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3.71 AVERAGE
3.71 AVERAGE
3.5 This book felt like a warm cup of tea in a women’s studies library.
slow-paced
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
I really wanted to like this book since I really enjoyed Elvis Drake Starts Over. There is even a small reference to those characters in this book! Unfortunately like so many sophomore novels it seems, this one fell much short of successful for me.
Pacing: weird and slow. We get lots of seemingly meanless small talk and mundane everyday life stuff. Like pages and pages of some backstory that I guess is supposed to reveal some things about the characters but never really added anything new to the story. We get it - Laurie likes silence and to be alone. Except she very often isn’t alone and very often calls her friends and family to help her, sooo…. I found myself skimming a LOT of this book especially toward the middle and end.
Characters: kind of flat. I guess Laurie gains an understanding of herself by the end but she doesn’t really grow or change. Mainly just digs her heels in. Which is great in real life but makes for a bit of a boring book IMO. Nick was a bit flat for me. And I didn’t really feel the tension or romance between them. I don’t think either of these characters will stick in my mind for very long. The most interesting character was Dot - and she dies before the book even begins.
Story: I don’t understand why Laurie was so obsessed with the duck from the very start. Out of all the apparently amazing things in Dot’s house, she fixates on this duck? And the mystery was not very compelling-as in I didn’t really care. And the result wasn’t very satisfying to me either. I don’t always love dual timeline stories, but I almost wish this was one so we could see more of Dot’s much more interesting life. Instead we get a lot of sitting in her house and looking at pictures while “hearing” Laurie whine about how she can’t sleep in the same bed as someone as if that defines her whole life.
Overall, this didn’t feel romantic or comedic - two requirements in the rom-com genre.
Why this wasn’t 1 star: Holmes writing is easy to swallow. This was a fast, but not propulsive, read. I liked the first third of book well enough. Some of the side characters were fun and more dimensional than the main “couple”. And I will try her third novel due out later this year since I think we shouldn’t always judge an author by their sophomore novel.
Pacing: weird and slow. We get lots of seemingly meanless small talk and mundane everyday life stuff. Like pages and pages of some backstory that I guess is supposed to reveal some things about the characters but never really added anything new to the story. We get it - Laurie likes silence and to be alone. Except she very often isn’t alone and very often calls her friends and family to help her, sooo…. I found myself skimming a LOT of this book especially toward the middle and end.
Characters: kind of flat. I guess Laurie gains an understanding of herself by the end but she doesn’t really grow or change. Mainly just digs her heels in. Which is great in real life but makes for a bit of a boring book IMO. Nick was a bit flat for me. And I didn’t really feel the tension or romance between them. I don’t think either of these characters will stick in my mind for very long. The most interesting character was Dot - and she dies before the book even begins.
Story: I don’t understand why Laurie was so obsessed with the duck from the very start. Out of all the apparently amazing things in Dot’s house, she fixates on this duck? And the mystery was not very compelling-as in I didn’t really care. And the result wasn’t very satisfying to me either. I don’t always love dual timeline stories, but I almost wish this was one so we could see more of Dot’s much more interesting life. Instead we get a lot of sitting in her house and looking at pictures while “hearing” Laurie whine about how she can’t sleep in the same bed as someone as if that defines her whole life.
Overall, this didn’t feel romantic or comedic - two requirements in the rom-com genre.
Why this wasn’t 1 star: Holmes writing is easy to swallow. This was a fast, but not propulsive, read. I liked the first third of book well enough. Some of the side characters were fun and more dimensional than the main “couple”. And I will try her third novel due out later this year since I think we shouldn’t always judge an author by their sophomore novel.
I've been voraciously reading Linda Holmes since her days writing for TWOP, and I snatched up her first book as soon as possible. I'm thrilled the followup is just as good, relatable, and the most honest of "romance" books out there. Real humans with real and complicated emotions can be challenging to capture, but she does it with ease and entertainment. I can't wait to see where she takes this small town series next!
Lighthearted adventure and provided great perspective into independence and romantic love - and how you can have both without significant sacrifices.
Light, entertaining, sweet but not too fluffy. Has some intrigue. I like a plus size independent protagonist!
Average sweet rom com without much to distinguish except likable and relatable characters
lots of good banter lots of cutie things and enjoyable characters!!! I think it's a me thing that I don't love a lot of book endings. they're all feeling quite rushed to me lately but I still recommend
I listened to the audio of this and adored the main character, her friend, the small Maine town. Contained romance, mystery, a mid-life coming of age. Linda Holmes does such a great job writing a book that you can get lost in- she managed to write a light read that has some significant depth as well.
3.5 stars. This is cute, cozy, well-written. The plot moves at a relaxed pace and I appreciated a heroine that is independent but not weird about it, if that makes sense. :) A pretty soothing read.