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A review by thejoyfulbookblogger
Searching for Steven by Jessica Redland
5.0
Review originally posted on my blog http://www.livinglifewithjoy.com
I was recently introduced to Jessica Redland’s writing in her novella Raving About Rhys and absolutely loved it! Upon finishing, I immediately added her to my list of go-to authors. I hope you find yourself doing the same after reading Searching for Steven!
Searching for Steven was a fun and compelling read. In hopes of never ending up alone, Sarah goes through a series of relationships. She’s on the hunt to find and marry her true love and she’s already a few years behind schedule in her big Life Plan. Her search for a soulmate takes a life-altering turn when she comes across something she thought she lost ages ago. She doesn’t trust herself to make a decision without the use of post it notes and her two best friends Clare and Elise. After the help of her post-its and a few glasses of wine and conversation, Sarah finds herself on the hunt for love and searching for Steven.
Sarah’s search brings up the main theme of the novel; what true love means and how to know when you’ve found it. It introduces the idea that just because two people are compatible on paper, doesn’t mean that they’d make a good couple and be happy in a relationship. You have to have a spark and be attracted to that person, because without the attraction, they’re just another friend or brotherly type of guy in your life. When searching for true love, one must look inside themselves to know if it’s right or if it’s wrong.
You can’t force a relationship to happen just because you’re scared you’ll end up alone. That’s no way to live; you have to allow it to happen naturally. You have to be honest with yourself if you’re in it because you’re afraid of ending up alone, or if you’re in it because you can’t imagine your life without this other person. You need to be in a relationship with someone that makes you the best version of you and loves you for who you are, not who they want you to be. How do you know when someone is The One? When you can’t imagine your life without them and that even if you can’t be with them, then you’d rather not be in a relationship at all.
This book was filled with lessons of life, love and happiness, but also instances of tragedy and moving on after tough times. Another theme that presented itself in this story was the idea that things aren’t always as they seem and sometimes they’re exactly what we didn’t know we were looking for. There were a few major twists and turns that truly surprised me and the ending wasn’t at all what I was expecting, it was so much more. Thank you for penning a truly fabulous and compelling novel Jessica!
Memorable Moments:
I knew honesty was the foundation of a good relationship, but these were only little white lies, weren’t they?
‘I know you won’t want to hear this, but you need to get over this ridiculous obsession with getting married; it’s not the answer to life, the universe and everything you know.’
‘This is you we’re talking about. The girl with the Life Plan. The girl who uses post-it notes to make the key decisions in her life.’
My Rating: 5/5 Stars
I was recently introduced to Jessica Redland’s writing in her novella Raving About Rhys and absolutely loved it! Upon finishing, I immediately added her to my list of go-to authors. I hope you find yourself doing the same after reading Searching for Steven!
Searching for Steven was a fun and compelling read. In hopes of never ending up alone, Sarah goes through a series of relationships. She’s on the hunt to find and marry her true love and she’s already a few years behind schedule in her big Life Plan. Her search for a soulmate takes a life-altering turn when she comes across something she thought she lost ages ago. She doesn’t trust herself to make a decision without the use of post it notes and her two best friends Clare and Elise. After the help of her post-its and a few glasses of wine and conversation, Sarah finds herself on the hunt for love and searching for Steven.
Sarah’s search brings up the main theme of the novel; what true love means and how to know when you’ve found it. It introduces the idea that just because two people are compatible on paper, doesn’t mean that they’d make a good couple and be happy in a relationship. You have to have a spark and be attracted to that person, because without the attraction, they’re just another friend or brotherly type of guy in your life. When searching for true love, one must look inside themselves to know if it’s right or if it’s wrong.
You can’t force a relationship to happen just because you’re scared you’ll end up alone. That’s no way to live; you have to allow it to happen naturally. You have to be honest with yourself if you’re in it because you’re afraid of ending up alone, or if you’re in it because you can’t imagine your life without this other person. You need to be in a relationship with someone that makes you the best version of you and loves you for who you are, not who they want you to be. How do you know when someone is The One? When you can’t imagine your life without them and that even if you can’t be with them, then you’d rather not be in a relationship at all.
This book was filled with lessons of life, love and happiness, but also instances of tragedy and moving on after tough times. Another theme that presented itself in this story was the idea that things aren’t always as they seem and sometimes they’re exactly what we didn’t know we were looking for. There were a few major twists and turns that truly surprised me and the ending wasn’t at all what I was expecting, it was so much more. Thank you for penning a truly fabulous and compelling novel Jessica!
Memorable Moments:
I knew honesty was the foundation of a good relationship, but these were only little white lies, weren’t they?
‘I know you won’t want to hear this, but you need to get over this ridiculous obsession with getting married; it’s not the answer to life, the universe and everything you know.’
‘This is you we’re talking about. The girl with the Life Plan. The girl who uses post-it notes to make the key decisions in her life.’
My Rating: 5/5 Stars