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reeyabeegale's review against another edition
3.0
It was good, a quick and easy read. It’s light though it touches a bit on grief, but just barely so for the most part, it’s a “feel-good” kind of book.
I don’t remember reading any book that revolves around a train ride/trip (almost like a cruise), and I did enjoy it though it didn’t really paint a vivid picture of how it works and how it exactly looks/feels like.
Also, it’s insta-love (which honestly is a common theme for contemporary YAs) and a “meet-cute” novel. As I have said and realized in the couple YA contemporary books I’ve read this year, I outgrew the genre and have started to see how flawed insta-love is. I know stories like this are not exactly meant to be taken “seriously” or reflected as real life situations, I also do know that they can happen in real life but rarely as smooth as most peg it out to be.
This was originally a 2.5-star read until 10% towards the end of the book, where the supposedly “goals” of both characters for taking the trip, unfolded or discussed fully. There was depth in this novel that was not overdone, which was the aspect I enjoyed a lot — it was the right amount of reflection and perception of life & things.
I don’t remember reading any book that revolves around a train ride/trip (almost like a cruise), and I did enjoy it though it didn’t really paint a vivid picture of how it works and how it exactly looks/feels like.
Also, it’s insta-love (which honestly is a common theme for contemporary YAs) and a “meet-cute” novel. As I have said and realized in the couple YA contemporary books I’ve read this year, I outgrew the genre and have started to see how flawed insta-love is. I know stories like this are not exactly meant to be taken “seriously” or reflected as real life situations, I also do know that they can happen in real life but rarely as smooth as most peg it out to be.
This was originally a 2.5-star read until 10% towards the end of the book, where the supposedly “goals” of both characters for taking the trip, unfolded or discussed fully. There was depth in this novel that was not overdone, which was the aspect I enjoyed a lot — it was the right amount of reflection and perception of life & things.
deannacarp's review against another edition
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
marshmallowbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
2.75
This is a cute story: coming of age, teenage love, cross-country train adventure.
Hugo: English, recently broken up, feeling lost among (semi-famous) siblings, needs a travel companion with a very specific name.
Mae: American, recently broken up, feeling lost when not acepted to her dream school, answers an ad for a travel companion with her exact name.
What will happen when two teenaged strangers spend a week together on a cross-country train adventure??
It’s cute … and there’s a lot going on. Which I felt like meant nothing felt covered quite well enough.
Maybe I’m more in a space for less dimensional plots? Maybe it’s a me problem.
sjsreads's review against another edition
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
ttoo777's review against another edition
5.0
ok WOW i finished this in a ridiculously short amount of time and can i just say i haven’t felt this emotional over a love story in a while?? like, maybe it’s just me feeling lonely but i definitely teared up a couple time (which wouldn’t usually happen, maybe it’s just hormones or something idk). anyways i love this book, if you like cute things read it, and i need to go find myself another cute romance story like this one asap
ok some actual thoughts:
honestly the only thing i wanted from this book was to explore Hugo’s siblings a bit more (they just tell us their names and stereotypical troublemaker/nerd/cheerful/responsible/quiet stereotypes, which is eh) but i loved the interactions between Mae and her dads they were real cute oof. idk if it’s possible to fall in love in a week but y’know what i’m not thinking about it really p̶l̶u̶s̶ ̶i̶ ̶h̶a̶v̶e̶ ̶n̶o̶ ̶e̶x̶p̶e̶r̶i̶e̶n̶c̶e̶ ̶h̶a̶h̶a̶h̶a̶h̶a̶ :,) ᶦ’ᵐ ˡᵒⁿᵉˡʸ
anyways whoops gtg look for a Hugo—
ok some actual thoughts:
honestly the only thing i wanted from this book was to explore Hugo’s siblings a bit more (they just tell us their names and stereotypical troublemaker/nerd/cheerful/responsible/quiet stereotypes, which is eh) but i loved the interactions between Mae and her dads they were real cute oof. idk if it’s possible to fall in love in a week but y’know what i’m not thinking about it really p̶l̶u̶s̶ ̶i̶ ̶h̶a̶v̶e̶ ̶n̶o̶ ̶e̶x̶p̶e̶r̶i̶e̶n̶c̶e̶ ̶h̶a̶h̶a̶h̶a̶h̶a̶ :,) ᶦ’ᵐ ˡᵒⁿᵉˡʸ
anyways whoops gtg look for a Hugo—
caseyflemingo's review against another edition
3.0
This book was cute and light, but I could have used some more train and travel scenes overall to really enjoy, it moves a bit too fast for me. The first leg of the trip is the best and most interesting, and I wish that feeling could have been captured for the rest of it. Some of the side characters were interesting, but we weren’t given the chance to really know any of them. Hugo has five siblings, and the fact that he’s part of the sextuplet is a big aspect of this book but only one or two of the siblings stood out, and the rest blended together, and I would have loved to see more from any of them. I enjoyed this book, got emotional about it, but I needed a lot more to truly love it.
