, and I just didn't care for it (especially when, at the end, the narration makes a detour once from third person to first, which just added to the feeling that this book didn't quite know what it was trying to be).
3. The ending - While the rest of the book seemed to drag on interminably, the ending felt rushed. Never mind the fact that the ending consisted mainly of Izzy's apology to Brodie. And he offered nothing by way of apology to her for starting a relationship with her under false pretenses (i.e., joining the site where they met because he wanted to bring a foreigner to his country, and never mentioning this motivation to said foreigner until about the last 10% of the book, and even worse making excuses for NOT mentioning this motivation to said foreigner).
4. The heroine - For all her talk about how female readers want strong female characters, Izzy never struck me as one of them. She broke it off with local author boy because she felt he was using her to create better stories. Okay, cool. And, apparently, she ended other relationships when she felt she was being used. Great. But when Brodie actually says he was using her to improve his store and his country (although he denies the truth of it, and Izzy seems to see something different), she flies (literally) back to him and begs his forgiveness (see point #3, above). The only thing I could figure is that Brodie's use of her fit with her own personal dreams, and that made it all right in Izzy's eyes? Or was she just blinded by his amazing kisses? Please!
Strong relationships are built on open, honest communication. This one was built on communication, but no one could exactly call it honest, as far as Brodie was concerned, because of that one key detail he left out until the very end. That's why this book fell flat for me and didn't seem much of a romance at all.
Incidentally, I love what this book says about how good marriages can be built on correspondence. My own marriage of 15.5 years was built largely on hours-long phone conversations while my husband worked as an over-the-road driver. We got to know each other very well in those hours, and we did feel that in our very first in-person date. Our relationship, however, from the start and to this day, has been based on total, complete honesty. No lies. No secrets.
Just authentic communication. That really does make all the difference.
There were parts of this book I absolutely loved. There really were. That's why this is a 3-star book for me, instead of a 2-star or less book. Overall, though, I just didn't care at all for a few things about this book:
1. The length - this book is VERY LOOONNNNGG. I understand the author wanted time to set up the romance, or whatever you want to call this. But it felt like this one book could have been fleshed out more (inserting more third-person narrative between the texts and emails throughout the beginning) and split up into two or three books, creating a charming Izzy/Brodie series.
2. The style - I love a good epistolary novel (see [b:Things We Didn't Say|51268588|Things We Didn't Say|Amy Lynn Green|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1582806030l/51268588._SY75_.jpg|75989481] by Amy Lynn Green for a FABULOUS, although not as lighthearted, example). This book, however, felt to me like it couldn't decide what it wanted to be (not unlike its heroine?). Epistolary novel, or straight narrative? Both were contained inside the pages of this book, and I just didn't care for it (especially when, at the end, the narration makes a detour once from third person to first, which just added to the feeling that this book didn't quite know what it was trying to be).
3. The ending - While the rest of the book seemed to drag on interminably, the ending felt rushed. Never mind the fact that the ending consisted mainly of Izzy's apology to Brodie. And he offered nothing by way of apology to her for starting a relationship with her under false pretenses (i.e., joining the site where they met because he wanted to bring a foreigner to his country, and never mentioning this motivation to said foreigner until about the last 10% of the book, and even worse making excuses for NOT mentioning this motivation to said foreigner).
4. The heroine - For all her talk about how female readers want strong female characters, Izzy never struck me as one of them. She broke it off with local author boy because she felt he was using her to create better stories. Okay, cool. And, apparently, she ended other relationships when she felt she was being used. Great. But when Brodie actually says he was using her to improve his store and his country (although he denies the truth of it, and Izzy seems to see something different), she flies (literally) back to him and begs his forgiveness (see point #3, above). The only thing I could figure is that Brodie's use of her fit with her own personal dreams, and that made it all right in Izzy's eyes? Or was she just blinded by his amazing kisses? Please!
Strong relationships are built on open, honest communication. This one was built on communication, but no one could exactly call it honest, as far as Brodie was concerned, because of that one key detail he left out until the very end. That's why this book fell flat for me and didn't seem much of a romance at all.
Incidentally, I love what this book says about how good marriages can be built on correspondence. My own marriage of 15.5 years was built largely on hours-long phone conversations while my husband worked as an over-the-road driver. We got to know each other very well in those hours, and we did feel that in our very first in-person date. Our relationship, however, from the start and to this day, has been based on total, complete honesty. No lies. No secrets.
Just authentic communication. That really does make all the difference.
risa_anne's review
1.0
DNF at 25%. I rarely do that but I can’t force myself to care about the characters with this format.