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A review by angelalibrosymiscelaneas
The 24 Hour Dating Agency by Mary Jayne Baker
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
The 24-hour dating agency is a contemporary cozy multi-romance novel set in Yorkshire Dales by Mary Jayne Baker about friends and coworkers Milo, Tamara, and Saffie.
The family business, The Throttler, a quirky periodical that dates back to 1939 is going through a hard time, relaying the magazine's survival on old subscribers and a few overseas readers. But so are its three employees:
Tamara, who has taken the position of editor from her grandmother, is in her forties, divorced, and with three children of her own. To add fault to injury, his ex-husband now wants to play his father role, since he is having a baby with his super young new girlfriend.
Milo, Tamara's younger brother and graphic designer of the journal, can't seem to find the One he so desperately yearns for, as a helpless romantic. Feeling like time is running out in his 30s, he would settle down with anyone good enough, yet they all end up running away when Milo drops the “I love you” bomb too early.
Saffie, on the other hand, is known as the office skeptic and, while trying to find someone through dating apps, her focus is on advancing in her journalism career and being noticed by a big company.
When Milo hears about this new and incredible Dating Agency that promises you'll find your soulmate with them, he convinces Tam and Saffie that the three should go and try it out. Milo, earlier dumped by a questionable choice of a boyfriend, sees this opportunity as the solution he is looking for. Tamara as a way to feel again young and desirable, and Saffie as a great story yet to be told. But could a questionnaire and a mysterious woman, though a 24-hour date, really bring soulmates together?
This novel is a perfect example of a beach read: Easy to read, lighthearted, and entertaining. It's a low-stakes story with a heavy theme of family bonds (either blood-related or founded) although out of the book and a nostalgic feeling to tradition as the idea of simpler times and comfort. As the magazine the main characters work on, The 24-hour Dating Agency is a quirky story with a dose of the real world with topics like motherhood, loss and belonging.
The story tries to share equally the spotlight to three love stories with their main issues (being judgmental, trying too hard to fit in, not being your true self…) and is full of funny situations and heartwarming characters. The text is dialogue-heavy, and every character is efficiently presented through the plot.
All that being said, Baker's voice as a writer sometimes made it hard to get immersed into the story, because that unconventionality and easy-going nature of the narrative felt somehow artificial at times. Like a puzzle where the pieces fit together but not perfectly.
It also felt too long since the third-act drama unfolded, being out of nowhere too intense for the intensity we have throughout the whole story. It felt unnecessary and forced.
The characters, even when they got their individual love stories, felt not exploited enough. And some got less importance in their own love story, even when having the spotlight; Milo's case is the most evident one since a lot of his chapters actually helped progress the girls' love stories instead of developing his own.
The novel has a nice and funny premise, and it's developed well enough to be enjoyable, even if it has some issues that some readers may find a little “too much” for their liking.
Thank you to the publisher and to Netgalley for providing me with a free e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
The family business, The Throttler, a quirky periodical that dates back to 1939 is going through a hard time, relaying the magazine's survival on old subscribers and a few overseas readers. But so are its three employees:
Tamara, who has taken the position of editor from her grandmother, is in her forties, divorced, and with three children of her own. To add fault to injury, his ex-husband now wants to play his father role, since he is having a baby with his super young new girlfriend.
Milo, Tamara's younger brother and graphic designer of the journal, can't seem to find the One he so desperately yearns for, as a helpless romantic. Feeling like time is running out in his 30s, he would settle down with anyone good enough, yet they all end up running away when Milo drops the “I love you” bomb too early.
Saffie, on the other hand, is known as the office skeptic and, while trying to find someone through dating apps, her focus is on advancing in her journalism career and being noticed by a big company.
When Milo hears about this new and incredible Dating Agency that promises you'll find your soulmate with them, he convinces Tam and Saffie that the three should go and try it out. Milo, earlier dumped by a questionable choice of a boyfriend, sees this opportunity as the solution he is looking for. Tamara as a way to feel again young and desirable, and Saffie as a great story yet to be told. But could a questionnaire and a mysterious woman, though a 24-hour date, really bring soulmates together?
This novel is a perfect example of a beach read: Easy to read, lighthearted, and entertaining. It's a low-stakes story with a heavy theme of family bonds (either blood-related or founded) although out of the book and a nostalgic feeling to tradition as the idea of simpler times and comfort. As the magazine the main characters work on, The 24-hour Dating Agency is a quirky story with a dose of the real world with topics like motherhood, loss and belonging.
The story tries to share equally the spotlight to three love stories with their main issues (being judgmental, trying too hard to fit in, not being your true self…) and is full of funny situations and heartwarming characters. The text is dialogue-heavy, and every character is efficiently presented through the plot.
All that being said, Baker's voice as a writer sometimes made it hard to get immersed into the story, because that unconventionality and easy-going nature of the narrative felt somehow artificial at times. Like a puzzle where the pieces fit together but not perfectly.
It also felt too long since the third-act drama unfolded, being out of nowhere too intense for the intensity we have throughout the whole story. It felt unnecessary and forced.
The characters, even when they got their individual love stories, felt not exploited enough. And some got less importance in their own love story, even when having the spotlight; Milo's case is the most evident one since a lot of his chapters actually helped progress the girls' love stories instead of developing his own.
The novel has a nice and funny premise, and it's developed well enough to be enjoyable, even if it has some issues that some readers may find a little “too much” for their liking.
Thank you to the publisher and to Netgalley for providing me with a free e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.