ladytiara's review against another edition
4.0
Sometimes you just want a book that you will make you feel happy, and Field Notes on Love was that book for me. It’s got a very original meet cute story and people falling in love against the backdrop of a cross-country train trip.
Hugo has a major problem. As a last hurrah before starting college, he and his girlfriend were going to take a train trip across the United States. For Hugo, who’s never been outside the UK, this is a big adventure. Then his girlfriend dumps him and he finds out that all the reservations for the trip are under her name and nontransferable and nonrefundable. So, Hugo turns to the internet to look for a traveling companion with the name Margaret Campbell.
Enter Mae (full name, Margaret Campbell). Her dream was to go to the University of Southern California for film school. She got into USC, but not the film school and she’s trying to reassess her work, not understanding why it didn’t measure up. She’s in a weird place, and when she sees Hugo’s post, she decides to go for it, and they take the cross-country trip together.
This book was really delightful. Hugo and Mae are great characters. They’re both at a crossroad in their lives. Hugo is a sextuplet. He’s never been on his own, and he’s supposed to be starting college with his five siblings in a few weeks. Suddenly, he’s not sure this is the path he wants and he’s feeling trapped. In an effort to move past the failure of her film school application, May decides to start a film while they’re traveling, and she and Hugo interview their fellow passengers about love. She’s got some barriers set us, but with the encouragement of her sassy grandmother, she opens herself up.
Field Notes on Love is a really cute, fun travel romance. It’s perfect for anyone who loves travel and trains (if you find trains romantic, this is definitely the book for you).
I received an ARC from the publisher through Amazon Vine.
Hugo has a major problem. As a last hurrah before starting college, he and his girlfriend were going to take a train trip across the United States. For Hugo, who’s never been outside the UK, this is a big adventure. Then his girlfriend dumps him and he finds out that all the reservations for the trip are under her name and nontransferable and nonrefundable. So, Hugo turns to the internet to look for a traveling companion with the name Margaret Campbell.
Enter Mae (full name, Margaret Campbell). Her dream was to go to the University of Southern California for film school. She got into USC, but not the film school and she’s trying to reassess her work, not understanding why it didn’t measure up. She’s in a weird place, and when she sees Hugo’s post, she decides to go for it, and they take the cross-country trip together.
This book was really delightful. Hugo and Mae are great characters. They’re both at a crossroad in their lives. Hugo is a sextuplet. He’s never been on his own, and he’s supposed to be starting college with his five siblings in a few weeks. Suddenly, he’s not sure this is the path he wants and he’s feeling trapped. In an effort to move past the failure of her film school application, May decides to start a film while they’re traveling, and she and Hugo interview their fellow passengers about love. She’s got some barriers set us, but with the encouragement of her sassy grandmother, she opens herself up.
Field Notes on Love is a really cute, fun travel romance. It’s perfect for anyone who loves travel and trains (if you find trains romantic, this is definitely the book for you).
I received an ARC from the publisher through Amazon Vine.
lknaley's review against another edition
2.0
i thought it was just ok. i have liked many of jennifer e smith’s books before but this one just didn’t land. i liked the concept but i think the storyline was rushed. the characters had little development over the story. and overall i just wasn’t really rooting for the couple. i could’ve cared less if they were together at the end or not. also ending was very rushed. but if you want a quick, easy, light read this is your book. i just wish it had more depth to it, loved the concept didn’t love the execution.