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3.88 AVERAGE
3.88 AVERAGE
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Perhaps it is a little unfair to review the book when it is not a genre I particularly enjoy...
I am not a fan in general of stories where 'man rescues woman from otherwise miserable life' and although in this story Jess is strong and independent I guess any book with a happy ending and a love story is going to have this feel. The kids in the story were endearing and I got through the book quickly but I think I personally prefer something a little 'heavier'.
All in all a nice pleasant light read but not a favourite for me.
I am not a fan in general of stories where 'man rescues woman from otherwise miserable life' and although in this story Jess is strong and independent I guess any book with a happy ending and a love story is going to have this feel. The kids in the story were endearing and I got through the book quickly but I think I personally prefer something a little 'heavier'.
All in all a nice pleasant light read but not a favourite for me.
Large goofy dog, geeky math girl, confused teen, down on luck family and an unlikely romance
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
too many books more interesting right now
I got the audiobook for One Plus One at the library because I had wanted to read the author Jojo Moyes’ more famous book, Me Before You, but for some reason my library doesn’t carry that one. Oh well.
I’m in several book clubs, including one that reads almost exclusively science fiction and fantasy novels, but none of my book clubs read very many “ladies books” which are the literary equivalent of a romantic comedy set in a realistic current world. I’ve read plenty of books that contain romance, but to me anyway, if there is time-traveling, alternate universes, fantasy realms, or alien species or magic, then that is not this. So, I’ve read some (recently, I can only recall The Rosie Project and The Matchmaker) but not a ton in this genre. I’m not sure what the hallmarks are for this type of book, but this certainly seems to follow a pattern.
Hapless girl meets slightly awkward guy.
He does something stupid and she dislikes him.
He redeems himself.
Romance.
Some misunderstanding or past mistake threatens romance.
Sadness.
Romance resumes.
Curtains – the couple sallies forth, happily ever after.
The characters are mostly charming, and far from perfect. The protagonist Jess was actually my least favorite, as both her kids, the male lead Ed, and even the slobbering enormous dog Norman are more likeable than Jess. I get that part of Jess’ story arc is that she makes poor choices, but at some point, just stop. The story is fine, but nothing stellar.
My favorite part is the quest to get Tanzie, Jess’ 8 year old math wiz daughter to a big math competition where she could win a prize that could allow her to attend a prestigious school. I was a little weirded out that Tanzie is a math prodigy, as I’ve also just read two of the Flavia de Luce mysteries in which the protagonist is a mystery solving 11 year old chemistry aficionados. Where are all of these brilliant and motivated children in my daily life?
So, of my whole recent repertoire of ladies books, I found this not quite as good as The Rosie Project but infinitely better than The Matchmaker (which I thought was awful and I’ll never read anything by Elin Hilderbrand again if I can help it). It was compelling enough that I’ll probably continue my quest to try to find Me Before You, but it isn’t at very top of my list (and if my library doesn’t get it, I won’t lose any sleep over it).
I’m in several book clubs, including one that reads almost exclusively science fiction and fantasy novels, but none of my book clubs read very many “ladies books” which are the literary equivalent of a romantic comedy set in a realistic current world. I’ve read plenty of books that contain romance, but to me anyway, if there is time-traveling, alternate universes, fantasy realms, or alien species or magic, then that is not this. So, I’ve read some (recently, I can only recall The Rosie Project and The Matchmaker) but not a ton in this genre. I’m not sure what the hallmarks are for this type of book, but this certainly seems to follow a pattern.
Hapless girl meets slightly awkward guy.
He does something stupid and she dislikes him.
He redeems himself.
Romance.
Some misunderstanding or past mistake threatens romance.
Sadness.
Romance resumes.
Curtains – the couple sallies forth, happily ever after.
The characters are mostly charming, and far from perfect. The protagonist Jess was actually my least favorite, as both her kids, the male lead Ed, and even the slobbering enormous dog Norman are more likeable than Jess. I get that part of Jess’ story arc is that she makes poor choices, but at some point, just stop. The story is fine, but nothing stellar.
My favorite part is the quest to get Tanzie, Jess’ 8 year old math wiz daughter to a big math competition where she could win a prize that could allow her to attend a prestigious school. I was a little weirded out that Tanzie is a math prodigy, as I’ve also just read two of the Flavia de Luce mysteries in which the protagonist is a mystery solving 11 year old chemistry aficionados. Where are all of these brilliant and motivated children in my daily life?
So, of my whole recent repertoire of ladies books, I found this not quite as good as The Rosie Project but infinitely better than The Matchmaker (which I thought was awful and I’ll never read anything by Elin Hilderbrand again if I can help it). It was compelling enough that I’ll probably continue my quest to try to find Me Before You, but it isn’t at very top of my list (and if my library doesn’t get it, I won’t lose any sleep over it).
This is the second book I've read by Jojo Moyes and I have to say she does a great job at creating really interesting characters. This is a charming, funny story where the appeal lies in the characters and their journey. I loved their road trip, felt for Jess and the difficult situation she's in, and adored little Tanzie. Very fun read
I really love Jojo Moyes' style. She just makes me happy and things don't come easily to her characters. Kind of like the real world. But, happily ever after is there, and her stories always touch my heart.
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
tense
medium-paced