bonnieg 's review for:

One Plus One by Jojo Moyes

3.0

---

I am not a chick-lit reader. Jennifer Weiner and Emily Giffin are unobjectionable, but no more. I tried once to read a Sophie Kinsella book and had to stop at page 50 because I was actually stomach clenchingly angry at both the nauseating consumerist apologia and the dime store philosophy lessons being foreshadowed. When I want to get all twee and girly I hit the bodice rippers. I like my trash honest and escapist. But then our book club read Jojo Moyes' Me Before You, and I loved it. The writing itself was excellent, the issues raised were real and they were addressed, the characters were complex and interesting. The book avoided easy answers and storybook endings, and it left me thinking about the story for weeks. So I came to my next Moyes books with high expectations. Alas, while this was a charming read, well written and well paced, it did not meet my expectations. This is not a bad book at all. If chick-lit is a style you enjoy I think you will like this book. But for me it read like a boatload of books and movies that came before. Most of all it suffered from the author's clear love of both Little Miss Sunshine and Pretty Women (both of which I adore) in constructing the characters and their road trip. I liked the characters, but I couldn't stop envisioning their inspirations as I read (especially the Sunshine kids.) This is a happy read, easy breezy, and also formulaic. A 2.5 star for me. Save it for a beach read or lazy Sunday when you want some delicious literary junk food but don't look to be challenged at all.